The Matcha Initiative
Join us
Creative director, Designer, Educator.
I’m the founder and creative director at anewkind.studio, a purpose-driven, Life-centric design & strategy studio.
Passionate about mentoring and teaching, I lecture on interdisciplinary Design Studios, emphasising experiential learning to equip students for global challenges. My specialties are Creative Direction, Branding & Identity, Packaging, Responsible Communication, Greenwashing, Regenerative Design Principles, Circularity, as well as Visual Storytelling.
I’m currently working on a book publication called: reload.earth - alongside publishing house Slanted. We are featuring creatives, philosophers, entrepreneurs, activists and designers who are sparking new narratives around the climate movement. My research interests lie at the intersection of Art & Design and the Climate crisis, built on the belief that creativity can alter culture, and culture is key to building a better future on the planet!
I also facilitate the Biodiversity Collage in Singapore and lead Climate Designers Singapore, a community igniting climate conversations through creative work.
Share about my experience, passion and knowledge
I grew up in Tahiti and being surrounded by the beautiful Pacific Ocean :), I developed a deep connection to nature and passion for whales & marine life.
When I arrived in Southeast Asia in 2016, and as a passionate freediver, I was appalled by the staggering levels of plastic consumption and ocean pollution in the region.
Working for packaging design agencies, I started to feel a strong cognitive dissonance, where my work didn't align with my values and love for the oceans anymore. This made me rethink my role as a designer in contributing to or mitigating climate issues.
Hence, in 2020, I decided to join the Climate Designers, an international community of creatives and designers committed to empower designers to learn, connect, and act on climate solutions.
This allowed me to learn about the systemic issues and align my professional skills with my environmental values - using design as a tool to promote sustainability, create awareness on biodiversity and nature, which I care so deeply about.
My work focuses on integrating nature-based strategies into design, aiming to create innovative approaches by rethinking and redesigning our systems, while connecting with nature's principles. I inspire clients to embrace a new kind of…
Through stories, designers shift cultures and move toward new possibilities. They are passionate for harnessing the best of visual and creative storytelling to bring bold ideas to life.
I also believe in the importance of reconnecting with nature. We often lose touch with both nature and our bodies due to busy lifestyles and technology. Spending time outdoors can help us appreciate our connection to the natural world and our own physical presence in a mindful way.
Through the biodiversity collage, my aim is to raise awareness about biodiversity loss and emphasise our interconnectedness with nature, advocating the urgent need to protect it.
One major challenge as a designer is rethinking the real need for new products or services.
Despite claims of sustainability, there's often pressure to create unnecessary items, leading to overconsumption and waste.
Additionnally, designing sustainable and truly circular products is still complex.
Despite the increasing awareness and efforts around circularity, there are many factors to consider throughout a product's entire lifecycle to achieve a closed loop with minimal waste.
From sourcing renewable or recycled materials, to designing for longevity, repairability and ease of disassembly, to establishing effective collection and recycling systems - which is not working yet - each step presents its own obstacles. Additionally, aligning all the different stakeholders involved, from suppliers to manufacturers to consumers, and ensuring transparency across the value chain is an immense challenge.
It involves rethinking everything from material choices and product design, to business strategies and consumer behaviour but mostly I would like brands to take more actions and challenge industry norms.
It’s a continuous journey of learning, self-reflection, and a willingness to change the status quo within the industry and push back against misguided client briefs or false green promises.
It reinforces my belief that design has the power to drive positive change, especially in education through collaborations with clients and institutions promoting authenticity, responsibility, and a regenerative mindset.
Finding support to navigate overwhelming frustration is key in this climate work that’s why I’m also surrounding myself with a community of passionate advocates.
One project that had a huge impact in my life, is publishing a book "Slanted Cuba" which explores the creativity and challenges of the New Generation of Cuban Designers. Despite facing severe crises and various constraints, these incredible designers have an incomparable resilience in their life and work, which I found deeply inspiring.
It was a beautiful collaborative & participatory design project spanning across four languages and multiple countries followed by conferences, workshops and exhibitions and importantly, it gained recognition for their work.