As a mid century human with a passion for the integration of profit AND purpose into business as the new standard, I’ve got some clear views about how we can be intentional about designing the future state of businesses. 

Having a purpose, or strong “why” is an objective increasingly talked about yet many of us have not yet developed our own version.

So my questions to you: What is your why? Do you have a purpose statement? 

I do:

To actively engage the world, learn and grow from that engagement and share with others

I mention this because I think that before you can effectively design a future state for any business, you must have a very solid understanding of the current state.

Part of that understanding needs to be an assessment of where humans see purpose in their life and lifestyle.

In other words:

How can you design a truly purposeful future state when most people don’t have their own purpose defined?

That’s one of the things we pay a great deal of attention to in building All Things Considered (AllTC). 

How purposeful really are humans/consumers today and more importantly will they become more or less so over time?

For context for my thoughts, here’s a quick recap on All Things Considered.

We’re building a marketplace for consideration:

Sharing it 

Understanding it 

Responding to it

A place where responsibility meets accountability online

Because we think consumers are angry in rapidly increasing numbers.

And they want to see real change from the brands they buy from when it comes to positive action on social and environmental issues – especially in the fashion industry.

Why? Here are a couple of reasons:

3 pence and 18 hours

That’s what ultra fast-fashion giant SHEIN  pays workers per garment and that’s how long they work each day,  6 days a week.

The UN Environment Programme estimates that fast fashion is the second-biggest consumer of water. It also accounts for 8%–10% of global carbon emissions, outpacing international air travel and maritime shipping together.

We want to unpack and provide trusted information for consumers at AllTC – starting with those consumers who already “give a shit” about driving real change through changing their own behaviour and habits.

We want to make having your say about the brands you like and dislike:

Easy, Informed, And Impactful

A place where brands can acknowledge and respond to the consumer sentiment:

Seek clarification and learnings

In the moment (real-time) 

And improve from that engagement

Unlike today where communication between consumers and brands is:

Fragmented Historical (not real-time) And lacking context

And it’s not like brands don’t spend time on this marketing and research stuff already – $US500 billion annually in the fashion industry alone

Our research says it’s becoming less effective and riddled with confusion, greenwashing and incorrect assumptions and understanding of messages delivered.

So that’s the world-changing work we are doing at AllTC – 

Delivering the world a platform to improve the communications between brands and consumers and accelerate impact on people and planet issues in doing so.

And that’s also our lens on our current state and how we have to design for the future state and achieve our mission:

To have considerate consumerism activated and embraced at scale by consumers and brands for the betterment of our people and our planet.

So how on earth do we design for that ???

Well given our view of the current state, we start very very simply.

With a Vote

A simple consideration expression from a consumer about a brand:

Upvote, Downvote, No Vote

Why start so simple? 

Because we think when it comes to awareness being turned into action, most of us are still only in a stage of consciousness about these issues. And as I’ll explain, that doesn’t by any means imply that brands are “on the bus/onboard” for actively driving positive change.

It’s so important because our future state is entirely dependent on connecting people with their collective feelings to move to action and change:

Their Understanding,

Their Values

Their bias to action – or not

Their level of Conscience

Their active Consciousness

And that’s even harder now because of the massive change we have seen in the world in just a few years.

I’m sure you don’t need reminding but just in case:

We’ve been:

Locked in 

Lied to by most either intentionally or unintentionally – Greenwashing or Greenwishing*

(* Greenwishing = rolling out a lacklustre strategy around improving ethics and sustainability in the hope that it is seen as enough to satisfy consumer and stakeholder scrutiny)

Confronted with arguably the perfect storm of human and environmental distress at unprecedented levels in the modern world.

And from all of this, as humans we’ve become more anxious, suspicious and frustrated.

This has made many of us react markedly differently to things around us and how we live our lives:

More

Cautiously Sceptically Selfishly

So when we talk about the future and how to shape and design for it we need to take this relatively recent change into account to truly understand the present state.

And be real about it

I’d personally summarise the current state individually and organisationally as “lots of noise and little action”

And like anything to gain understanding at scale, we need to develop a common language for all aspects to ensure effective communication for growth.

So here’s our language format for consumer states related to People and Planet issues:

Unconscious 

Absolute ignorance

Subconscious

Partial absorption/understanding of concepts and issues “Somethings going on but I’m still not sure of the full picture”

E.g I’m aware the climate conditions are changing and that much of this is blamed on human actions but I’m not sure exactly what and how I can form a view on it and take action to help improve.

