Sylvia Musel
My vision as a designer is about bringing real-world issues to the forefront and redesigning products and systems to change people's behaviours and habits. My goal as a young designer is to continuously push the boundaries of traditional design, by focusing on user experiences, creative ideation, and sustainable practices.
Email: sylviamusel02@gmail.com
MAREN PROJECT
The Maren Project is a community-centred solution for the restoration and conservation of seagrass. The solution is a kit that allows communities to create their own biodegradable tiles, which will help replant dislodged seagrass. The goal is to raise awareness and cultivate stewardship, ultimately driving greater advocacy for stronger nature protection laws to ensure the preservation of marine ecosystems.
Designed by Sylvia Musel
Every half-hour, a soccer field's worth of seagrass vanishes globally, taking with it an unsung hero of carbon capture. Seagrass offers vital carbon sequestration, effectively slowing climate change. The loss of 161,150 hectares of seagrass since the 1950s has unleashed a 2% annual rise in carbon emissions, equivalent to the output of five million cars. Not only that, but seagrass acts as a dual shield against coastal erosion and a sanctuary for marine life.
CONTEXT
The threat to seagrass meadows from climate change and misguided coastal development is due to the lack of public awareness, resulting in insufficient community and government funding for restoration initiatives. These issues endanger the survival of these crucial seagrass habitats and emphasize the urgent need for change in marine protection.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
1.Collecting
2.Casting
3.Planting
4.Installing
Registered “ambassadors”, which can include businesses and schools, purchase the kits. Through the Maren website, participants select a program in their desired location, collect seagrass from beaches, cast the tiles using biodegradable materials, replant the seagrass into the opens, install the tiles underwater, and witness the natural ecosystem take over.
Traditional seagrass restoration projects use unsustainable materials such as plastic zip ties and mats, which can occasionally come loose and end up contributing to the ongoing problem of plastic pollution in our oceans. The kits feature moulds designed for making outside the water, ensuring that only environmentally safe materials are brought underwater during the installation process.
WHY IS THIS DESIGN BETTER THAN CURRENT SOLUTIONS?
The packaging, constructed from wet vac-formed recycled cardboard, is purpose-built to accommodate all casting equipment and the rPET mould, ensuring a comfortable casting process while also being designed for reuse to minimize unnecessary waste.
PACKAGING
COMMUNITY BASE UI
Having a user-friendly web design for the Maren Project is essential to support the community focus. The community-based interface facilitates education about seagrass restoration, volunteer engagement, and providing real-time updates on project progress, fostering a more informed and engaged community.
The top surface of the tiles features indented detailing that mimics natural rock formations. These indentations are intentionally designed to promote the growth of marine vegetation and various species commonly found on rocks.
NATURAL FORM