The Redesign Canvas Fashion Design As A

Journal of Cleaner Production 183 (2018) 194e207
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Journal of Cleaner Production

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro
The reDesign canvas: Fashion design as a tool for sustainability

Anika Kozlowski a, b, *, Cory Searcy a, c, Michal Bardecki a, d
a
Environmental Applied Sciences and Management Program, Yeates School of Graduate Studies, Canada
b
School of Fashion, Canada
c
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Yeates School of Graduate Studies, Canada
d
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history: Many of the existing tools for design in a sustainable fashion context are too complex, overly conceptual,
Available online 7 February 2018 require experts to apply, have a high cost, were created for large corporations, or fall short in holistically
supporting sustainable fashion design entrepreneurial practices. Micro-sized enterprises represent a
Keywords: significant portion of the fashion industry and can meaningfully contribute to the transition to a more
Sustainable fashion sustainable apparel and textile industry. This paper addresses this gap through the development of an
Design tools
original design tool, the reDesign canvas, to support design entrepreneurs in developing sustainable
Sustainable design
fashion enterprises. Informed by design thinking and systems thinking, the canvas was developed based
Sustainable SMEs
Sustainable business models
on an in-depth review of the academic literature and the collection of qualitative data. Qualitative data
Design canvas were gathered through both participatory action research (PAR) and interviews with 38 sustainable
fashion design entrepreneurs and experts in sustainable fashion. Both the PAR and the interviews were
used to test and refine the reDesign canvas in order to ensure it meets the needs of sustainable design
entrepreneurs operating micro-sized companies. The final version of the canvas is based on 12 building
blocks that a design entrepreneur would encounter in building a sustainable fashion brand. The reDesign
canvas can help advance both the theory and practice of sustainable fashion design.
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction and produced for rapid trend turnovers through obsolescence and
premature disposal, thereby enabling quick profits e rather than
The production, consumption and disposal of apparel products rethinking how design and manufacturing can incorporate con-
has a number of negative environmental and social impacts. These sumer needs and sustainability (Niinima €ki and Hassi, 2011). How-
impacts are expected to grow substantially in the coming years. ever, the idea of what sustainable fashion is and how it fits within
Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group (2017) the industry continues to evolve. This translates into an assortment
“project that the overall apparel consumption will rise by 63%, of visions, ideas, processes and products associated with sustain-
from 62 million tons today to 102 million tons in 2030 e an able fashion.
equivalent of more than 500 billion T-shirts” (p. 9). As it stands There is no generally accepted definition of sustainable fashion.
currently, only 20% of clothing is collected for reuse or recycling, Most definitions of sustainable business activity directly build on
with the vast majority eventually ending up in landfills (Global the definition of sustainable development provided in the
Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group, 2017). Brundtland report (Our Common Future) from 1987: “development
Responses to the wide-scale negative environmental and social that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
impacts of the fashion industry have been reactive and focused on ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987,
piecemeal strategies that lack a cohesive perspective. These re- p. 43). The report also identifies three dimensions that form the
sponses have also focused predominately on technological and cost basis of sustainability: economic, environmental and social. Many
aspects related to the production of apparel. Products are designed researchers, particularly proponents of the “triple bottom line”
(Elkington, 1997), interpret sustainability as requiring equal
consideration and integration of those three dimensions in the
* Corresponding author. Environmental Applied Sciences and Management Pro- decision-making process. Others, particularly proponents of the
gram, Yeates School of Graduate Studies, Canada. embedded view (Marcus et al., 2010), argue that the dimensions
E-mail address: a2kozlow@ryerson.ca (A. Kozlowski).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.014
0959-6526/© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A. Kozlowski et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 183 (2018) 194e207 195
form a hierarchy, where the economy is seen as part of larger so- extensively tested through a participatory action research (PAR)
ciety, which, in turn, is nested within the natural environment. In study with a micro-sized enterprise and interviews with 38 en-
either case, a key emphasis is the need for any firm to ensure the trepreneurs and experts in sustainable fashion.
ethical and responsible management of natural resources and The reDesign canvas is a visual tool that resembles a painter's
workers throughout both its own internal operations and its supply canvas, preformatted with a set of building blocks which form the
chain. basis of the canvas (i.e., the tool). The goal of the reDesign canvas is
Sustainable fashion is expressed in many forms yet lacks any to facilitate a transition to sustainable fashion. Specifically, the
agreed-upon formal definition. A review of literature finds little in canvas allows design entrepreneurs to fully visualize all of the
the way of a definition; rather, characteristics, ideals, processes and components of new or existing sustainable fashion brands. The
philosophies drive the discourse. For the purposes of this paper, reDesign canvas is intended to be printed on large scale surfaces
sustainable fashion is conceptualized as fashion that is created (e.g., a poster) so design entrepreneurs can sketch and discuss the
taking into account all phases of the cycle of clothing and realizing a elements of a sustainable fashion brand using markers and/or
holistic and systems thinking design perspective that reduces attached notes. The building blocks are the fundamental elements a
negative impacts and seeks to create positive economic, environ- designer should include in building a sustainable fashion brand.
mental and social impacts. Sustainable fashion involves good Fostering understanding of how the building blocks interrelate, the
practices that aim to enrich and have a positive impact on com- reDesign canvas encourages discussion, creativity and analysis so
munities, cultures, societies, people, other organisms and the designers may create clothing that engages consumers through
environment, to respect and encourage diversity. Success and new business models, creating new values, meanings and
profits are decoupled from growth with the goal of creating a behaviours.
system which can be supported indefinitely where environmental The reDesign canvas challenges design entrepreneurs to move
and social responsibility drive new economic and business models, beyond traditional product design to fully integrate sustainability
ideals and practices. For the purposes of this paper, sustainable into their design processes. The canvas makes several contributions
fashion is therefore defined as “the profitable design, production, to research and practice. As a strategic tool, the canvas facilitates an
distribution, and end-of-life reuse, recycling, or disposal of fashion iterative process where design entrepreneurs work through a series
that supports circular systems, minimizes negative and maximizes of building blocks, including concept, design and materials, (de)
positive impacts on both society and the natural environment”. branding, innovative and sustainable business models, consumer
Sustainable fashion is closely connected to innovation. Boons engagement, circular design and economies, prototypes and
et al. (2013) view innovation in a sustainable context as radically product development, sustainable supply-chain, data management,
redefining and moving away from incremental (product and pro- sourcing, revenues and cost, and stakeholders. Recognizing the
cess) to transformational (services, future orientated) innovations need for flexibility, the canvas has been developed to allow design
that do not cause environmental or social harm. von Hippel (2017) entrepreneurs to work within any, some, or all the building blocks.
introduces the idea of free innovation, which complements the
aims of sustainable fashion and he defines free innovation “as a 2. Theory and background
functionally novel product, service or process that (1) was devel-
oped by consumers at private cost during their unpaid discre- This section introduces the concepts of design thinking and
tionary time … (2) is not protected by its developers, and so is systems thinking. The use of theory and literature form the con-
potentially acquirable by anyone without payment-for free” (p.1). ceptual basis for the development of the reDesign canvas and the
For the purposes of this paper, sustainable fashion innovation is practice-based testing and refinement of the tool.
defined as “transformational changes to fashion products and ser-
vices developed in consultation with consumers” which advance 2.1. Design thinking
“the profitable design, production, distribution, and end-of-life
reuse, recycling, or disposal of fashion that supports circular sys- Design traditionally has been tasked with the making of prod-
tems, minimizes negative and maximizes positive impacts on both ucts; more recently, the discourse has increasingly highlighted the
society and the natural environment”. application of design thinking to larger scale social and system
Several authors have argued that designers, design thinking and solutions (Brown and Wyatt, 2010; Hethorn and Ulasewicz, 2008).
