Greenthread’s
Education and Onboarding Kit
Sustainable Materials Decision Platform
Education and Onboarding Kit
Sustainable Materials Decision Platform
In the Winter of 2024, I had the opportunity to lead UX Design for Greenthread’s Education Kit experience. I was responsible for prototyping and crafting an intuitive flow that would help apparel designers, sourcing teams, and manufacturers understand how to use Greenthread to make more sustainable material decisions.
- *Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Measure of resource use and
- emissions across the product lifecycle
ROLE
User Experience Design
Product Development
TEAM
User Experience / Prototyping
Graphic Design / UI
Motion Graphics
A Pressing Problem
We wear the problem every day. Beneath the seams of style and seasonal trends lies a global crisis of waste, exploitation, and ecological collapse. The fashion industry is not just about what it is in, it is about what we throw out.
We wear the problem every day. Beneath the seams of style and seasonal trends lies a global crisis of waste, exploitation, and ecological collapse. The fashion industry is not just about what it is in, it is about what we throw out.
Tons of Fabric waste annually
Decrease in the lifespan of garments over previous decade
People impacted by poor waste management
The Greenthread Solution💡
Greenthread is a sustainability intelligence platform that helps product teams measure, optimize, and communicate the environmental impact of their apparel and fabric choices.
- Designer micro workspace evaluates impact of fabrics, dyes, and supply chains for individual garments
- Output Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) insights using IntegratedML to compare material and production tradeoffs
- Detailed product threads connect sketches, sourcing data, and supplier info to keep cross-team workflows aligned
Greenthread is a sustainability intelligence platform that helps product teams measure, optimize, and communicate the environmental impact of their apparel and fabric choices.
- Designer micro workspace evaluates impact of fabrics, dyes, and supply chains for individual garments
- Output Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) insights using IntegratedML to compare material and production tradeoffs
- Detailed product threads connect sketches, sourcing data, and supplier info to keep cross-team workflows aligned
Walkthrough
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Where competitors fail
In my analysis, I chose to focus on two key areas:
In my analysis, I chose to focus on two key areas:
Competitors fail to provide transparency into sourcing and production stages
Competitors reduce sustainability metrics to a single score, which lack comparative insights and nuance ( e.g. LCA )
Overemphasis on sustainability can be overwhelming
Competitors lack features that allow collaboration
Competitors reduce sustainability metrics to a single score, which lack comparative insights and nuance ( e.g. LCA )
Overemphasis on sustainability can be overwhelming
Competitors lack features that allow collaboration
Tools cannot guarantee accuracy of sustainability claims
Unlocking Market Potential
Existing tools leave key user needs unmet and reveal opportunities to create more accessible and intuitive sustainability solutions.
Existing tools leave key user needs unmet and reveal opportunities to create more accessible and intuitive sustainability solutions.
01.
Sustainable products are 75–85% more expensive than conventional alternatives, making them inaccessible to many consumers who may want to make better choices but are limited by cost.
Overemphasis on sustainability can be overwhelming
Sustainable products are 75–85% more expensive than conventional alternatives, making them inaccessible to many consumers who may want to make better choices but are limited by cost.
Overemphasis on sustainability can be overwhelming
High Raw Material Costs
Bulk Production Constraints: Manufacturers require high minimum order quantities to reduce per-unit costs which is challenging for small brands.
Inventory Risks: Smaller businesses may struggle to manage large inventories, leading to overstocking or waste.
Lower Economies of Scale: Many sustainable products are produced in smaller quantities and drive up costs per unit.
Inventory Risks: Smaller businesses may struggle to manage large inventories, leading to overstocking or waste.
Lower Economies of Scale: Many sustainable products are produced in smaller quantities and drive up costs per unit.
Opportunities
Batch Optimization Suggestions: Recommend optimal batch sizes and suppliers that align with the designer's budget and order needs.
On-Demand Production Support: Highlight suppliers offering low MOQ or on-demand production models, minimizing waste and upfront costs.
Batch Optimization Suggestions: Recommend optimal batch sizes and suppliers that align with the designer's budget and order needs.
On-Demand Production Support: Highlight suppliers offering low MOQ or on-demand production models, minimizing waste and upfront costs.
02.
Poor data visualization for Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Cradle-to-Grave analysis limits clarity and user understanding
Competitors reduce sustainability metrics to a single score, which lack comparative insights and nuance
Opportunities
Integrated LCA Tools: Build an easy-to-use LCA tool within the platform that calculates environmental impact based on user-selected materials, production methods, and shipping options.
