Con Viv Design
Living systems design for food, place, and policy.
Con Viv Design Studio is an independent Tasmanian practice working across food systems, land, culture, and regional regeneration, with work and partnerships grounded in Tasmania and extending through Europe and North America.
The studio bridges community practice, design research, and institutional strategy, translating ecological insight into practical pathways for implementation and change.
Its focus is to strengthen local capability, support regenerative livelihoods, and help shape the conditions for more resilient and living regional futures.
Current Work
Con Viv Design Studio works across policy, education, regional strategy, and place-based food systems development. Current initiatives include:
Grow Small Feed All
A statewide policy framework strengthening local food production, procurement, regional employment, and community-scale economic resilience.
Regenerative Farm Hubs
The development of distributed infrastructure models that support small-scale producers, regenerative livelihoods, and stronger regional food networks.
The Island Almanac
An emerging statewide publication and contributor platform sharing regenerative news, research, practical innovation, and grounded perspectives from across Tasmania.
Living Earth College
A translocal education platform dedicated to living systems literacy, regenerative practice, and the activation of local food systems through design, education, and applied learning.
Tarkind
A place-based initiative in takanya / Tarkine bringing together community art, citizen science, and living systems education to create participatory pathways for ecological care, cultural renewal, and regenerative regional practice.
Rooted in Magical Farm Tasmania, a life-aligned farm that has been part of seeding these wider initiatives, this work connects living practice with regional strategy across food, place, policy, and community renewal. Together, the initiatives support long-term regeneration by strengthening food security, ecological resilience, regional participation, and local economic circulation.
Partnership Opportunities
We collaborate with:
philanthropic organisations supporting systemic transition
government agencies seeking grounded implementation models
industry and community partners piloting regenerative infrastructure and policy innovation
Dr Emily Samuels-Ballantyne
Founder, Regen Era Design Studio
✉️ emily@regeneracommons.org
Who We Are
Con Viv Design Studio is an independent Tasmanian practice working across food systems, land, community, and public policy. The studio translates living-systems thinking into practical initiatives that strengthen regional resilience. Our work connects farm practice, design research, and institutional collaboration across Tasmania, Australia, Europe, and North America.
Dr Emily Samuels-Ballantyne — Studio Director
Dr Emily Samuels-Ballantyne is a living systems and policy designer and founder of Magical Farm Tasmania. She leads Regen Era Design Studio, developing scenario-led initiatives that connect cultural renewal with implementable outcomes across food systems, land stewardship, and regional development.
Perrie Kaminskas — Living Systems Designer
Perrie Kaminskas supports the studio’s systems design and coordination work, translating complex challenges into actionable pathways through mapping, prototyping, and collaborative delivery.
Board of Advisors
Con Viv Design is establishing an inaugural Board of Advisors to support Grow Small, Feed All: Tasmania Renewal.
The Board has been convened through a threefold framework to ensure balanced development across:
Culture — education, communication, and community practice
Rights — governance, policy, planning, and accountability
Economy — procurement, finance, logistics, and investment pathways
The Board of Advisors will be formally announced via media release in mid-March 2026.
Advisory enquiries and aligned introductions are welcome:
✉️ emily@regeneracommons.org