a systems thinking perspective are essential to developing inno- Design thinking can be described as a “practice … associated with
vative solutions for sustainability in the fashion industry having a human-centered approach to problem solving in contrast
(Armstrong and LeHew, 2011; Fletcher, 2008, 2010; Fletcher et al., to being technology- or organization-centered. [Designers] are seen
2012; Hethorn and Ulasewicz, 2008; Niinima €ki and Hassi, 2011). as using an iterative process that moves from generating insights
Sustainability must be embedded in the design process if the in- about end users, to idea generation and testing, to implementation”
dustry is to reduce its adverse impacts in a meaningful way. Un- (Kimbell, 2011). Design thinking is frequently presented as an
fortunately, fashion designers generally lack the tools to enable approach to foster innovation while remaining a flexible, expansive
design-driven change. and explorative activity (Brown, 2008, 2009; Buchanan, 1992;
Tools are urgently needed to facilitate the transition to a sus- Dorst, 2011; Norman, 2013).
tainable fashion system. This paper presents a design tool, in the For the purposes of the paper, the researchers adopt the un-
form of the reDesign canvas, to aid designers in building sustain- derstanding of design thinking tied to Brown (2008) and Dorst
able fashion brands. The tool is particularly targeted to the needs of (2011). The central insight is that design does not necessarily
design entrepreneurs running micro-sized enterprises (less than 10 follow an orderly process. Rather, it is the approach to design and
employees). Design entrepreneurs represent a rapidly growing the principles underlying that approach that are critical. In any case,
segment of sustainable fashion brands, but often approach the it is essential that values, such as a commitment to sustainability,
integration of sustainability into their brands in an ad hoc, unsys- are embedded early in the design process.
tematic manner. Design entrepreneurs require a flexible tool that Fashion offers and generates multiple opportunities to apply
recognizes the different starting points, competitive environments, sustainable concepts and practices (Hethorn and Ulasewicz, 2008)
and resource constraints they face. The reDesign canvas was and designers often want to create more sustainable garments but
they need to know how to do so. Design is the point of greatest
196 A. Kozlowski et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 183 (2018) 194e207
potential in reducing the negative environmental and social im- markets compared to much larger companies (Schaltegger and
€ki and Hassi,
pacts of fashion products (Fletcher et al., 2012; Niinima Wagner, 2011). There is increasing recognition regarding the abil-
2011; Vezzoli and Manzini, 2009). Many of the choices designers ity of entrepreneurship and SMEs as a conduit for change to sus-
make encode products for a specific destiny, resulting in a domino tainable products and processes (Hall et al., 2010). To this, however,
effect as they drive the actions and choices of partners and stake- they must adopt a sustainable business model.
holders from production to retailers, end-of-life and disposal A business model fundamentally defines how an organization
(Armstrong and LeHew, 2011; Guidice et al., 2006; Wimmer et al., operates. It provides the rationale through which the business
2004). Thus, “if designers are perceptive and open to sustainabil- creates, delivers and captures value. Value propositions are “based
ity principles, fashion could prove a powerful conduit in the tran- on bundles of products and services that create value for a customer
sition to environmentally friendly and socially responsible segment” (Osterwalder et al., 2014, p.xvi). Business models are also
production and consumption, attracting attention, energy, and viewed as an important driver of innovation (Osterwalder and
imagination around sustainable solutions” (Armstrong and LeHew, Pigneur, 2010). Lüdeke-Freund (2010) defines a sustainable busi-
2011) The reDesign canvas is offered with this point in mind. The ness model (SBM) as “a business model that creates competitive
canvas must therefore: advantage through superior customer value and contributes to a
sustainable development of the company and society” (p. 17).
Proposition 1. Ensure that sustainability is explicitly integrated into
However, while new approaches are emerging (e.g., Boons and
fashion design processes and practices.
Lüdeke-Freund, 2013); a review of the literature finds no
consensus on how a business should approach embedding sus-
2.2. Systems thinking tainability (Bocken et al., 2014b; Boons and Lüdeke-Freund, 2013).
Business model innovation offers new approaches in rethinking
Systems thinking is gaining support in tackling problems for the perceptions of value, particularly for new companies or product
development of sustainable fashion (Fletcher et al., 2012; Georgiou, lines (Bocken et al., 2014b; Stubbs and Cocklin, 2008). This includes
2007; Niinima €ki and Hassi, 2011; Porter and Co rdoba, 2009). not only value propositions to customers, but also the role suppliers
Fashion is a system that can be analyzed and is composed of play in creating value (Boons and Lüdeke-Freund, 2013). Collabo-
stakeholders, practices, structures, institutions, organizations and ration is frequently cited within the literature as an approach firms
behaviours that dictate the processes through which the industry need to consider in developing sustainability (Bocken et al., 2014b;
functions. Systems thinking uses tools and concepts to develop an Boons and Lüdeke-Freund, 2013; Lüdeke-Freund, 2010). This is
understanding of the interdependent structures of dynamic sys- particularly important for SMEs, as they may not have the resources
tems (Meadows, 2008). When designers have a better under- to address sustainability issues on their own. This also further un-
standing of the fashion system, they are better able to identify the derlines the need for a systems perspective. It is therefore not
leverage points that lead to desired outcomes or aspired value surprising to see that the literature on sustainable business models
(Meadows, 1999). is increasingly being linked to the concept of circular economies
Sustainable business models and consumer engagement are (CE) and closed loop products.
among the key leverage points that can enact positive change to- The ultimate goal of CE is to decouple environmental pressure
wards developing a sustainable fashion system. For example, sys- due to resource use from economic growth. In the transition to CE, a
tems thinking can encourage a design approach that extends fundamental requirement is the involvement of all stakeholders
beyond a user-centered focus to include all stakeholders within the and their capability to link and create suitable collaborations and
fashion system. Systems thinking can also encourage designers to exchange patterns (Bocken et al., 2016; Ghisellini et al., 2016).
move beyond traditional design and product development pro- Design plays a critical role in this. Integrating CE concerns must be
cesses that encourage a take-make-dispose mindset and economy done within the early stages of product design (e.g., the ideation
(May-Plumlee and Little, 1998). and inspiration phases within design thinking). Change is difficult
Designers must realize that open, complex problems and op- once the resources and activities have been committed to a certain
portunities, such as innovative sustainable design in small enter- product design (Bocken et al., 2014a). With the above in mind, the
prises, is part of a larger whole. Solutions are likely to require reDesign canvas must:
understanding of the entire system (Norman, 2010) to evaluate Proposition 4. Recognize that the concept of circular economies
aspired value, working principles and frames (Dorst, 2011). With underlines the fundamental components of the fashion system.
that in mind, the redesign canvas must:
Proposition 2. Consider how the design impacts the larger fashion
system, including production and consumption processes. 2.4. Strategies and tools for sustainability
Proposition 3. Recognize the linkages and interactions of the
fundamental components within the fashion system. While awareness and research into sustainable fashion has
grown significantly in the last decade, the question of how to
integrate the concept of sustainability into the fashion design
2.3. Sustainability and the business of fashion process remains. Recently, there has been an emergence of strate-
gies and tools aimed at the designer in the pursuit of sustainability.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent a large For example, Niinima €ki and Hassi (2011) discuss design strategies
and often ignored segment of the fashion industry. SMEs are often for extending the life span of clothing products while Laitala et al.
new ventures operating in niche markets where sustainability is (2015) explore the user centered design methods to delay
the core of their mission and business model. Micro-sized sus- clothing disposal, highlighting the crucial aspect of consumer
tainable fashion companies provide an example of such ventures. behaviour considerations throughout the design process.