Simplified Metrics: Translate complex LCA data into digestible metrics (e.g., CO2 footprint, water usage) that are easily understood by users and consumers.
LCA Certification Support: Provide guidance on how designers can use LCA results to obtain certifications or marketing labels.
Integrated LCA Tools: Build an easy-to-use LCA tool within the platform that calculates environmental impact based on user-selected materials, production methods, and shipping options.
Simplified Metrics: Translate complex LCA data into digestible metrics (e.g., CO2 footprint, water usage) that are easily understood by users and consumers.
LCA Certification Support: Provide guidance on how designers can use LCA results to obtain certifications or marketing labels.
STEP 2: ITERATING AND USER RESEARCH
Why aren’t users converting?
While first-time users found the interface appealing and were able to navigate the platform with some guidance, data showed significant drop-off after second-time users reopened the app. Users explored the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) feature but abandoned the process before generating a report. The complexity of the report combined with lack of in-app education discouraged further engagement.
EVALUATING THE EXISTING SETUP FLOW
The existing flow presents data users with dense data fields and technical terms, assuming prior sustainability design knowledge. No guided explanation or simplified entry points exist to ease users into the feature. I identified two touchpoints within the existing setup flow where metrics were low, contributing to the overall low conversion.
Why aren’t users converting?
While first-time users found the interface appealing and were able to navigate the platform with some guidance, data showed significant drop-off after second-time users reopened the app. Users explored the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) feature but abandoned the process before generating a report. The complexity of the report combined with lack of in-app education discouraged further engagement.
EVALUATING THE EXISTING SETUP FLOW
The existing flow presents data users with dense data fields and technical terms, assuming prior sustainability design knowledge. No guided explanation or simplified entry points exist to ease users into the feature. I identified two touchpoints within the existing setup flow where metrics were low, contributing to the overall low conversion.
- A/B Testing at Adobe
- Our teammate Matt (Graphic Design) brought our prototype
- to his workplace at Adobe to gather feedback from seasoned
- industry veterans and interns.
User Pain Points and Takeaways
Through user interviews with Adobe employees &
Greenthread users to identify their pain points in the two
touchpoints
EMPTY STATE CONFUSION
"It feels like I’m using a design tool made for professionals. There are so many buttons and icons. I don’t know what any of them do or where to begin."
"It feels like I’m using a design tool made for professionals. There are so many buttons and icons. I don’t know what any of them do or where to begin."
The workspace resembles traditional vector graphics editors, which come with a steep learning curve. User struggled to locate essential tools and collaborate efficiently.
USER EDUCATION FLOW
"I started customizing a pair of jeans, but then I wasn’t sure if I was halfway done or just at the beginning."
"I started customizing a pair of jeans, but then I wasn’t sure if I was halfway done or just at the beginning."
Users enter the report experience unsure of what the steps are, how much they’ve completed, or what’s left to do. This ambiguity leads to early abandonment and a decreased motivation to finish the report.
4 Goals to Focus on
01.
Provide tools to help designers center ethics at the beginning of process
02.
Provide tools that are quick and easy to use without prior knowledge or setup
03.
Prioritize transparency and allow users to view the impact of their choices
04.
Incorporate data and an education process for onboarding
THE SOLUTION
Improving the overall onboarding experience
01. EMPTY STATE CONFUSION
Redesigning the Empty State
Redesigning the Empty State
02. BOOSTING REPORT COMPLETION
Guided tutorials with progress indicators to improve product education
Guided tutorials with progress indicators to improve product education
THE SOLUTION: EMPTY STATE CONFUSION
Redesigning the Empty State
I sought out to design this page with users in mind who were new to a vector based graphics interface and budding designers who could improve their skills through tutorial processes.
I sought out to design this page with users in mind who were new to a vector based graphics interface and budding designers who could improve their skills through tutorial processes.
THE SOLUTION: BOOSTING REPORT COMPLETION
A dynamic breakdown of sustainable decision-making
This module lets users compare material impacts side by side using real time LCA scores. With rich visualizations, FAQ support, and downloadable reports, Greenthread simplifies complex environmental data into actionable insights.
- Designing through one intuitive canvas
The workspace guides users through the full product development flow from onboarding to 3D visualization. With AI-powered suggestions, - real time order summaries, and multi-view material previews, teams can move from idea to execution.