How Cuttlefish Could Redesign Beach Safety
A swim that went wrong left me with a question I couldn’t shake. At the beach, water reorganises itself minute by minute, yet the signals we rely on stay exactly the same.
What happens when static signals try to manage moving risk? From surf flags to cuttlefish, this episode explores how safety might be redesigned around sensing change and signalling state.
“Loved the cuttlefish solution. Fascinating!”
The Idea
Cuttlefish continuously sense what’s happening around them and can change colour, contrast and texture in real time. Their state becomes visible.
That got me thinking about beach safety. We often ask static flags and signs to communicate risk in an environment that is constantly changing. What if the signal itself could change state as conditions changed?
Biology: Cuttlefish dynamically change colour, contrast and texture to signal internal state in real time, making changes instantly visible to others.
Principle: Signals should reflect changing conditions, not fixed states, so that risk is communicated in real time.
Application: Reimagining beach safety systems such as beach signals or wearable devices that change state with conditions, enabling people to sense and respond to risk as it emerges.
Prefer to watch the video version on YouTube? click here.