Characterized by an entrepreneurial style that favors a lean orga- Armstrong and LeHew (2011) provide a review of sustainable
nization structure (Bos-Brouwers, 2010), SMEs can be strongly design approaches and models used within other industries. Their
value-driven (Jenkins, 2009). This puts SMEs in a much better po- findings indicate two primary components for a transition to a
sition to innovate radically and compete successfully in niche sustainable paradigm: tools are needed for decision making, and
advancement for a sustainable supply chain includes costing stra- Proposition 6. Recognize the need for flexibility to accommodate
tegies, collaboration and cooperation. Both are relevant for the differing design needs and approaches to address those needs.
development of the reDesign canvas, with particular emphasis on
The propositions outlined in this section served as a checklist
the first component.
throughout the research process and development of the reDesign
Aakko and Koskennurmi-Sivonen (2013) provide one of the few
canvas.
models developed specifically for fashion designers who wish to
incorporate sustainable considerations into their design process.
The model is theoretical and focuses primarily on the production
process. Another model utilizing the cradle to cradle approach was 3. Methods
created by Jin Gam et al. (2009), which also primarily focuses on the
production process with little discussion of consumption behav- The development of the reDesign canvas was an iterative pro-
iours, use or disposal. The Ted's Ten (Textile Environment Design, cess that took place between 2014 and 2016. It involved two stages:
2006) is a set of ten cards, each having a written strategy that in- (1) the conceptual development of an initial canvas informed by the
cludes a short description and a few examples. These studies and academic literature and the propositions articulated in the previous
tools have provided much needed guidance for designers, but do section; and (2) a revised version informed by data gathered
not stress the need to explicitly consider the business model un- through fieldwork in the form of in-depth semi-structured in-
derlying a fashion company's activities from which supply chain terviews, field observations, and participatory action research
and product development decisions are derived. Presently, most of (PAR). Fig. 1 summarizes the research design framework.
the approaches consider sustainable design as a journey rather
than a destination (Walker, 2006) and approaches and strategies to
sustainable design and product development remain in their in- 3.1. Conceptual development of initial reDesign canvas
fancy (Armstrong and LeHew, 2011).
Design activities not only influence the production process (e.g., The conceptual development of the reDesign canvas began with
material selection, energy/water use, processes, and a review of the literature. This resulted in the identification of a key
manufacturing), but also the consumption process, which includes set of themes, which formed the basis for the propositions outlining
how consumers buy, use and dispose of clothing. Addressing con- the requirements the canvas must fulfill. This, in turn, provided the
sumption issues requires designers to consider lifestyles and be- basis for the initial building blocks. As a tool for design entrepre-
haviours and their effect on consumption patterns. Design neurs, it was important that the format of the tool resonated with
represents a key inception point for many impacts and is consid- how designers work. The canvas framework, an accessible visual
ered as one of the most powerful tools for transforming these new form, was adopted from Alex Osterwalder's business model canvas
roles, patterns of behaviour and opportunities to lead a cultural and which provides a visualization of all the building blocks involved in
systematic change within fashion (Armstrong and LeHew, 2011; an operating business (Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2010). Each
Fletcher et al., 2012). While it is widely acknowledged that sus- building block describes the most important factors for that block
tainability is imperative for the future of the fashion industry and and includes questions design entrepreneurs should address. The
the planet, it is less clear what the means for achieving a sustain- key content in the canvas is structured within building blocks
able fashion industry are (Aakko and Koskennurmi-Sivonen, 2013; which are easily identified by the user, are visually encompassed in
Black, 2012; Fletcher, 2008). A sustainable design model can be a singular space, and encourage a non-linear, iterative design
useful in achieving a fundamental understanding of sustainable thinking practice. Systems thinking provided the basis for high-
fashion design and the product development process, but it is clear lighting the relationship and interactions among the building
that any such model must be flexible enough to accommodate the blocks. The initial building blocks were: material selection, sourc-
wide variety of needs and tools associated with fashion design. The ing, sustainable business model innovation, sustainable supply
reDesign canvas is offered with this in mind and must: chains and production, sustainable consumer behaviour, and
stakeholder analysis. The initial canvas was then tested through
Proposition 5. Ensure the reDesign canvas is suitable to the unique PAR. The initial reDesign canvas was designed to provide flexibility
needs of design entrepreneurs. for individual variations and iterations.
Fig. 1. Research design framework.

3.1.1. Participatory action research chosen as it is the most significant social media platform used
The first key test of the draft reDesign canvas was through a PAR within the fashion industry and many design entrepreneurs use
conducted with a sustainable fashion entrepreneur. PAR explicitly Instagram as their primary means of exposure. Instagram and the
focuses on systematic, joint problem-solving and is, thus, well- use of hashtags is the most comprehensive approach to discovering
suited to practitioner-based/applied research (Walter, 2009). The sustainable fashion brands. Two criteria were used in the selection
PAR was a collaboration between the principal researcher and the of participants: they must be a micro-enterprise, and they must
entrepreneur/owner and the project manager of a textile-focused identify as a sustainable fashion brand.
design incubator. As a method where the researcher has an active The design entrepreneurs that agreed to participate own and
role, PAR is an iterative process of planning, action, and observation operate small businesses and are leaders in sustainable fashion,
(Walter, 2009). PAR was chosen to ensure that the reDesign canvas principally from New York (12). Others are from London (1), Tor-
included the complexities of real-world design practice. Fig. 2 onto (7), Montreal (2), Chicago (2), Detroit (1), Berlin (2), Amster-
demonstrates the iterative and systematic approach used in the dam (1), Sydney (1), Lisbon (1) and Copenhagen (1). The other 6
PAR conducted in this study (Walter, 2009). experts interviewed included academics (2), independent consul-
The initial idea for the sustainable fashion product, a women's tants (2), and product managers (2) from sustainable production
tote bag, was put forth by the entrepreneur. The principal facilities. The interviews were semi-structured, 60e90 min in
researcher, a trained fashion designer with industry experience, length, and focused on how the design entrepreneurs operate and
occupied the role of designer in the PAR. imbed sustainability into their design practice. The interviews also
The first draft of the reDesign canvas was applied and tested sought to uncover the relationship between sustainable design and
throughout the PAR, working collaboratively with the entrepre- their business model, the major barriers, opportunities and ad-
neur. Using the reDesign canvas as a basis for shared thinking and vantages of being a sustainable design entrepreneur.
discussion, the tote bag was designed along with a sustainable The interviewees were provided with a copy of the second
business model that focused on circular design and sustainable iteration of the reDesign canvas and feedback was obtained. In-
consumption behaviours. The PAR then proceeded through an terviews with experts emphasized their perception and experi-
iterative process of planning, action, and observation throughout a ences on the role of micro-sized sustainable brands in sustainable
series of design sessions with the entrepreneur and manager. This fashion and how sustainable fashion design entrepreneurs
iterative process resulted in changes to the bag through multiple currently work, with a particular focus on their design process and
prototypes and to the reDesign canvas itself. The project was business model development. An interview guide was developed to
concluded when the researcher and entrepreneur mutually agreed prepare for and structure the interviews. The interviews were
on a finalized product prototype and sustainable business model recorded and transcribed. The data collected were coded and
tailored to the design enterprise. analyzed to identify themes, leverage points, challenges, opportu-
The PAR provided repeated opportunities to test and refine the nities and key activities. A thematic analysis was conducted, high-
reDesign canvas, highlighting gaps in the initial canvas design and lighting the similarities and differences between the responses. The
building blocks. Additions and deletions were made to the building key results of the interviews and the role of the feedback received
blocks and the features within the blocks as they arose through the in revising the reDesign canvas are discussed in Section 4. Once the
design process. The key outcomes of the PAR informed a further interviews were completed, further iterations of the reDesign
iteration of the canvas. canvas were made using the results of the PAR and interviews.
