Project

Loopholes Toolkit: From Fashion to Cross-Sector Innovation

Project Goal

We believe that a method developed in fashion can drive meaningful transformation across sectors.

That’s why Digital Society School and AMFI are collaborating to explore the potential of the Loopholes Toolkit—a practical tool originally designed to address systemic challenges in the fashion industry. At its core is textile thinking, a way of seeing and shaping systems through patterns, relationships, and material flows.

Now, we’re testing how this approach can be applied to new contexts—specifically within the framework of the EU Transition Pathways, including sectors such as electronics, proximity & social economy, and construction. This hands-on journey challenges existing structures and opens up new possibilities for designing sustainable and regenerative futures.

Main Question

Can a toolkit rooted in fashion help redesign the systems of entirely different sectors?

This is the core question driving our project. As we bring Loopholes into new domains, we aim to adapt it without compromising its foundational values:

  • Circularity

  • Sustainability

  • Collaboration

How can the methodology remain true to its origins, while evolving to meet the needs and realities of other sectors?

What We’re Exploring Across Sectors

We’re looking for sectors that share systemic challenges—and are open to new approaches.

Like fashion, many sectors are shaped by linear systems, resource waste, and rigid structures. We’re identifying where the Loopholes framework can bring clarity, creativity, and energy toward sustainable transitions.

But each sector speaks a different language—and we’re ready to listen.

To apply Loopholes meaningfully, we need to understand what makes each context unique. What tools, assumptions, or methods need to be rethought? This project is about co-learning, co-creating, and reshaping together.

Refining the Toolkit: Starting with What We Could Change

We began by identifying opportunities to make the Loopholes Toolkit more accessible and adaptable.

Initial testing revealed that, while the toolkit contains rich and thoughtful content, some components felt too complex or time-intensive—particularly for first-time users.

Given limited time, we focused on where we could deliver the most impact: the strategy cards. By improving their structure and usability, and aligning them with sector-specific needs, we made this component more intuitive, engaging, and applicable in real-world settings.

Sector Selection: Driven by Research and Diversity

We selected our sectors to test the adaptability of Loopholes across a wide spectrum of challenges.

Following in-depth research and in line with the EU Transition Pathways, we chose:

  • Electronics

  • Proximity & Social Economy

  • Construction

These sectors vary significantly in terms of systems, stakeholders, and readiness for change. This diversity gave us a valuable testing ground for exploring how Loopholes can move beyond its original context and respond to sector-specific dynamics.

Designing Strategy Cards: Turning Insight into Action

We focused our design efforts on the strategy cards—where tangible change could be supported.

To empower stakeholders in each sector, we created a new set of strategy cards tailored to their contexts. These cards are designed to be both practical and thought-provoking, guided by three principles:

  • Practical, not abstract

    → Each card delivers clear, actionable strategies tailored to the sector’s real challenges.

  • Informed by EU insights

    → The content aligns with the EU Transition Pathways, ensuring strategic relevance.

  • Designed for engagement

    → Each card includes simple, reflective prompts to spark collaboration and dialogue—especially in workshops and co-creation settings.

Even within a limited timeframe, this focused redesign brought fresh relevance and usability to the Loopholes Toolkit—helping it take root in new ground.