Desk Reef
The Ocean At Your Fingertips
Nothing compares to the otherworldly beauty of a coral reef, but few ecosystems are harder to replicate in an artificial environment. Working in a two-person team, our goal was to make reef keeping more accessible to a wider market, and to support science education and aquaculture programs. With an emphasis on UX/UI, we refined product form factors, created a digital interface to walk users through every step of their saltwater journey, and designed a support system to maximize long-term success.
The Science of Form
We examined where our tank could exist in the world, and used those parameters to drive the overall dimensions, employing the Rapid Iterative Testing & Evaluation method to verify our assumptions through the entire process. This continued through physical interfaces, designing buttons and lights to be as intuitive as possible.
We designed a unique, cartridge-based dosing system to make the system as easy for the user as possible, and to build long term-value for the manufacturer. Gorgeous surfacing by my project partner, brought the design of the physical system to the next level.
Only The Data You Need
The key to the entire experience was our digital interface. Designed to walk users through every step of the process and provide education into the science at work. We spoke with aquarists and biologists to establish an information hierarchy, so users didn’t become overwhelmed with information fatigue; Adapting the HUD as their skills and needs progress. We designed an in-app marketplace to support ethical livestock selection through vetted suppliers, and to eliminate roadblocks to critical supplies. Opt-in data sharing provided the opportunity to crowd source scientific studies on a massive scale.