3.1.2. Interviews
Interviews with 31 sustainable fashion designers who self-
identify as design entrepreneurs and 6 experts within the field of
sustainable fashion were conducted to understand how current 4. Results and discussion
design entrepreneurs operate. The use of expert opinions in com-
bination with semi-structured interviews is an approach employed This section presents the results. The key results from the
by other researchers within fashion sustainability studies (e.g., development process of the reDesign canvas are reviewed. Using
Winter and Lasch, 2016). The design entrepreneurs were selected support from the literature and qualitative data gathered in this
through the use of Instagram and the hashtag #sustainablefashion. study, each building block in the final version of the reDesign
A comprehensive list of sustainable fashion brands was developed canvas is described. The key contributions and implications are also
and designers were contacted for participation. Instagram was addressed.
Fig. 2. The iterative cycle of PAR (adapted from Walter, 2009).

4.1. The reDesign canvas block, in turn, consists of a number of features and questions, which
are indicated by smaller text under the building block title. Note
The reDesign canvas is a design tool that encourages creation that several features (e.g., aspired value) are incorporated into
and provides support for sustainable fashion innovation specifically multiple building blocks. This underlines the iterative nature of
targeted to design entrepreneurs. Through the design process, the design thinking, where previous assumptions are continually
reDesign canvas promotes innovative business model development reassessed to ensure their continuing suitability and relevance.
and introspection in parallel with consumer engagement strategies A brief description of each building block is provided in Table 1.
for sustainable behaviour change. The reDesign canvas has been Detailed explanations are provided in the following sub-sections.
formatted for large scale printing so the design entrepreneurs may To explain how the building blocks function, examples from the
use markers and/or attached notes as they interpret, ideate, discuss interviews and PAR are used.
and implement actions for each of the building blocks. The reDe-
sign canvas is a practical and effective design tool for design en- 4.2. Concept
trepreneurs to:
With the concept, a designer would begin setting the tone and
Apply design thinking and systems thinking throughout their foundation for the rest of the canvas through the broader vision.
entire business; and The concept work begins with how the designer defines sustainable
Identify the opportunities and challenges in sustainable fashion, fashion for their brand.
emphasizing solutions that involve collaboration between the A key finding from the interviews was how the design entre-
designer and key stakeholders. preneurs' values and their interpretation of sustainable fashion
formed the overall vision for their brand. This was also demon-
The initial draft of the reDesign canvas is presented in Fig. 3. strated through the PAR: the entrepreneur's idea of sustainability is
The refined version of the reDesign canvas is presented in Fig. 4. what drove the development of the business model and product
The canvas consists of twelve building blocks: (1) concept; (2) design. How the design entrepreneurs defined sustainable fashion
consumer; (3) (de)branding; (4) circular design and economies; (5) was reflected through all aspects of their business, such as material
business models, value proposition and innovation; 6) revenue choice, supply chain, sourcing and their business model. For
streams and costs; (7) sourcing; (8) design and smart material se- example, one designer defined sustainable fashion as “the best
lection; (9) prototypes and product development; (10) supply version of how you can do it. For me it's manufacturing as locally as
chain; (11) data management; and (12) stakeholders. Each building possible and using high quality fabrics and styles that are going to
Fig. 3. Initial draft of the reDesign canvas.

Fig. 4. Final version of the reDesign canvas.
have longevity so that you don't have to go buy” (design entre- deliver value within the lens of their adopted construct of sus-
preneur 4). Another designer saw sustainable fashion as an op- tainability. Moreover, the aspired value should consider and create
portunity to create awareness with her consumers, stating “you value for multiple stakeholders simultaneously (Baldassarre et al.,
actually have to assume responsibility for your actions as a 2017), including consumers, suppliers, and other key partners. For
customer for everything that you buy. And this is something that example, throughout the PAR, the aspired value was to create a
we want to promote, more responsible customer behaviours” women's tote bag using circular design that minimized water use
(design entrepreneur 3). Once the designer has established their and pollution. The entrepreneur was extremely concerned with
vision and definition of sustainable fashion, they can begin to work water issues and this became the key driving force for the business
through the remaining questions such as context (framing), aspired and design. The entrepreneur wanted a business that had positive
value, goals, what success looks like and how they will get there. impacts on communities where water pollution is a major issue due
Sustainable fashion is an open and complex problem that re- to textile and apparel production.
quires new approaches. Building on Dorst (2011), solutions to these
types of problems begin with the end (aspired) value, which is often 4.3. Consumer
conceptual in nature. The challenge lays in figuring out “what”
(product and/or service) to create and “how” that will be achieved. While much of the adverse environmental and social impacts of
This forms the basis for the design frame. This, in turn, provides a the fashion industry can be attributed to production and distribu-
basis for addressing the remaining questions within the concept tion, an equal part of the responsibility is borne by consumer
building block such as outlining goals, how they will be achieved, consumption behaviours (Roos et al., 2016). These consumer be-
determining opportunities, challenges and activities that describe haviours are under-researched in the context of sustainable fashion
the designer's vision and idea of success. For example, throughout and consumption continues to increase, with the associated high
the PAR process, the frame was the key component underlying the environmental and social costs (Gwozdz et al., 2017; Roos et al.,
entire design of the brand, business and product/services. Often 2016). Consuming differently (e.g., purchasing ethically-based
when key decisions were being made, the frame, vision and aspired products, or products made from recycled materials) is another
value were consistently referred to in order to guide decisions and strategy to reduce environmental and social impacts (Gwozdz et al.,
maintain focus. 2017).
Using systems and design thinking, the proposed aspired value However, strategies suggested to reduce environmental and
should be verified against all the building blocks to ensure fit and social impacts throughout the consumer consumption phase
potential for new forms of value. It is imperative that designers require consumer behaviour change and an understanding of cur-
understand how their products, services and brand capture and rent patterns of fashion consumption (Gwozdz et al., 2017). Many of
Table 1
Description of building blocks comprising the reDesign canvas.
Building Block Description
Concept This is where design entrepreneurs develop and outline the broader vision, aspired value and goals for their brand. This leads the
design entrepreneur to better understand context, the framing of the problem they are looking to address (for sustainable fashion).
Consumer This building block provides design entrepreneurs the opportunity to explore the relationship with their consumer. It encourages
design entrepreneurs to ask questions about how to engage, to what level and through which channels so that they may influence
more sustainable consumption and disposal behaviours.
(de)Branding This building block outlines considerations for the design entrepreneur when developing their branding. The key aspect is ensuring
an honest and transparent account of the fashion brand, products and/or services for the consumer. This block promotes a shift
among brands from investing in marketing to investing in product development. This allows for pricing to reflect real value rather
than conceptual value created through branding codes, constructed desires and imaginary worlds, thus illustrating a concept of
(de)branding.
Circular design & economies This building block merges new design strategies with new innovative sustainable business models. Circular economies and design
require that circular products and services work in tandem with the business model and involves stakeholders like consumers and
producers. This block challenges designers to utilize system and design thinking in the transition to CE. Designers must consider
aspects such as material flow, best available technologies (BAT), longevity, biological and technical cycles.
