Pirjo Haikola on Designing for the Ocean

Coral are tough clients, as Pirjo Haikola knows well.

The Finnish designer is renowned for her work on coral reef conservation and ocean biodiversity. Now based at the Australian Institute of Marine Science in Townsville, North Queensland, right by the Great Barrier Reef, Pirjo is also a skilled diver. Spending significant time observing and documenting marine life firsthand has given her a unique perspective on the delicate dynamics of ocean ecosystems, and allows her to ground her designs in the realities of the underwater environment, ensuring they are not only innovative but also ecologically sensitive and impactful.

In this episode of Design Emergency, Pirjo discusses with Paola several of her projects, which integrate scientific research with creative methodologies and advanced manufacturing techniques to develop practical, design-driven solutions to the urgent challenges posed by climate change. Whether it’s developing tools for coral propagation in Australia or Mexico, studying the sea urchin population off the coast near Melbourne, or exploring sustainable materials inspired by marine ecosystems, her work celebrates design and demostrates what it can do in service of the planet.

You can find images related to Pirjo’s work on our Instagram grid @design.emergency.

Please join us for future episodes of Design Emergency when we will hear from other global design leaders who, like Pirjo, are at the forefront of positive change.

Design Emergency is supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.

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