Yesterday the Green Lab team took a group of students from MA Industrial Design, Central Saint Martins to Margate for a day of exploring the potential of seaweed for the OD&M (open design & manufacturing) project. With a focus on the future potential algae holds we have challenged students to work with this material and explore speculative futures where algae will play a big role.
With Margate and the Thanet coast being home to an abundance of seaweed, as well as company Haeckels that are showcasing this amazing material and its beneficial properties, we took the students for a day of exploring the plethora of algae available.
Visitng Haeckels making space we met founder Dom to hear more about the products he makes from the seaweed harvested from the shoreline. Having discovered an abundant material that know one was utilsing Dom started to create cosmetics that showcased the benefits of seaweed.
As well as making with materials from Margate and in Margate he also has a passion for sustainable systems within his business – now focusing on packaging and distribution to ensure a low impact product. As a coastal warden Dom and his company are actively caretaking for both there home and surroundings whilst raising awareness of the power of nature and answers it can hold.