Business Models, Value Propositions The business model, value proposition and innovation is where design entrepreneurs can develop the connection between the
& Innovation design, product and consumer in the transition to a more circular economy. This building block encourages design entrepreneurs to
question how they can deliver new forms of value and innovation to their consumer in ways that support sustainability. They must
align their vision, aspired value, and goals with the products and/or service and the consumer segment they are designing for.
Design and Smart Material Selection This building block outlines various design strategies and other considerations for a sustainable design entrepreneur. These
strategies require the same attention as aesthetic considerations.
Prototypes & Product Development Prototypes are an essential characteristic of design thinking and assist the design entrepreneur in recognizing the strengths and
weaknesses of the product and/or service. This promotes iterations and refinement to ensure the aspired value is reflected before
proceeding to the product development phase. Prototyping also helps to identify the potential environmental and social impacts of
product development and explore feasible alternatives.
Revenue Streams & Costs A design entrepreneur must know their revenue streams, how they might diversify opportunities and increase resilience within
their business. This requires an understanding of their most important costs and how these costs may be shared or reduced through
other users or partnerships.
Data Management Design entrepreneurs need to consider how and which data are relevant. Sustainable fashion requires a considerable amount of
research and management of this research is a necessary aspect in building a sustainable fashion brand. It is also important design
entrepreneurs begin to build feedback loops within their supply chain to identify new opportunities. Management of this feedback
data is key for opportunity identification.
Sourcing Sourcing is challenging for any design entrepreneur and this building block outlines key points for consideration with an emphasis
on key partnerships and collaboration.
Supply Chain This block emphasizes stakeholder identification, collaborations, building trusted relationships and key partnerships. Design
entrepreneurs should seek to build a supply chain with the capacity to build and grow with over time.
Stakeholders Identification of key (internal and external) stakeholders and their (potential) relationship must be considered for each of the
building blocks. This will help design entrepreneurs in recognizing prospective collaborations and benefits for both the design
entrepreneur and stakeholder.
the questions within this building block are intended for the customization or designing for the maker community. Most of the
designer to better understand consumer needs and behaviours so design entrepreneurs interviewed felt that social media platforms
that they may engage with the consumer in new ways to influence are engaging, and an easy way to create awareness and inform their
behaviour change. This building block invites the designer to ima- consumer. As one interviewee explained, “[to] show people how
gine how garment design could influence new use behaviours; for [clothing is] made because most people don't understand how
example, the use of wrinkle-free or Teflon finishes for clothing things are manufactured … educate people on how things are done,
reduces the need for ironing or laundering, thereby influencing use on the process of [manufacturing] …. You can do that through blogs
and care behaviours. Sustainability researchers argue that focusing and things like that and Instagram” (design entrepreneur 4).
on final user needs or the service user wants, rather than solely on Engagement helps build the relationship between the consumer
the product, can result in lower product impacts (Tukker, 2015). and brand to impact behaviours that foster a circular economy and
Product end of life strategies, including product reuse, recycling, closed loop products. This involves diverting resource waste and
reprocessing, repair and diverting disposal, are considered as a part avoiding disposal by encouraging recycling, repair, reprocessing or
of this process and promote systems thinking by linking how the upcycling with other industries beyond fashion. This is a challenge
product is designed and its effects through all the building blocks. for designers as it requires consumers to be more active (Fuad-
The research offered considerable support for this building Luke, 2010). Designers can explore strategies such as user-
block. The majority of designers felt that consumer behaviours centered, participatory, do-it-yourself (DIY), co-creation, mass
were extremely important but were unsure about their role in customization, emotional, or critical design. For example, a
developing more sustainable consumption behaviours aside from designer felt that engaging the consumer in the making of the
awareness. Few designers employed strategies to change behav- garment created a sense of pride and changed how they valued that
iours. For example, one of the designers who works with deadstock garment “whereas in the maker movement [i.e., DIY], people are
silks for dresses offers repair services, “all of my dresses come with sharing their ideas; when one person develops something, another
a lifetime sort of warranty.… It's more important to me that they're person will take it, improve it and share it back. I really like this
wearing it, and wearing it often, and if you're wearing it often approach of collectively trying to create something … involving
things are going to happen” (design entrepreneur 18). In any case, customers is a good way to tell the story” (design entrepreneur 27).
consumer behaviour change necessitates engagement by the The PAR and interviews also highlight that a sustainable fashion
designer. This can occur through online platforms (e.g., brand brand requires active participation by the consumer to close the
website, apps, forums, Facebook, or Instagram), through the prod- product loop, fulfill a circular economy and develop sustainable
uct design, services and business model such as offering consumption behaviours. Thus, designers cannot ignore the
consumer experience, needs and consumption behaviours by prioritize collaboration with other brands over the supply chain to
exploring the implications of this for their fashion brand. For achieve a more effective circular pattern (Winkler, 2011).
example, one of the design entrepreneurs explores the intersection This building block stresses that designers begin to consider
of consumer engagement and the maker community/DIY (do-it- aspects such as material flow, best available technologies (BAT), and
yourself), “it's that bridge that I want to make e like I've got the skill product longevity. This requires designers to also consider possible
to do that, I know I can do it and I'm trying to set something up that business models that can support a transition to more sustainable
can help those other people and make them have a more sustain- and circular products and services. This block suggests three main
able existence and teach them a skill and build a community” strategies for designers to consider: slowing resource loops, closing
(design entrepreneur 2). Consumer experience is linked to how the resource loops, or narrowing resource flows. Design entrepreneurs
designer engages with the consumer. are asked to consider the product design and all of its components
in order to determine if better alternatives exist and are feasible.
4.4. (de)Branding This was a key aspect of the PAR where the business model and
design were explicitly focused on circular design. The product was
Branding is a key consideration in the design process as it is one designed so that it could be disassembled. “We need to think about
of the ways in which product offerings may be distinguished from will we retrieve the bag and how it can enter another material loop
those of other companies. Designers must find that balance be- …. We're a brand that takes and gives back to keep a closed looped
tween the visual aesthetic fashion feel and an authentic account of cycle, no negative impact on the environment” (PAR entrepreneur).
the brand's’ value and story. Ideally, the authentic account comes Implementing circular design requires designers to reflect on
from the brands' ability to maintain consistency in their values and the resources used and production processes. Alongside the design
vision. Branding within the realm of sustainable fashion requires strategies and considerations, designers need to think of new
the product to stand at the forefront where sustainability is artic- business models that would accommodate the sustainability of the
ulated through storytelling and the design entrepreneurs' experi- designs and whether the design and business model reflect their
ences in creating their business and products. aspired value. Design entrepreneur 27 had an innovative business
This building block promotes the concept of (de)branding. De- model that made use of new technologies, maker spaces and self-
signers are encouraged to shift from investing in marketing to assembly, “by offering people a chance to influence and be part of
investing in product development. This allows for pricing to reflect the design and production process of their garments will create much
real value rather than conceptual value created through branding more attractive products then the current mass-manufacturing in-
codes, constructed desires and imaginary worlds (De Bruycker, dustry does.… [Our] garments are designed on the spot by our soft-
2016). A reflection of real value promotes an authenticity and ware whenever someone wants to buy one. This way they are
transparency by featuring product origin, intentions of the maker, produced only when they're sold.”