Conscious 

I understand the issues and the cause but I only take action/change sometimes OR

I continue consuming at the same pace on the same things badly but consciously.

Considerate

I understand

I change and act based on that understanding

I progressively and intentionally improve my actions and behaviours with a goal of contributing to positive change in mind

I’m directionally on a consistent path to being increasingly considerate.

And I think this is where our design challenge and dilemma begins. Figuring out our current state when it comes to consideration and agreeing that consciousness is not enough to drive change.

Because many have a view on our common language that a conscious consumer is a highly evolved and “ultimate state” consumer.

It’s pointless to design for and expect uptake from a consumer base that we assume is already considerate when in fact they are only conscious and even worse – often at the beginner levels of consciousness when it comes to taking action and changing behaviour. 

We can design the most beautiful strategies and initiatives but they simply won’t stick if we start with the wrong assumptions.

So my final message – think very very hard and realistically about the current state before you start designing for the future. Ensure the feedback you get to do this is in a common language to avoid misunderstandings.

Start with your own purpose and responsibility for people and planet and 

Be more responsible and accountable

Be more considerate 🙂

Is it professional of us to say “we’re f****d off!”? Probably not, but it’s true, we are. And we think many of you are too. 

While we absolutely love fashion as an expression of one’s personality visually, (well actually Andréa loves it – I’m more aware of it), we really don’t love the way many retailers are practicing. 

With many businesses being built with little to no thought about the wider impact on society and the environment, we felt it was time to build an online community and platform to help us all better understand the ethics and sustainability of all the companies involved in producing our clothes.  

But first, let us introduce ourselves:

We’re John and Andréa, the purposeful, passionate founders behind All Things Considered. 

I first met Andréa one day over coffee where I shared my vision to showcase the impact statement of every company listed publicly on the stock exchange. Andréa was sold on the idea of bringing transparency to the purpose (or lack thereof) of businesses for the benefit of consumers. 

And having spent over 15 years in the retail industry gaining a deep understanding of the impacts of the fashion industry on our people and planet, Andréa knew instantly that fashion would be the perfect starting point. 

We pulled together a small team of talented individuals and All Things Considered was born.

So what’s our purpose?

In a nutshell, we want to raise the bar of the fashion industry collectively, through empowered consumers using their voices with the intention of impacting brands’ behaviour. To the point where we can clearly see the positive ethical and sustainable changes being made from the cotton field to the high street store. 

Our purpose is to create a space where responsibility meets accountability and a business that has both Purpose and Profit at its core from day one.

We know that consumers are fired up about the negative impacts of the fashion industry and are already emailing brands directly or tagging them on social media to express their concerns, yet they’re most often ignored, censored or straight-up deleted. This is because most feedback can be seen as a singular voice which can be easily dismissed as a one-off.

Our goal is to amplify our anger and our voices, so they can no longer be ignored or conveniently misconstrued, while equally providing a space for you to praise brands doing right by our people and planet.

To do this, we provide a full rundown on what each brand’s sustainability & ethics practices are, with all information taken directly from their public websites, then it’s over to you to have your say by voting.

Today as a consumer, you have so much potential power to create change.

 Our platform unleashes that potential by letting you show your support for organisations that are all aboard the sustainability train and give a kind but firm nudge to those still stuck at the station. 

We recognise it’s important for brands to understand how they’re being perceived publicly so they can then improve how they communicate with you, while also being encouraged to make tangible changes behind the scenes.

​​We’re not here to shame or call out brands. Instead, we want to facilitate a conversation between customers and brands about how the industry can do better. It’s about cultivating collective action – something that the fashion industry is missing right now.

So what are you waiting for? Come join our considerate community and have your say.


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Have you heard the phrase, “Shop your values”? It’s what a growing number of consumers are doing these days as they opt to shop in alignment with their personal values and beliefs.

The link between the fashion industry and climate change has never been clearer, so shoppers are putting their wardrobes under the microscope in a bid to reduce their social and environmental impact. So with ‘mindful’ heading to the masses, what can you do to ensure your brand is capturing the attention of this growing segment?

1. Say something, anything!

This should be a no-brainer, but too many brands are radio silent about their sustainability efforts right now. Typically this is for one of two reasons:

1. They haven’t employed any sustainable, ethical, or circular practices in their business and therefore have nothing to say, or
   
   
2. They are taking some sustainable steps but are yet to communicate these due to lack of time, dedicated personnel or not knowing how to curate this content.

