OVERVIEW

BuyFair (formerly Free2Work): 

Shop ethically.

About: BuyFair (formerly Free2Work) told consumers whether brands treated workers decently or exploited. 

Role: Sr. Researcher, Product Designer, Consultancy Director

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Many of our products are made by enslaved or exploited workers.

Shockingly, people are enslaved in product supply chains across dozens of today's industries. Free2Work was an index that told consumers whether their favorite brands were taking responsibility or exploiting. Our team released an app, a web-based platform, and widely-read industry reports. We also consulted companies on risk-mitigation strategies. 

CONTENT STRATEGY

Product supply chains can seem complicated and boring. BuyFair made them digestible. 

My challenge was to make complex info simple and actionable. BuyFair made shopping for ethical brands easy by providing A-F grades for working conditions.  Consumers and companies could get this information at a glance through our app or delve deeper through our widely-read industry reports.

RESEARCH

As Senior Researcher, my job was to understand brands' operations and how to encourage more ethical behavior.

In consultation with industry and advocacy experts, I designed the platform's index. I then used it to lead our team in researching and comparing companies' efforts to ensure decent supply chain working conditions. 

Designing the index was a months-long process that involved secondary research, expert interviews, and a process of calibration through case studies.

UX DESIGN

I wore many hats at the non-profit. As UX designer, I created the following:

 • Wireframes

 • User journeys

 • Prototype

 • Color design 

•  (Note that I worked in partnership with a visual designer)

RECOGNITION

The project received significant industry attention and international press.

The third part of my role was to develop a consultation function, through which I advised small brands like Maggie's Organics and the corporate responsibility teams of multinational companies including Gap, Patagonia, Levi's, Zara and Eileen Fisher.

Under the name Free2Work, the platform was featured in Forbes, the Guardian, Fast Company, Al Jazeera, CNN, CBC, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Mother Jones, Deloitte Insights, and on the front page of the International Labor Organization’s website. Below, it's discussed in Japan.