Offcut: Redefining Upcycling with a Collaborative Marketplace

What is Offcut?

Offcut is an innovative upcycling platform designed to tackle the growing issue of waste in the fashion industry. Combining sustainability with creativity, Offcut connects three key stakeholders:

• Brands: Providing unsold inventory as raw materials for upcycling.
• Creators: Transforming these materials into new, one-of-a-kind pieces.
• Buyers: Discovering and purchasing upcycled clothing through a seamless marketplace experience.

Offcut emerged from a pressing need to reduce the environmental impact of fashion. The statistics speak for themselves: 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases are produced annually by the fashion industry, 4 million tons of garments are discarded every year in Europe alone, etc.

The platform is built around two main components:

• A Marketplace: Showcasing upcycled fashion items from various creators.
• A Boutique Management System: Helping creators manage inventory, sales, and product visibility effortlessly.

Research and Insights

Offcut’s development was rooted in extensive field research and collaboration with influential players in the upcycling ecosystem. This involved:

• Interviews with Industry Leaders: Engaging with upcycling collectives like Resap and creators like Baby Rework, as well as professionals from fashion schools like LISAA Mode.
• Store Visits and Creator Outreach: Visiting upcycling-focused shops and directly contacting creators to understand their workflows, challenges, and needs.

The most critical pain point identified was the difficulty in sourcing raw materials. Creators consistently highlighted that accessing quality unsold inventory took significant time and effort, limiting their ability to scale their operations.This finding became the cornerstone of Offcut’s design. The app was conceived as a sourcing-first platform, ensuring creators could easily find, select, and obtain raw materials from brands. By integrating this functionality into the app, we streamlined a previously time-consuming process, empowering creators to focus on their craft.

Visual Identity and Execution

Offcut’s visual identity was designed with sustainability at its core, extending eco-conscious principles to the digital realm. By embracing Green UX, we ensured that the app’s design reflects its purpose while minimizing its environmental footprint. Key choices included:

• No Pure White: Using beige and muted tones reduces screen brightness and energy consumption, while also creating a warm, inviting aesthetic.
• No Infinite Scroll: To reduce server loads and encourage mindful browsing, we implemented structured navigation with clear endpoints.
• Lightweight Design: Optimized assets and simple layouts reduce the app’s digital impact without compromising usability.

This approach not only strengthens Offcut’s identity but also establishes it as a leader in sustainability-focused app design, setting it apart from competitors.

Photoshoot

To further reinforce the platform’s narrative, we organized a dedicated photo shoot to showcase the craftsmanship of upcycled products.

The photoshoot was carried out in collaboration with students from LISAA Fashion School, who lent us upcycled jackets to feature in our shoot. We also reached out to modeling agencies to find profiles that best fit the project.

Our goal was to use craft paper backdrops and artificial sky and turf to reinforce the concept of ethical and green fashion. We wanted the shoot to feel homemade, with a clear "recycling" aesthetic. This is why we opted for unconventional colors and settings, creating a crafty and fun visual identity that reflects the essence of upcycling. The approach worked particularly well with the slightly fancy jackets, enhancing their uniqueness.