MS Strategic Design & Management
Parsons School of Desig
Rohit Gavali
Aakanksha Marulka
Our Core Thesi
Caring for the environment, requires caring for the people who live within it
Argo
Profiling floats
International, autonomous, robotic network of drifting devices
They monitor the upper 2,000 meters of the global ocea
Source: https://www.mbari.org/project/go-bgc/
The vast Quantity of Data being collecte
As of early 2025, there are ~4,000 active Argo profiling floats deployed worldwide
Argo Profiling floats
International, autonomous, robotic network of drifting devices
They monitor the upper 2,000 meters of the global ocea
Source: https://www.mbari.org/project/go-bgc/
The vast Quantity of Data being collecte
As of early 2025, there are ~4,000 active Argo profiling floats deployed worldwide
Argo Profiling floats
International, autonomous, robotic network of drifting devices
They monitor the upper 2,000 meters of the global ocea
But, data often ends up looking like this
Source: https://www.mbari.org/project/go-bgc/
The Contex
Cornwall Coast, United Kingdo
Wicked Challenge:
Effectively Utilizing the alreadyexisting, collected data for the use of locals in Cornwall
Pain Point
The Lived Problem in Cornwall
Rising sea levels + Storm risk = Safety decision
Shifting Fish Stocks = Livelihood decision
Fragmented & technical data scattered across institutions = Exclusion by desig
Too much data. Not enough clarity
Who This Cares Fo
Stakeholder Decision
Small Scale Fishers
→ When and Where to fish
Tourism workers / Small Businesses
Local councils / Resilience planners
→ When to prepare for hazardous weather
→ What to communicate to residents/ visitor
Everyday decisions like these, require reliable & understandable data
The Ga
Oceanographic and ecological data today is:
Highly technical
Platform-fragmented Designed for experts, not communities Access to information becomes a form of power.
When data is inaccessible, communities are excluded from decision-making
What is CHARTr
CHARTr is a digital platform that translates complex environmental data into intuitive, actionable insights for coastal communities
It integrates oceanographic and ecological datasets into
Clear Visualizatio
Simplified Forecast
Locally relevant insight
The goal is not more data — but meaningful, usable information
Designing Care Into the Syste
Translation (Accessibility)
Transparency (Trust)
Transforming technical data into intuitive visuals
Clear sourcing, limitations, and assumptions
Shared Authorship Community feedback shapes what is prioritized and how it is presented
Care is embedded not just in outcomes, but in process
Video Lin
Testing with Adjacent Stakeholders
In May 2024, we experimented with...
Wei Zhang - CEO, Resting Reef
Liberty Denman - OneKay work in tech innovation to protect the ocean via cohesive monitoring and boosting ocean literacy
Neil Tinmouth, Founder, AcuaUnmanned Surface Vehcile Platform-as-aservice provides the space, weight and power to deploy modular payloads in higher sea states.
Elise Hodson - NEMO
Carla Amaral - NEMO
National Oceanography Centre - Dr. Paul S Bel
What We Learn
Initial Assumption:
Fish stock forecasting would be the most valuable feature
Care required humility and iteration
What We Learn
Initial Assumption:
Fish stock forecasting would be the most valuable feature
Community Feedback:
Fishermen valued clear, local information more than complex forecasts
Care required humility and iteration
What We Learn
Initial Assumption:
Fish stock forecasting would be the most valuable feature
Community Feedback:
Fishermen valued clear, local information more than complex forecasts
What Changed:
We simplified outputs, emphasized immediate usability, and prioritized clarity over complexity
Care required humility and iteration
Ethics & Data Justic
Environmental data systems can
Reinforce inequitie
Centralize decision-makin
Exclude local voice
Ethics & Data Justic
Environmental data systems can aims to
Reinforce inequitie
Centralize decision-makin
Exclude local voice
Ethics & Data Justic
Environmental data systems can aims to
Reinforce inequitie
Centralize decision-makin
Redistribute informational acces
Exclude local voice
Ethics & Data Justic
Environmental data systems can aims to
Reinforce inequitie
Centralize decision-makin
Redistribute informational acces
Support equitable participatio
Exclude local voice
Ethics & Data Justic
Environmental data systems can aims to
Reinforce inequitie
Centralize decision-makin
Redistribute informational acces
Support equitable participatio
Exclude local voice
Make environmental change visible to those most affecte
Some Ongoing Challenge
1. Representation Without Extractio
Ensuring community voices are reflected accurately
— without simplifying, tokenizing, or speaking on their behalf
2. Addressing Digital Literacy gap
Keep in mind, that Digital platforms can also unintentionally create new barriers as well as limit access
3. Avoiding Technological Solutionis
Our platform cannot replace policy change, infrastructure investment, or lived expertise. It can only support them
Addressing these challenges requires accessible design, community collaboration, and continuous adaptation
Environmental change is accelerating.
But care is not only about reacting to crisis
Care is about who gets to understand what is happening.
Who gets to prepare.
Who gets to decide
CHARTr is not just a platform.
It is an argument :
That access to environmental knowledge, is a form of care, and a matter of justice
Thank you
Rohit Gavali
Aakanksha Marulka
MS Strategic Design & Management
Parsons School of Desig