Nike has launched a new app called Making, that wants to guide designers and creators in the choices they make around materials.

The tool is designed to guide you through four environmental impact areas - water, chemistry, energy and waste - so you can make the best choices when choosing which materials to use for a product.

The data is drawn from the Nike Materials Sustainability Index in which the sports company has compiled data from seven years of research. Each material in the Making app is scored out of 50 and then ranked within those impact areas.

Nike worked with the London College of Fashion to get additional feedback on the Making app, with students using the app to guide their collections.

"The app helped us identify materials that have lower environmental impacts, without compromising the design process," said Alasdair Leighton-Crawford, a London College of Fashion student. "Making shows that sustainability is not a limit, but an inspiring new way to look at product creation."

Lee Holman, Nike VP of apparel design. said: "Innovation is in Nike's DNA, and sustainability is an integral part of Nike's design process.

"We've created the Making app to empower any designer around the world to make better materials choices in the initial stages of the innovation process to ultimately create products that are better for consumers and better for the planet."

The app is free to download from iTunes now.