Overview
Project Context.
Coral reefs, often called the “rainforests of the sea,” are essential for marine life. However, they are facing serious threats from climate change, pollution, and human activities. For my capstone project in the Bachelor of Design (DESN) program at York University, I created Reefverse. This project was inspired by the need to connect environmental issues with public involvement.
Reefverse is a digital platform and brand that redefines conservation as a shared and creative effort. It allows users around the world to design, fund, and track artificial reefs using an easy-to-use interface. By combining user-centered design, game-like elements, and environmental science, Reefverse encourages people to take an active role in marine restoration instead of just donating money.
After four months of research and another four months of prototyping and development, this project showcases my dedication to using design for environmental protection. It demonstrates how technology can make sustainability accessible to everyone and turn concern for the planet into real, actionable steps.
Reefverse is an active brand and digital members club dedicated to donate artificial reefs towards coral reef regeneration
Research Question
Understanding the Crisis
Coral reef bleaching is a global crisis that needs urgent attention. As according to scientists, By 2100, more than 50% of the world’s reefs are expected to experience severe bleaching risk for >9 months per year under the SSP5-8.5 high-emissions scenario (Fig 1). This is not good for the longevity of our marine ecosystems. Coral bleaching occurs when corals experience stress, usually from rising water temperatures or other environmental changes. They eject the algae (zooxanthellae) that reside in their tissues, causing them to lose their vivid colors and turn white.
What even scarier is that current solutions remain geographically limited and inaccessible to most people. Where most platforms feature a donation system, it still leaves local communities the heavy burden to fix a global issue. The world lacks a unified platform that empowers the people to actively participate in reef restoration, while existing conservation efforts struggle with public engagement and scalable impact. So we ask…
How can users collaborate effectively for global participation in coral reef regeneration and conservation efforts?
PROBLEM
The science behind reef restoration is difficult to find, leaving it hard to apply for regular people.
Most non-profits only require financial donations. No creative ways for people to help beyond this.
Donors give cash but never see or feel their impact.
It's easy for people to think saving the reefs are someone else’s problem.
SOLUTION
Users will design reefs. Specifically artificial reefs — human-made structures proven to rebuild marine habitats. Studies show artificial reefs can increase fish populations by 200–500% in degraded areas (NOAA, 2020).
A 3D builder translates science into simple design steps where users get real-time feedback on how their reef shapes impact marine life.
A platform which turns conservation into a hands-on, creative process with gamified goals
An interactive global map to view any reef live at any time. Creating an emotional connection with users.
Fostering shared ownership where users are aware of global emergencies, can remix others’ designs, and gain attention from others!
Research Findings
The first 4 months of the project was spent diving deeper within this topic. Asking questions that drive the topic to allow me to branch into new areas. Interact with the cards to view more about the topic.
There is a lot more to talk about. For clarity, these where the main aspects that helped fuel my research to get the final product I got to today
This model by Darren Wilson (SEE-ICE) shaped how I think about sustainable design. It shows how the 17 UN Global Goals connect to three key areas: economy, society, and environment and proves they all depend on each other. Seeing this changed my approach when designing the Reefverse. What I create must consider all three areas at once. (Wilson, n.d.)
Competitive Analysis
I made a list of popular coral reef restoration companies. Many focus on collecting donations or basic tracking limited to still-hardly updated photos. Many of these companies' main appeal is 'Adopt a reef,' which is a common term used to label a reef under your name and donation. I wanted to avoid the term 'Adopt' and replace it with 'Build.' Here are some other observations I noticed in the table below:
The next step for me was to develop personas to reinforce my research and gauge what people want to use. I asked myself several questions. What emotions are they coming into this with? What emotions do I want them to feel coming out? Goals? Ambitions? What should be accomplished? What features do they seek? What makes a product fun? Do I want to bring fun into a serious matter? How do we measure success? All questions and many more are meant to be answered here in this step.
Eve needs hands-on learning. Maya wants to see a real impact and has trust issues with donations, and Steve doesn't know what a coral reef is. I also wanted each persona to have a different age, occupation, and residence as these all matter for my target audience, which will be everyone who can help solve this global issue. I predict a lot of people will be like Steve who aren't familiar with the terminology, requiring me to not be so technical at first glance. The challenge? Design an experience that works for all three—easy for Steve, engaging for Maya, and useful for Eve. Success means making reef conservation feel accessible, rewarding, and worth their time. I now need a user journey that reflects this. No jargon, no extra steps.
Inspiration