production processes, resources used and environmental and social
impact. 4.6. Business models, value proposition and innovation
As the majority of interviewees noted, sustainable fashion
products are often viewed unfavourably in terms of style, quality The business model, value proposition and innovation is where
and price when compared to fashion products, especially fast design entrepreneurs can develop the connection between design,
fashion. While none abandoned sustainability, every designer the product and/or service and consumer engagement in the
emphasized that sustainability cannot be at the forefront of transition to a more circular economy. The development within the
branding. Traditional considerations, such as aesthetics and price, concept building block such as value proposition, aspired value,
cannot be overlooked. As one design entrepreneur explained, a key frame, vision and goals will inform the generation and/or intro-
challenge is in “communicating the story properly and letting spection of a business model. This building block encourages de-
people know that we are focused on sustainability without having signers to question how they can deliver new forms of value and
that be the main focus of our sales pitch. Because we ultimately innovation to their consumer in ways that support sustainability
want to be known as a design company and not a sustainable brand. and circularity. The deeper integration of environmental and social
But at the same time, I struggle with that because I want people to needs within business activities and innovative practices is neces-
know that we're doing things sustainably in order to encourage sary for a fundamental shift towards sustainability (Boons and
them to do it. I'm very torn by that” (design entrepreneur 11). All of Lüdeke-Freund, 2013). A business model that is user-centered al-
the design entrepreneurs agreed and explained that the only way to lows for solutions that are meaningful for consumers and is prof-
promote and encourage sustainability is to share information with itable for businesses (Baldassarre et al., 2017) while moving away
consumers and with other design entrepreneurs. Storytelling from the traditional model that focuses on increasing production
within sustainable fashion is difficult; the dominant approach used volume to fuel growth and consumption. Meaningful solutions are
by the interviewees was the use of the social media as opposed to supported “by involving potential consumers, user and/or other
their websites to post the daily operations of their brand, stakeholders in an experimental and iterative design process”
communicating transparency and informing their consumers. (Baldassarre et al., 2017). Business models must adapt and be
flexible to encourage innovation and collaboration among other
4.5. Circular design and economies sustainable fashion SMEs and consumers.
The literature, the PAR, and the interviews all indicate the
There is a heavy environmental burden associated with exces- importance of placing consumer relationships at the centre of the
sive consumption of fashion which generates an enormous amount business model. All of the designers interviewed except for one still
of discarded apparel. Designers must begin to challenge this linear functioned with the typical linear business model. The consensus
model of use and disposal by adopting approaches for a transition was familiarity, as that was what they had learned in school and
to CE through circular design. It was found that by increasing through internships.
clothing longevity and direct reuse resulted in the greatest energy There are other models. Design entrepreneur 27, who was
and carbon emissions savings (Gwozdz et al., 2017; Roos et al., particularly concerned with overstock and post-consumer waste,
2016). A design entrepreneur can adopt several strategies to developed a business model and value proposition structured
develop and improve the circularity of their production system and around the principles of waste minimization, product-service
systems (PSS) and user-centered design. An innovative cutting cost and pricing strategies. This did not deter design entrepreneurs,
method for assembly drives the business model and value propo- but reinforced the ability to prioritize and plan accordingly to
sitions. Designs can be bought made-to-order or as digital design achieve their aspired values and to operate their business
files that can be downloaded. The consumer then uses the file to accordingly.
have fabric laser cut into the specific pattern pieces which are
designed for easy no-sew assembly by the consumer. PSS provides 4.8. Sourcing
added value to the product life cycle and provides enabling plat-
forms for the consumers while re-orientating current unsustain- Sourcing is where a majority of the designers stressed they had
able trends in production and consumption (Manzini and Vezzoli, the most difficulty, especially in locating and acquiring information
2002, 2003). This alters garment value by involving the consumer regarding sustainable suppliers. As the interviewees explained,
in the actual creation of the garment. Emotional attachment is many sustainable suppliers are smaller in scale and do not have an
created through engagement and participation, potentially online or highly visible presence. This makes it extremely chal-
increasing garment longevity and reducing the need for new ac- lenging for small sustainable fashion brands to source the resources
quisitions (Chapman, 2005, 2009; Fletcher et al., 2012; Karell, needed.
2013). This building block emphasizes that designers must identify
Focusing on the business model and value proposition can lead internal and external stakeholders with whom they could poten-
to more opportunities, meaningful solutions and the potential to tially partner, creating a network of shared information and re-
move beyond incremental innovations while offering sustainable sources. Creating a network to share resources increases access and
products and services. This building block serves to strengthen a information about suppliers, technologies and innovations. De-
designer's ability to pursue sustainable fashion by integrating their signers are also encouraged to seek out and participate in initiatives
construct of sustainability, aspired value, vision and goals into a such as trade shows, design incubators and industry associations.
business model and value proposition. Building a network of small sustainable fashion design entrepre-
neurs allows for the potential to bundle sourcing activities.
4.7. Revenue streams and costs Bundling orders increases access to certain resources that may not
have been accessible to a single designer due to minimums. This
The revenue streams and costs are the foundation of the monies allows designers to meet minimum orders and potentially reduce
a company generates through consumer sales and the associated costs. One of the design entrepreneurs who manages a design
costs. There are many hidden costs in design (e.g., prototypes, incubator spoke to the benefits of creating a collaborative sharing
sampling, grading) and a need for capital up front for activities such community and its impact on sourcing:
as material purchase for prototypes, sampling, pattern develop-
We [share orders] here. I share with [design entrepreneur 12] e
ment through to brokerage fees, and deposits for production. Sus-
at least we're trying to share some fabrics and orders. I think
tainable fashion design entrepreneurs face additional barriers as
[design entrepreneur 12] and [design entrepreneur 13] do it too.
sustainable textiles and fair living wages increase production costs.
You get a better price, you get better shipping, you get your
As one entrepreneur explained, “[our] decision to pay ethically for
order a little bit faster and it just makes it a lot easier for the
the production of [our] clothes while letting [our] profit margins
mills as well. And when there's no overlap … like [design
decrease has been a challenge … as a fashion startup. Mostly
entrepreneur 12] is a men's brand and I do womenswear so
business people … they're kind of shocked or ask, well why would
there's no conflict there. We also design very differently, so what
you do that when you can make something cheaper and make more
I produce with the same fabric is going to be very different from
money?” (design entrepreneur 29).
what he's producing. I think there's less threat whereas other
About half of the design entrepreneurs specifically expressed
designers just feel a threat that isn't there. (design entrepreneur
the challenges in fighting the dominant mindset of cheap produc-
11)
tion, low costs and inexpensive products. As one interviewee noted,
people today expect to be able to buy clothes so cheaply …
There was a difference between those who belonged to an
people just expect to be able to buy a sweater that cost $15 from
incubator (5 designers and the PAR entrepreneur) and those who
Joe Fresh … It's not that cheap to buy these things because it
did not. Designers within an incubator setting did not report the
costs money to pay people properly and to do things in a way
same sourcing issues as others. Information regarding suppliers
that is fair … Cutting out those middlemen was a way that we
was readily available, more experienced designers helped with
were able to cut costs because we didn't want to be charging
questions regarding supplier evaluations, material types and
$100 for a tee shirt. We wanted it to be affordable but at the
qualities, and encouraged bundled orders.
same time still some people think $30e35 for a tee shirt is
The PAR and interviews also emphasized the importance of a
expensive, but really that's like to us how much it should cost
sustainable fashion community. Designers sourced materials and
based on what we have to pay people (design entrepreneur 7).
manufacturers predominately through the sustainable fashion
community. The questions in this block can help designers to
Design entrepreneurs face many barriers in adopting, accessing determine criteria and evaluation methods to vet new suppliers.
