Creative Thinking with Stephen Hancock
(Apple Media Lab/TBWA)
During a collaborative 1 Day workshop led by Stephen Hancock (Creative Director at Apple’s Media Arts Lab), I worked with a team of four to bridge this gap. We developed ASTRA, an AI-driven, mood-responsive wardrobe system that merges sustainability with emotional design.
Context
The Media Arts Lab (TBWA) workshop, led by Creative Director Stephen Hancock for a day, was an intensive environment designed to mirror the high-pressure ideation and storytelling workflows. The program challenges participants to move beyond simple product design, focusing instead on how to define complex problems and build compelling narratives through rapid conceptualization.
Our team selected the theme ASTRA: AI Wardrobe to bridge this gap between technology and emotion. We aimed to transform the wardrobe from a passive furniture piece into an intelligent, mood-responsive partner.
Project type:
Responsive website, Branding
Timeline:
6 weeks
Tool:
Figma, Webflow, 3D Spline, Lotti Files, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe photoshop
Team:
3 UX Designers, 1 Graphic Designer
ASTRA: Reimagining the Ritual of Dressing
The personal wardrobe is a familiar, intimate space that holds our daily identities and the clothes we value most. It represents a fundamental part of our routine, connecting our internal sense of self with how we present ourselves to the world every day.
However, the way we interact with our clothes has become static and disconnected. In a digital age, most "smart" wardrobe concepts feel cold or purely functional, losing the emotional spark and the mindful choice that should come with dressing ourselves. The experience often feels like simple storage rather than a reflection of our moods, sustainability, or personal stories.
ASTRA: a concept for an intelligent, mood-responsive wardrobe. By using agency-style storytelling and rapid sketching, we reimagined the future of dressing as a living, interactive experience that responds to how we feel, making the ritual of choosing what to wear more intuitive and meaningful again.
Concept
The sketched concept visualizes a smart wardrobe that helps users make more mindful clothing choices by integrating:
1. Sustainability & Swapping
Companion app featuring:
Give: donate/swap clothes not worn in the last 3 months
Take: match clothing to your personal style
Finalize: confirm swaps
Helps reduce waste and encourages circular fashion habits.
2. Smart Wardrobe Features
LED lighting that activates when the door opens.
Scanners & sensors to detect:
Items you wear frequently
Items you rarely wear
A digital mirror with text prompts like:
“Oh, you wore this outfit 2 times this week.”
3. Digital Control Panel
A simple screen for navigation, outfit history, recommendations, and wardrobe stats.
4. Mood-Connected Outfit Suggestions
Wardrobe connects to the user’s mood (e.g., “I am sad”).
Suggests outfits based on:
Mood
Upcoming events or dates
What is available
Avoiding repeated looks
Offers sustainable recommendations (e.g., re-style, repair, swap).
Outcome
The exercise allowed us to:
Practice rapid conceptual thinking a key skill in creative agencies.
Translate abstract themes (sustainability, mood, interaction) into a visually clear concept sketch.
Understand how creative directors guide teams to turn broad ideas into compelling narratives.
Build confidence in sketch-driven ideation as a communication tool.
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