Droptest
In collaboration with Ben Cooper, Martha Pryke and Zac Miller-Waugh.
Current ocean surveys are expensive and labour-intensive. DROPTEST enables fishers to collect contamination-free eDNA samples on behalf of ocean researchers. eDNA analysis can create a species inventory of an entire stretch of coastline from trace genetic material, but currently requires sterile research vessels and trained scientists. DROPTEST solves this by firing a self-contained collection device away from the boat, where it autonomously filters the seawater, self-locks and injects a preservative. This allows researchers to map species and track ecosystem health.
I led project direction and management across the full length of the project. Owning the timeline, coordinating stakeholder relationships, facilitating ideation and working sessions, and keeping the team moving from open questions to clear direction.
Field trips
Designing a fishing product from a studio in Battersea was never going to be enough. We travelled to the south coast of England to meet local fishers in their towns which fundamentally changed how we understood the problem. Those conversations revealed that fishers know their coastline better than most researchers ever will, they are adaptable and the right solution had to invisibly fit into their existing routine. Our field trips shaped every design decision that followed.
Exhibition
DROPTEST was exhibited at the IDE 2025 Group Project exhibition at the Royal College of Art, alongside nearly twenty other projects from our cohort.
DROPTEST was exhibited at the IDE 2025 Group Project exhibition at the Royal College of Art, alongside nearly twenty other projects from our cohort.
Development
The process for this project was long and nonlinear. Early sessions were dominated by brainstorming with open questions, post it notes to properly define the context. The project evolved through a series of pivots, often triggered by what we learned on field trips. Once the concept started to solidify, development became increasinly hands-on. We ran paint tests to understand how water would travel through the device, and tested the prototype in the hydrodynamics lab at Imperial to observe how it would behave in real wave conditions.
The process for this project was long and nonlinear. Early sessions were dominated by brainstorming with open questions, post it notes to properly define the context. The project evolved through a series of pivots, often triggered by what we learned on field trips. Once the concept started to solidify, development became increasinly hands-on. We ran paint tests to understand how water would travel through the device, and tested the prototype in the hydrodynamics lab at Imperial to observe how it would behave in real wave conditions.