Hello, World 🌱
An introduction to Field Notes by BEAM
Hey there,
Welcome to Field Notes by BEAM — our public notebook of experiments, projects, and lessons from running a creative studio for climate innovation.
We’re Annie and Zoe. Together we run BEAM, work as research affiliates at the MIT Media Lab, and are members of the New Museum’s NEW INC incubator. In the last few years, we’ve bounced between science labs, design studios, and coastal communities — working with everyone from NASA and NOAA to artists, activists, and educators. The throughline? Connecting the dots between science and people.
We started BEAM because we couldn’t find a place for the kind of Climate Design* we wanted to do — work that connects research with real communities, builds public trust, and sparks collective action. So we built it ourselves. Since then, we’ve landed in projects, partnerships, and adventures we never could have planned.
Here, you’ll get the behind-the-scenes version: essays on what it’s like to run BEAM, deep dives into our projects, and the occasional story from the field. If you’re a designer, scientist, or just climate-curious (hi, mom), subscribe and come along.
*Climate Design — an imperfect definition we’re still shaping. We use the term to push beyond the narrow view of design in the climate space as just branding or bio-materials. For us, climate design means using creative work to connect science with people, strengthen community autonomy, and build public trust in science — exploring deeper, more impactful ways design can serve the climate transition.
More can be found on our Climate Design newsletter, Symbiotica!