Reef Guild
Designing a global service ecosystem for coral preservation.
Client/Partner
Dr. Ruth Gates &
The Gates Coral Lab
Duration
10 Months
Team
5 cross-disciplinary
members
Core Deliverable
Service ecosystem blueprint, Strategic network model,
Client enablement toolkit
01
The Strategic Challenge
"Coral reefs are not beyond help. It’s time to move the conversation to what can be done."
— Marine Biologist
Coral reefs, valued at over $375 billion annually, face imminent collapse. Despite this urgency, we diagnosed the core problem not as a lack of effort, but as a systemic service failure driven by misaligned incentives, which left conservation efforts fragmented in competitive, academic silos.
However, our research uncovered a systemic barrier:
"The existing incentive model was a tax on collaboration, costing us millions in redundant research and delaying critical action."
— Senior Stakeholder
Ultimately, the core problem was a failure of the service ecosystem to connect diverse stakeholders (scientists, governments, corporations, and NGOs) into a cohesive, high-impact network, lacking the unified strategic vision necessary for real transformation.
02
Service Design Process
Our approach mirrored a rigorous Discover, Design, and Deliver framework, focusing on strategic tools and deep stakeholder empathy to architect a new service model.
01
Discover
Strategic research and Stakeholder mapping
We initiated the process with cross-industry interviews and qualitative analysis to understand the motivations, pain points, and existing collaboration barriers among key players.
Insight 1
Systemic barrier
The culture of academic competition was the primary inhibitor of data sharing, leading to redundant research and inefficient resource allocation.
Insight 2
Communication gap
Stakeholders outside of marine biology (e.g., tourism, pharmaceuticals, government) lacked clear, audience-specific channels to understand and invest in coral's economic value.
We developed an interactive landscape map of the top 15 players in coral preservation, which served as a crucial systemic diagnosis tool to visualize the fragmented network and identify critical connection points.
02
Design
Strategic Research and SArchitecting the Reef Guild Servicetakeholder Mapping
Based on the diagnosis, we designed the Reef Guild, a new service ecosystem defined by its mission to "unify global efforts, unite leaders and create a single, powerful force for coral preservation." The design focused on creating a self-sustaining, incentivized network model.
Service Model Innovation
Designed a new governance model to harness competitive culture productively, building in explicit incentives for data sharing and collaborative funding.
Convergent Design
Outlined the architecture for a centralized digital platform to act as the primary touchpoint for data sharing, strategy coordination, and communication.
Strategic Deliverable
Produced a Service Blueprint and Network Launch Strategy, detailing the end-to-end service experience and implementation roadmap.
03
Deliver
Enabling client adoption and strategic rollout
Our final phase focused on equipping Dr. Gates and her lab with the necessary tools to "sell" the service vision to future collaborators and secure implementation funding.
Modular Pitch Deck & Messaging
Translated the complex service strategy into a modular presentation pitch deck and audience-specific messaging for diverse stakeholders (e.g., scientists vs. corporate sponsors).
Community Engagement Strategy
Outlined the architecture for a centralized digital platform to act as the primary touchpoint for data sharing, strategy coordination, and communication.
03
Key Takeaways & Reflection
This project was a masterclass in operating at the systemic level. My key learnings centered on:
01
Systemic diagnosis over symptom treatment
The realization that the core problem was not lack of effort, but a systemic service failure driven by misaligned incentives. This shifted my focus from delivering a product to architecting an ecosystem.
02
The power of convergent design
The necessity of integrating service strategy, digital design, and business design into a single, cohesive solution to enable real transformation.
03
Client enablement as strategic delivery
Learning that the final deliverable is not the report, but the toolkit and narrative that empowers the client to secure buy-in and implement the new vision.