Do the Green Thing App
Do The Green Thing + Katee Hui & Ashley Johnson (Pentagram)
The Problem: The fashion industry continues to promote consumption at speed and scale, despite growing awareness of its environmental impact. While many retailers now advocate for “reuse,” “recycle,” and “vintage,” these messages often sit on the surface of a system still designed to encourage constant buying.
The Insight: Sustainability messaging alone does not change behavior. Fashion remains aspirational by design driven by novelty, status, and identity. At the point of purchase, convenience and desire consistently outweigh environmental consideration, making “better choices” feel like added effort rather than the default decision.
The Challenge: Develop a response that goes beyond awareness and actively shifts consumer behavior toward more sustainable fashion choices, reframing longevity as something desirable, rewarding, and culturally relevant.
The Idea: An app that introduces “longevity” as a new metric in fashion decision-making. Instead of focusing only on price or style, users are shown how long a garment is likely to last, how it performs over time, and what its true cost-per-wear looks like. Better, more durable options are surfaced alongside fast-fashion alternatives, making sustainability a visible and practical choice at the moment of purchase.
To encourage behavioral change, the platform gamifies longevity: users earn rewards for choosing higher-durability items, tracking wear over time, and reducing unnecessary purchases. These rewards translate into tangible incentives (discounts, brand benefits, or exclusive access) turning conscious consumption into an ongoing system rather than a one-time decision.
Credits
Creatives | Martin Hidalgo & Jacob Bolling
Art Direction | Martin Hidalgo & Jacob Bolling
Copywriting | Martin Hidalgo
UI Design | Jacob Bolling
Editing | Martin Hidalgo
