What is the best way to present complex information so that it is easy to absorb? This was Semcon’s assignment when the Clean Clothes Campaign wanted to launch a new website. The goal was to help journalists and consumers easily understand which clothing brands pay their employees a living wage. The project was carried out as part of Semcon’s CSR programme.
The Clean Clothes Campaign has developed a new tool, Fashion Checker, which collects the information that clothing companies publish about the wages they pay their employees. And of the companies surveyed, as many as 93 per cent don’t pay wages people can live on.
Working with Semcon helped us sharpen our message. Their work with different target audiences, but also with our staff and designer, focused our thinking on how to show complex information in an understandable way – resulting in a much clearer website.
Finding out what the users think
Semcon was brought in to help the Clean Clothes Campaign in the area of UX – user experience. This was done through user research, that is, information about how the users think and act. Usability testing was then conducted to see how the information could be presented in the best possible way.
The research part was conducted through interviews with both consumers and journalists. We asked questions about things such as purchasing behaviour, information evaluation and what information was most important for them.
Right infographics and texts
The next step was to test different infographics and texts to see what the test subjects understood, how they perceived and interpreted the information, and which variant was best. The goal was to make sure the tool was easy to use and had relevant information.
Semcon’s CSR programme
Semcon’s part in the project was conducted as part of the company’s CSR programme. CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility and, as part of the programme, Semcon allocates 2,000 hours per year for employees to personally engage in various types of social sustainability activities supporting the 17 Global Sustainability Goals set by the UN.
What is a living wage?
According to the UN, earning a living wage, i.e. a wage that a person can live on, is a human right. This means a wage that is sufficient to provide a decent standard of living for a worker and their family. Among other things, it needs to be enough to pay for food, water, housing, education, health care and clothing. In many countries, however, the minimum wage does not equal a living wage.
Semcon’s delivery:
- User research
- Interviews with consumers and journalists
- Usability testing
- User tests for infographics and texts
