Careless label.
Information design project.Visually inspired by the ‘care’ labels seen on every item of clothing. These labels are extremely commonplace and, as a result, likely often ignored. This project was originally motivated by the ‘Made In __’ tag line that is legally required by The Federal Trade Commission on care labels. As the content on the labels are mostly ignored, the project was expanded to draw attention to the lifecycle of garments and the unethical nature of the fashion industry.
Using information supplied by Fashion Revolution, the washing instructions shown on care labels have been adapted to bring attention to the true ‘care’lessness of the fashion industry.
Design Constraints
The adapted vectors adhere to the strict design style of the care symbols designed by GINETEX to drawn a connection between the unsustainability of the fashion industry and the inexact phrasing of ‘car[ing]’ about our clothes. A key was necessary to provide as, like care symbols, they are difficult to interpret with no prior context to their design language (Arstall et al, 1978). The key, like the illustrations, is designed for fast retention and comprehension due to the medium of distribution that the information inhabits.
Designed for an audience of lay consumers, the medium had to be understood by a large variety of people including:
• retail shoppers,
• shoppers who do not have resuable bags,
• those aware of care labels,
• those with no knowledge of the unethical practises imposed by the fashion industry,
• those likely to be influenced by arresting language and graphics and,
• people who may not be interested in researching this topic in their free time.
Placing the graphics on shopping bags would be a more effective way of introducing the information to this lay audience (than placing these vectors on small care labels). As the designs are legible enough to be viewed from a distance, the medium of a shopping bag would be effective in disseminating the information in high streets and shopping centres to more consumers.
Each bag is designed for the country of the purchased garments. Six icons were chosen to exhibit some of the unethical practises seen in that country. Issues are cycled through and statistically adapted to each country’s circumstances. Some facts and icons are repeated as they are seen universersally across the industry.