If your brand falls in the first category, you have a lot of catching up to do. It’s time to have a good hard look at yourself and your supply chain to see where improvements can be made.

For the brands that have yet to share their progress, it’s crucial to prioritize this. You’ve done all of this work to improve your business behind the scenes, yet no one knows about it!

“Conscious consumers will convert if they have clarity that a retailer’s ethics & sustainability align with their values.”

2. Make it accessible

Consumers will usually head straight to your website in search of your sustainability content, so make finding this foolproof.

1. Start off with a dedicated page for your sustainable content located in your website’s header/the main menu. Pro-tip for best exposure: give your sustainability section it’s own heading instead of nestling it under the ‘About’ heading and/or in the footer. That way you get the best exposure and reduce the number of clicks to access this key information:

2. Have a unique URL such as “brandname.com/sustainability” to help with your search engine optimization. More consumers are typing “[Brand Name] Sustainability” into their search box, so it’s essential to capitalise on this keyword.

3. Share directly with your customers via e-mail and social media – both great mediums to provide snippets of your progress and take your loyal customers with you on your considered journey.

“Putting your considered content front and centre on your website shows that you’re prioritizing sustainability and will set you apart from the competition.”

3. Focus on progress, not perfection

Encouragingly, many consumers know that being 100% sustainable is technically impossible and will raise an eyebrow at any brands making this claim. Shoppers have wised up to the fact that everything ends up somewhere. No matter how many carbon emissions we offset, the finite resources used in the production of our clothing simply cannot be regenerated.

While there is no expectation of sustainability perfection, what consumers will get behind is genuine progress. Being transparent about what you’re doing well while taking ownership of the areas that need work will foster trust and maintain brand integrity. 

What you say must have substance, be clearly defined, backed by action, and marketed genuinely (no greenwashing please). It’s no longer enough to talk about switching to more energy-efficient lightbulbs in head office, or to only share the backstory of your brand. So be purposeful and explicit about the sustainability and ethics information you provide. 

“The most important thing, no matter the stage or size of your progress, is to take your customers with you on your sustainability journey.”

4. Cover your bases

So, what should your sustainability information include? Depending on the size of your business and locations of sourcing/production, here are the high-level topics that I suggest touching on in your own unique way, including some examples: 

Sustainability

Planet

Showcase the presence of a sustainability report, carbon emissions tracking/offsetting, annual targets, environmental certifications such as Bluesign, ZDHC, and membership of organisations such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition or the Textile Exchange where applicable.  

Product/Production

Highlight the materials used in your production process, your use of synthetic vs natural fibres, recycled fibers and deadstock fabrics, production cycle timeframes, factory locations, size of production, whether goods are locally made, can be made-to-order or pre-ordered, and product certifications such as Global Recycled Standard (GRS) & Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and fabric innovations such as REPREVE® & TENCEL™.

Packaging/Shipping

Share your use of recycled, recyclable and/or compostable packaging, efforts to reduce plastic packaging, the use of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) paper/card in swing tags and promotional material, how your deliveries are shipped from factories (e.g. sea freight over air freight), and whether you offer a carbon offset delivery option to consumers.

Circularity 

Discuss your circular thinking at the design phase, if you offer product repairs, trade-ins, take-back programs or re-sale, and how garments are treated at end-of-life such as textile recycling, and your stance on landfilling or incineration of goods. 

Ethics

People

Detail the presence of a supplier code of conduct, modern slavery statement and/or child labour policy, payment of minimum or living wages, diversity/inclusion, worker rights & safety, whether factories are audited by third parties such as Sedex, and if you’re a signatory of the Bangladesh Accord (if applicable).

Animals 

Talk about the presence of an animal welfare policy, the type of animal fibres used (if any), your prohibited fibre list and stance on mulesing, along with any certifications on responsible sourcing of animal-derived products such as the Responsible Wool, Mohair, and Down Standards.

Prosperity/Purpose 

Present any give-back elements of your business including donations of stock to charity or community initiatives.

5. Revisit regularly

Last but certainly not least, ensure that you continually share your progress. Your sustainability efforts should not be seen as a one-off box-ticking exercise, but rather an ongoing commitment to take action, and keep your loyal following updated with your progress. I suggest setting a reminder every 6 months to check that your content is up-to-date.