or financing many of the sustainable strategies, processes or The aspired value of the designer and brand will aid in determining
products for their business. Small sized brands often struggle. Many which criteria should be used, what questions to ask, when to use
of the designers (e.g., design entrepreneurs 2, 3, 8, 12, 23, 27 & 28), and develop a code of conduct and what evaluation method could
expressed frustration in regard to awareness, access and capital to be applied.
take advantage of new sustainable innovations as the majority of None of the designers interviewed used code of conducts.
production within the industry is tailored for larger enterprises. However, most of the designers reported a very close relationship
The sentiment of the industry not being conducive to startups with their suppliers, were aware of any certifications they had, and
was felt by all the design entrepreneurs interviewed in this study. were confident in their labor and production practices. The rest of
Overall, the design entrepreneurs’ sentiment was that sustainable the designers made their products in-house. Designers need to be
fashion design entrepreneurs face additional challenges in terms of informed regarding issues such as certifications, environmental
and social regulations, living wage initiatives, and auditing pro- or Nike Maker App noted, “when it comes to the Higg Index I was
cedures in their supplier relations. This is an ongoing process. reading about it but it's a very complicated process …. Maybe the
Making App from Nike, for me it's better because it's a bit more
4.9. Design and smart material selection visual and the information is more easily displayed” (designer
entrepreneur 3). This is a key aspect that design entrepreneurs
The emphasis on design is the foundation of the reDesign need to consider if they are to reduce environmental and social
canvas. The sustainability of a product depends mainly on the impacts from production to disposal.
choices made in the early phases of design or product planning Prototyping or sampling is a key factor in developing well-made
(Ramani et al., 2010). It is important to note that by working quality garments, an important characteristic of sustainable fashion
through the rest of the reDesign canvas, much of the groundwork apparel agreed upon by many of the design entrepreneurs. Design
for the design and material selection would already have been entrepreneur 7 summarized this process with their manufacturer:
completed.
we demand a lot from him because some of his other clients are
Choosing materials that have already been screened can be very
big supermarkets in France that are producing big quantities
beneficial. For example, material can be sourced from a small-scale
and don't really care about quality control that much. [We are]
producer who is certified organic and ethical for their wool prod-
literally on the phone with him every other day like "we've got a
ucts. The design entrepreneur would only need to ensure sustain-
tee shirt and the hem is lopsided," and we're really on top of it.
able production of the yarn into a garment and can focus on closing
He sometimes must want to kill us. But most of the time he's
the loop using strategies such as designing for biodegradability or
actually really helpful and really invested in what we're doing
disassembly once the product is no longer in use. This can help link
because we're trying to help the industry and because we care
the design and materials selection process to the business model,
about quality and we really care about what they do. And when
(de)branding and consumer engagement.
we do turn around and say this is amazing then it means a lot
What was evident from the interviews was the design entre-
more too … we're just trying to work towards better processes
preneurs had vastly different approaches to material selection. For
and improve a little bit with every production run.
example, design entrepreneur 14 explained how material selection
arose from supplier approaches and environmental impacts
Part of what I want to do is to revisit all [supplier] facilities, so I
4.11. Supply chain
know exactly what they do, and how things are made, and what
sort of machineries and how much water they're using all these
The supply chain is one of the most crucial aspects in forming
things, and I can meet the workers and stuff …. I think what
sustainable fashion brands and is heavily informed by the other
helps is that we actually go to these places and see how things
building blocks within the canvas. This block emphasizes collabo-
are made. I mean that way, you know exactly what you're
rations, building trusted relationships, consideration of key stake-
dealing with, and that will help you decide, change your ma-
holders (internal and external) and key partnerships. In selecting
terial choice … because of the way it's made.
suppliers, research shows there is no difference between small and
large firms in the perceived importance of environmental criteria
(Min and Galle, 2001). However, SMEs do face specific challenges in
4.10. Prototypes and product development building a sustainable supply chain and in sustainable supply chain
management.
Prototypes are an essential characteristic of design thinking and The feedback from the interviews conducted in this study
assist the design entrepreneur in recognizing the strengths and showed that design entrepreneurs struggled with a lack of
weaknesses of the product and/or service. Iterations are performed financing, most suppliers and manufacturers are geared towards
to address strengths and weakness, to refine aspects of design, and large firms with high production volumes, difficulties in exploiting
to ensure the aspired value is reflected before proceeding to the technology, ability and capacity to gather information, small pro-
product development phase. As a designer moves into the product duction runs, and constrained managerial capabilities. For example,
development phase, interfunctional collaboration is a critical suc- suppliers have high minimum orders for fabrics, pressing design
cess factor in the adoption of sustainable innovation (De Medeiros entrepreneurs to purchase in much larger quantities than what is
et al., 2014). This includes the integration of various stakeholders needed. As one design entrepreneur explained, “That's still one of
(both internal and external) in the product development process our biggest issues. Even as our quantities are growing these fac-
(De Medeiros et al., 2014). tories won't even speak to you unless you're doing multiple tens of
This block focuses on engaging designers as to the adverse im- thousands or in the hundreds of thousands. We're getting there
pacts material, production processes, use and disposal have and with a few things but when you're doing a brand new product you
how they may mitigate them once identified. To help address the don't want to do 20,000 of it” (design entrepreneur 7). This chal-
many challenges that arise during product development, many lenge was echoed by most of the designers; for example one noted,
designers use guidelines, checklists and analytical tools. However, “we're definitely limited because of the quantity, it's definitely a
the use and application of eco-design tools, methods and tech- struggle to put together a supply chain when your minimums are so
niques by small sized firms is limited (Baumann et al., 2011; Knight low” (design entrepreneur 10).
and Jenkins, 2009). Almost none of the interviewed design entre- Today, as consumers are more aware of environmental and so-
preneurs used tools, such as Ted's Ten (Textile Environment Design, cial impacts, the sustainable behaviour of a company's suppliers is
2006), the Nike Maker App (Centre for Sustainable Fashion, 2013) considered by its stakeholders (Pitchipoo et al., 2015; Seuring and
or the Sustainable Apparel Coalition's Higg Index (Sustainable Müller, 2008). Typically, information regarding a brand's supply
Apparel Coalition, 2017), and the majority were not aware of chain, sourcing and design practices is highly guarded. The in-
these tools. The design entrepreneurs had used environmental terviews emphasized this is not the case for sustainable fashion
impact data for aspects such as material choice which was retrieved designers. As one design entrepreneur explained, “The whole idea
primarily by sustainable fashion websites or books. One of the five behind that is to educate my consumers about where it's coming
designers who was aware and did use tools such as the Higg Index from and hopefully encourage them to ask questions but also to
allow other designers to come and tap into my supply chain and use (collaborative efforts would work best here) and their technology
it for themselves because I'm not going to support it myself. So my base.
vendors appreciate that a lot” (design entrepreneur 11).
