A Study on the Use of Emotional Design Strategies for Sustainable Fashion Apps

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the fast fashion industry has fueled symbolic consumption driven by the pursuit of “check-ins,” resulting in extremely low garment utilization rates. This has led to severe waste of natural resources and posed significant challenges. Persistent consumption incentives have weakened the emotional bond between people and their garments, resulting in emotional depletion. Sustainable principles advocate for rebuilding a new consumption model that integrates both environmental and emotional value. Sustainable fashion apps aim to establish a clothing community integrating recycling, upcycling, and exchange to extend garments' lifecycles. This paper explores application strategies for affective design in sustainable fashion app interfaces. Based on Donald Norman's three-level theory of affective design, it analyzes how sustainable fashion app interfaces can foster user emotional connections and enhance user experience. Effective affective design not only boosts user retention and loyalty but also subtly guides and cultivates eco-conscious consumption behaviors, thereby unifying commercial and social value.