Project Brief

The Radical Design Challenge called for a user-centred product tackling a personal yet wider-reaching problem while considering sustainability and practicality. For offshore sailors, access to fresh produce is almost non-existent, harming nutrition, morale, and health on long voyages. The brief demanded a system that was compact, spill-proof, low-maintenance, and environmentally responsible.

Research & Insights
A Four Pleasures Analysis uncovered key needs:

• Physical: Fresh food for health and recovery from seasickness.

• Psychological: Satisfaction from growing food and improving mental wellbeing at sea.

• Social: Sharing fresh meals to boost crew morale and cohesion.

• Ideological: Sustainable, self-sufficient living in harsh conditions.

Existing options like canned and freeze-dried food lacked nutrients, freshness, and variety, highlighting the need for a new solution.

Concept Development
Explored hydroponic systems including Deep Water Culture, Drip Systems, Nutrient Film Technique, and Aeroponics, testing each for:

• Motion stability in yaw, pitch, and roll

• Water and energy efficiency with limited onboard resources

• Space optimisation for compact marine environments

• Lifecycle sustainability using eco-indicator analysis

A closed-loop, solar-powered system with spill prevention and modularity emerged as the most promising approach.

Final Design: SeaGrow Hydroponics
The final design combined Deep Water Culture with a swing-stabilised, modular frame to prevent spills and withstand rough seas. Features included:

• Solar power for off-grid efficiency

• Compact modularity for multiple crops in limited space

• Low-maintenance design with self-cleaning elements

• User experience focus with grow lights and easy monitoring

SeaGrow delivers fresh, healthy food, improves morale, and minimises environmental impact, meeting the Radical Design Challenge brief with a sustainable, user-centred solution.