Dr Paula Hardie is a strategic designer based in Magandjin (Brisbane) who specialises in visual communication and community-led approaches to climate adaptation projects.

current projects

Apartment Flood Management Plans:
In partnership with Strabo Rivers, Paula is currently developing flood management plans and preparedness initiatives for Brisbane apartment residents and body corporate committees.

Neighbourhood Disaster Plans:
In her role at Benarrawa Community Development Association, Paula supports residents in the Oxley Creek area to develop neighbourhood disaster plans.

background

Paula has a Bachelor of Design Futures with Honours (Visual Communication) and a PhD (Design) from Griffith University. Her doctoral research explored the capacity of design tools to support community-led service adaptations to extreme climate events, resulting in the design of the Kurilpa Flood Library. She played a lead role in the development of Resilient Kurilpa’s community disaster resilience initiatives, including the delivery of workshops, online resources and tools, which won the 2025 Resilient Australia and Queensland Community Awards.

Paula’s work has spanned the areas of food security, waste management, public and community service, water, science, climate change, tertiary design education, community events, and communications for First Nations organisations and school-aged children.

practice approach

Paula’s published practice-based research and approach to design is critically futures-facing — shaped by how cultural, place-based knowledges and experiences design ways for communities to ‘self-service’ in the face of climate disasters.

Paula’s design practice has developed across studio, academic, NGO, volunteer organisations and grassroots community settings. She draws together leading critical design, decolonial and feminist theory, co-design practices, climate foresight research and community development to design responsible processes, tools, workshops, strategies and communication resources for communities living on the frontlines of climate change.

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