Suppler evaluation is a key aspect of sustainable supply chain 4.13. Stakeholders
management (Winter and Lasch, 2016). The first step in evaluating
a supplier is prequalification in which appropriate suppliers have to Stakeholders are a key consideration throughout the reDesign
be identified (Pitchipoo et al., 2015). It was found that each of the canvas. In the pursuit of a sustainable fashion brand, it is necessary
design entrepreneurs, including in the PAR, visited key suppliers for design entrepreneurs to identify and consider key stakeholders
(garment manufacturers) prior to establishing a working relation- within each of the building blocks. Collaboration, sharing resources
ship. As expressed by design entrepreneur 30, “going to manufac- and capacity building with stakeholders can accelerate progress
turers locations overseas is part of accountable supply chain and reduce costs in developing sustainability (Bos-Brouwers, 2010).
management, which is difficult for large fashion companies to Scalability and economies of scale are the driving forces of how the
achieve, let alone small startups.” Another explained, “I visit my industry is structured and operates. For new sustainable technol-
factory in Turkey at least 2 or 3 times a year and I always talk with ogies and innovations to become implemented at the scale neces-
their workers. The conditions are amazing and when I design for sary to inflect positive change, collaboration is essential.
other people … I have to travel and I see completely different Cooperation and collaboration with stakeholders are key to the
conditions which is horrifying for me”. development of sustainable products, services, supply chains and
Collaborative efforts can also influence the use and imple- business models. Identification of the stakeholders provides design
mentation of certifications. Many certificates exist for both de- entrepreneurs an opportunity to reflect upon the (potential) rela-
signers and suppliers (e.g., Global Organic Textile Standards, tionship with them and their brand; each relationship will differ
Bluesign, or C2C) (Bluesign, 2016; C2C, 2016; GOTS, 2016). Certifi- depending on the stakeholder (Roos et al., 2016). For example,
cations may become even more important as requirements for design entrepreneur 10 leans on her community, those who share
product traceability grow (Lakhal et al., 2008). Designers may also the same values, to learn about new sustainable developments: “if
aid suppliers achieve certification standards by working with you have any questions or struggles or just want to bounce ideas
closely to optimize a certain material or process. Some of the off, you have somebody to call”. Most of the design entrepreneurs
knitwear designers interviewed in this study (e.g., design entre- exhibited a willingness to share resources as a means of supporting
preneurs 5, 7, 10, 13, 14 & 25) worked with small scale farmers, the sustainable design community, “even if it's just support … or
spinners and/or weavers in rural communities. wherever we can help like a contact here or there we'll do it”
Designers may want to consider pooling resources and sharing (design entrepreneur 7).
the costs of evaluations, training, capacity building, certifications, Designers who worked with natural fibres highlighted the
diffusion of technology and new possibilities for efficiency gains benefits of capacity building with key stakeholders in their supply
and innovations. SMEs can often be more flexible and responsive chains. For design entrepreneur 25, this means supporting pro-
than larger firms. Memberships to design incubators and acceler- ducers in scaling: “the hope too is that everyone gets to just focus
ators can support a grouped local system of production. Among the on doing what they're good at, and then collaborating … the
design entrepreneurs interviewed, those who belonged to an weaver that I work with, she's very on board to amp it up to a full-
incubator or partook in accelerator programs demonstrated po- scale production. So, we're going to help her do that.” Collaboration
tential capability as sharing of resources and pooling for costs with other designers can help with processes such as certification.
savings was already taking place. As described by design entrepreneur 7, “working to get organic
certification in Egypt is something that we would really like to do …
4.12. Data management so if we can band together with [other] partners and try to make
this happen, that would be really cool.” The majority of the design
This building block encourages designers to begin collecting entrepreneurs saw value in sharing resources, collaborating and
data regarding the environmental and social impacts of materials capacity building with stakeholders for immediate and future
and resources used. This can aid the designer in selecting materials benefits.
and resources that align with their interpretation of sustainable
fashion, goals and aspired vision. 4.14. Proposition verification
Data management was not a common practice among any of the
designers interviewed. However, this was key to the development The propositions introduced in Section 2 provided parameters
of the supply chain throughout the PAR. Some of the designers and guidance in the development of the design tool, the reDesign
interviewed in the study (e.g., designer entrepreneurs 3 & 30) used Canvas. Throughout each iteration, the propositions continuously
environmental and social impact data for material or process se- and systematically were verified against the building blocks that
lection. For example, one designer used this type of data to inform make up the canvas. All of the propositions with the exception of
what yarn type would be used for knitwear products (design proposition 3, are easily verified by ensuring the features and
entrepreneur 13). Another designer (design entrepreneur 18) in an questions within the building blocks support each proposition.
effort to reduce waste and minimize environmental and social Proposition 3 ensures the design tool functions with certain pa-
impacts of textiles only used remnant end-of-bolt and deadstock rameters, reflecting a holistic perspective and systems thinking.
fabrics from a local supplier. This influenced her design practice and Throughout the design tool development process, the linkages and
business model as many garments were one of a kind with small interactions of the building blocks and their position relative to the
runs and could not be re-ordered or replicated. whole (i.e., the canvas) was a significant consideration. The canvas
In the interviews, many of the design entrepreneurs cited an was chosen due to the widespread adoption of canvas-type tools for
interest and understood the benefits of developing data manage- group brainstorming activities, design thinking and development.
ment system for continual improvement but lacked the skills, time As a visual tool that invites engagement, a canvas can support the
and finances (e.g., design entrepreneurs 3, 7, 23, 30). A goal of de- documentation of a system and its fundamental components.
signers should be to upgrade their management skills, and their Feedback from research activities was incorporated in the devel-
capacity to gather information, coordinate data from suppliers opment and organization of the building blocks into the reDesign
canvas, verifying proposition 3. Verification of this proposition will This study is, of course, not without its limitations. The reDesign
be an ongoing process as feedback received from use will be used to canvas would benefit from more use and feedback, as further it-
continually refine the form and function of the canvas. For example, erations could improve upon any missing features or shed light on
a sustainable fashion design tool could be created in various forms those that may be less relevant. This might be written about any
such as an interactive website, an app, a canvas or set of cards. new model, but the point is particularly salient given the ongoing
rapid evolution of design practices in sustainable fashion. Future
5. Conclusion, limitations and future research work can also focus on adding depth to the building blocks con-
tained in the current version of the reDesign canvas. For example,
This paper develops an original design tool, the reDesign canvas, future work could focus on developing a specific set key perfor-
to support design entrepreneurs in developing sustainable fashion mance indicators that are relevant and manageable for a sustain-
enterprises. The canvas provides a clear, concise mechanism for able design entrepreneur. Key performance indicators offer the
structuring thinking and discussion about the opportunities and opportunity to investigate the notion of what constitutes a sus-
challenges design entrepreneurs face in this context. The canvas tainable fashion brand. While many fashion brands have begun to
was developed based on an in-depth review of the academic introduce small sustainable collections, such as offering a selection
literature and the collection of new empirical data. The data were of organic t-shirts, research has yet to explore what a sustainable
gathered through both participatory action research (PAR) and in- fashion brand actually entails and how progress towards to that
terviews with experts in sustainable fashion. Both the PAR and the could be measured. Similar elaboration could be undertaken for
interviews were used to test and refine the reDesign canvas in order other building blocks in the canvas.
to ensure it meets the needs of sustainable design entrepreneurs
operating micro-sized companies. The final version of the canvas is Acknowledgments
based on 12 building blocks that a design entrepreneur would
encounter in building a sustainable fashion brand. The authors would like to thank NSERC for their support of this
The paper makes a number of contributions to the academic and research.
practitioner knowledge bases. From an academic perspective, the
reDesign canvas fills an identified gap in the literature on the need References
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Journal of Cleaner Production 183 (2018) 194e207

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Cleaner Production

The reDesign canvas: Fashion design as a tool for sustainability

Fig. 1. Research design framework.

Fig. 2. The iterative cycle of PAR (adapted from Walter, 2009).

Fig. 3. Initial draft of the reDesign canvas.

Fig. 4. Final version of the reDesign canvas.

Building Block Description

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