Students will investigate the lived experiences and needs of Batavia community members connected to clothing waste and clothing access. Through direct interviews, structured empathy mapping, and analysis of textile life-cycle impacts, students will build an evidence base grounded in real user voices to inform later problem definition and design decisions.

Students will synthesize firsthand interview data about textile waste in Batavia into clear, evidence-based problem definitions that guide their upcoming solution design. They will identify patterns across users, surface non-obvious insights, and craft a well-scoped "How Might We" question grounded in direct quotes and environmental data.

Students will generate and refine multiple upcycling solution concepts grounded in real user evidence, moving from divergent brainstorming to evidence-based selection and detailed concept storyboarding that prepares them for prototyping.

Students will build, test, and refine functional upcycled clothing prototypes grounded in documented user needs. Through rapid low-fidelity modeling, structured user testing, and iterative sewing and construction, students will produce revised prototypes and a detailed iteration log that traces design decisions directly to real user feedback.

Students will validate their refined upcycled clothing solutions with new users, analyze final feedback using quantitative and qualitative evidence, and present a professional design narrative to Batavia community partners that traces their work from user research through iteration and impact.