Oceans x Design fellows reflect on a year of development, inclusivity, and solutions
Last year, the Stanford d.school and the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions collaborated on a variety of projects at the intersection of oceans and design. Led by three fellows- Erika Woolsey, Kevin Chand, and Lesley Ann-Noel – the initiative resulted in day-long workshops, design and policy exercises, a d.school pop-out course, and a quarter-long course titled "Oceans by Design".
In reflecting on their year with COS and the d.school, Erika, Kevin and Lesley published an article on the d.school’s blog. In it, they reflect on some of their biggest take-aways from working at this nexus of environmental solution-building, from the adoption of global sustainable development goals at the UN to people-centric innovations that help shed light on the most vulnerable, and often invisible, communities. Using design thinking to address issues of scale and sustainability, they highlight the power of creativity and empathy in imagining a future for our oceans that is “bright blue”.
“So, my grand vision for oceans and design is for the design world to create, through a lens of equity, greater access to the ocean as a source of sustainable food, access to it for leisure, for safe work and livelihoods, for communities with less access,” Lesley Ann-Noel said, “and to create ways for these communities to play their part in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change.”
