Overconsumption and Fast Fashion
Research, insights, and areas of opportunity for the fashion industry to address the sustainability problem of overconsumption.
Spring 2020
Parsons School of Design | Senior Capstone
Services: Systems Thinking, Consumer Research, Social Impact, Sustainability
Goal
The goal for this project was to understand the consumer mindset of fashion overconsumption in light of the industry’s recent push for sustainability. This compendium outlined my research process, findings, and insights into why we over-consume, whether sustainability can be achieved in the fashion industry if our overconsumption habits continue, and what it means to be a conscious consumer.
Key themes of research project and compendium
Process
I employed a plethora of design research methods to investigate my topic, including mind mapping, secondary research, in-depth interviews, a focus group, trend analysis, consumer personas, and a personal inventory observation. Employing these research tactics allowed me to both explore the consumer perspective through primary research and industry opinions on the topic through desk research and interviews.
Consumer shopping behavior statistics based on interview and focus group findings
Outcomes
This research project was valuable because it exposed inconsistencies where the fashion industry’s sustainability goals are concerned. My research revealed key insights, including how the rate at which the fast fashion industry creates new trends incentivizes overconsumption. I additionally discovered that overconsumption is the biggest threat to the industry’s sustainability goals, and how there isn’t a way to be sustainable around the overconsumption habits that are currently normalized in fashion.
Consumer persona research method based on consumer interviews
Below are further visualizations of the project’s process and final deliverables.
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