This Customer Centered Research class project examined a segment of a global sport performance brands supply chain in the Americas region to explore how sustainable in-region supply chains are
Fashion industry sustainability platforms are largely focussed on material choices for products, water, energy use, etc. This body of research looks at material choices for raw material and finished garment packaging and freight efficiencies of an Amercas region supply chain
Interview subjects included subject matter experts and professionals who work for material development of a global sport performance brand, the owner of a garment factory and fabric mill and a fiber supplier representative
Following interviews transcripts were created and synthesis was executed by creating clusters, using the KJ Method and by creating Infinity Diagrams
The supply chain crisis brought about by Covid exposed the vulnerability of global supply chains. Conversely this research revealed the resilience of in-region supply chains. Regional trucking could conduct business as usual and by recycling fabric tubes and cones, costs were kept low and no new tubes and cones needed to be made
Final conclusions reveal how design could play a larger role. Designers and design leaders could play a more holistic and active role in end-to-end product creation. By being informed and proactive design could nominate material, fiber, garment suppliers and packaging materials to minimize environmental impact
