All Projects

(02)

One Pixel of Truth

Project type

Product Design, B2B Platform UX, Fashion-tech & Sustainability

Project role

Lead Product Designer, UX Research, IA, UI Design

Date

2026

01

Overview

Fashion's sustainability gap.

Fashion's sustainability gap.

Sustainable sourcing lives in bookmarks, spreadsheets, PDFs and DMs. Designers can't confirm what's real, certified mills stay invisible, and every cycle re-litigates the same questions.

Sustainable sourcing lives in bookmarks, spreadsheets, PDFs and DMs. Designers can't confirm what's real, certified mills stay invisible, and every cycle re-litigates the same questions.

10%

Of global carbon emissions fashion's share

6+

Competing, fragmented certification standards

20+

Documented sourcing frictions

02

The problem

"Fragmented, inconsistent, and hard to trust."

"Fragmented, inconsistent, and hard to trust."

01

For designers

For designers

No single place to verify claims; emerging designers least of all.

No single place to verify claims; emerging designers least of all.

02

For suppliers

For suppliers

Verified credentials go unseen; responsible mills stay invisible.

Verified credentials go unseen; responsible mills stay invisible.

03

For brands

For brands

No standard way to compare; greenwashing risk only grows.

No standard way to compare; greenwashing risk only grows.

03

Process

Process

Key findings

01

Trust is broken

We heard

"Half of what I read could be greenwashing. I have no way to check."

"Half of what I read could be greenwashing. I have no way to check."

Implication

Every claim must be cited, sourced and time-stamped. No floating scores.

Every claim must be cited, sourced and time-stamped. No floating scores.

02

The ecosystem is fragmented

We heard

"I have a spreadsheet, a Pinterest board, and a group chat. That's my sourcing tool."

"I have a spreadsheet, a Pinterest board, and a group chat. That's my sourcing tool."

Implication

Consolidate discovery into one searchable surface.

Consolidate discovery into one searchable surface.

03

Certifications confuse

We heard

"I know GOTS is good. I couldn't tell you what's behind the badge."

"I know GOTS is good. I couldn't tell you what's behind the badge."

Implication

One comparable score — certifications as evidence, not the summary.

One comparable score; certifications as evidence, not the summary.

04

From research to design

How might we make a verified sustainability claim something a designer can trust at a glance?

How might we make a verified sustainability claim something a designer can trust at a glance?

pix·el · noun

One pixel of truth a single verifiable data point per material.

One pixel of truth a single verifiable data point per material.

The three findings pointed to one answer: stop adding badges, and resolve every claim into a single number a designer can read in a glance and trust on inspection.

The three findings pointed to one answer: stop adding badges, and resolve every claim into a single number a designer can read in a glance and trust on inspection.

That number is the Pixel Sustainability Index — six cited pillars, collapsed into one score, expandable to its sources on demand.

That number is the Pixel Sustainability Index; six cited pillars, collapsed into one score, expandable to its sources on demand.

05

The Work

Six screens, one mechanic.

Annotated screens
06 / 06
Screen 06

Project workspace

Project workspace
  1. 01A project-level PSI aggregates from the selected materials.
  2. 02Milestones, deliveries and tasks share one timeline.
  3. 03The whole workspace exports as a compliance-ready report.
Annotated screens
06 / 06
Screen 06

Project workspace

Project workspace
  1. 01A project-level PSI aggregates from the selected materials.
  2. 02Milestones, deliveries and tasks share one timeline.
  3. 03The whole workspace exports as a compliance-ready report.
Annotated screens
02 / 06
Screen 02

Designer dashboard

Designer dashboard
  1. 01Quick search sits above the fold for an instant restart.
  2. 02Project strips pair each PSI with its percent-complete.
  3. 03Recent activity cuts the cost of context-switching.

06

Reflection & next steps

Less noise. More decisions you can defend.

Tested with real planners.
They flew through it.

What I'd do next

What I'd do next

01

Validate the PSI weighting model with third-party auditors.

02

Pilot discovery with emerging designers — the least-served group.

03

Build the supplier onboarding flow that keeps verification fresh.

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Socials

Instagram

LinkedIn

Email

hi@paolammendoza.com

Socials

Instagram

LinkedIn

Email

hi@paolammendoza.com

Socials

Instagram

LinkedIn

Email

hi@paolammendoza.com

Smiley Image

  • Let's Work Together -

  • Let's Work Together -

  • Let's Work Together -