WHY DESIGN?
Episodes
They Gave Their Own Product Away for Free, Then It Funded in a Day | Pensa
17 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does twenty years of serious product work actually look like from the inside?In this episode of Why Design, Marco and Mark, co-founders of Pensa,...
Why the Best New Design Leaders Change Nothing in Their First 90 Days | Stephan Clambaneva
10 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Are you designing for the middle of the bell curve, or for the people who need it most?In this episode of Why Design, Stephan Clambaneva shares the be...
The SOSV Partner Who Says the Best Persuaders Are Introverts (And Why He Backs Them First) | Bill Liao
03 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the science works, the market is ready, and your company still dies?In this episode of Why Design, Bill Liao shares the belief that sits at th...
Why Design Is Still a Polite Cost Centre With Good PR | Lisa Gralnek
27 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to build brand presence for one of the world's most rigorous design institutions in a market that barely knows it exists?In this epi...
How He Built a Sports Car Company Without an Engineering Team | Mark Tapscott
20 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time a car company asked you what you actually wanted in the car before they built it?In this episode of Why Design, Mark Tapscott s...
Why Bob Schwartz Walked Into GE Healthcare Carrying 50 Dream Catchers
13 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do you spend thirty five years inside hardware giants, take 22 IDEA medals out the door, and still end up best known as the guy who refused to cha...
No Engineering Degree. No Prototype. He Signed Up for CES Anyway | Floyd Freeman
06 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to solve a problem that everyone experiences and nobody has fixed?In this episode of Why Design, Floyd Freeman shares the belief tha...
What Building the Production Machine Teaches You About the Design | Matt Batchelor
29 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it actually take to get something you designed onto a supermarket shelf at scale?In this episode of Why Design, Matt Batchelor shares the be...
Why Getting Into John Lewis Still Wasn't Enough | Phil Staunton
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it actually cost to build a hardware brand from inside a design agency?In this episode of Why Design, Phil Staunton shares the belief that s...
Why the best hardware careers look like wrong turns from the outside | Felicity Boyce
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when the work you're best at starts to feel like the problem?In this episode of Why Design, Felicity Boyce shares the belief that sits ...
Why the Softest Fruit is the Hardest Engineering Problem, And Robotics’ Potential | Sid Shaikh
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to solve a problem nobody else is willing to attempt, in a country 10,000 miles away, with a 15-person team and an active fundraise ...
Why Half the Country Can't Access Clean Energy, And What’s Changing | Rob Hallifax
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the biggest gap in the clean energy transition isn't technology or politics, but simply who the products were designed for? In this episode of...
Why Nobody Fixed This $12 Billion Surgical Problem, Until Now | Liz McGloughlin
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to redesign a surgical instrument that nobody has touched in sixty years?In this episode of Why Design?, Liz McGloughlin shares the ...
Why the Worst Thing You Can Do Is Be the Designer Everyone Wants You to Be | Dan Salisbury, Automata
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to walk into a deep tech startup as the only industrial designer... Earn the trust of thirty engineers, and... Build a design identi...
Why Fertility Treatment Is Broken (And What Needs to Change) | Tess Cosad on Building Béa Fertility
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this Episode of Why Design, Chris Whyte sits down with Tess Cosad CEO and co-founder of Béa Fertility to talk about what it actually takes to buil...
From Folding Bikes to Electric Aircraft: The Design Philosophy of Mark Sanders
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What connects a folding bicycle, a kitchen tool, and an electric ultralight aircraft? For Mark Sanders, the answer isn’t the category, it’s the th...
The Quiet Discipline Behind Long-Lasting Design Businesses with Paul Metaxatos
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In an industry that often celebrates rapid growth, visibility, and bold ambition, there’s a quieter reality that rarely gets attention: The design b...
Why Design Should Take Over the World: A Conversation with Tylan Tschopp
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if design wasn’t just a function… but a way of thinking about the world?In this episode of Why Design, Tylan Tschopp shares a belief that sit...
How Paul Marshall Built Rapid Fluidics into a Global Microfluidics Partner Through Curiosity and Good Engineering
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What connects offshore engineering, inkjet printers, molecular diagnostics and a small workshop in a church in Newcastle? For Paul Marshall, it’...
Leading with Purpose: How Will Butler-Adams Scaled Brompton into a Global Icon
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you mix engineering instinct, a folding bike prototype built by an eccentric inventor, and a chance conversation with a stranger on ...
Designing Play: How Rémi Bigot Built Bitpong and a Creative Hardware Studio in Berlin
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do furniture exhibitions, glowing tables, and digital design have in common? For Rémi, founder of Diplik, they’re all stops on a creative...
How FutureWave’s Joachim Blends Engineering, Intuition & Innovation Across Mobility, Tech & Robotics
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What connects electric bikes, mobility systems, high-end wellbeing devices and robotics? For Joachim, it’s the same mission: design technology ...
Designing at Scale: How Rich Thrush Turned Curiosity into a Career Across Brands
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What connects toy blasters, beauty tools, and musical instruments? For Rich Thrush, it’s all part of the same mission: to make products people ...
Dr Vicky Lofthouse: Why Context Matters More Than ‘Less Plastic’ in Sustainable Design
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to sustainability, good intentions aren’t enough. For Dr Vicky Lofthouse, sustainability isn’t a checkbox or a materials swap, ...
From BBC to Newlane: How Dom Cotton Built What Everyone Said Was Impossible
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes someone leave a 20-year BBC career to build a helmet everyone said couldn’t exist? For Dom Cotton, it wasn’t a midlife pivot, it ...
Why the World Needs Designers Now More Than Ever With Dan Harden, CEO of Whipsaw
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“The world needs design more now than ever.” Most designers want to make beautiful things. Dan Harden wants to make meaningful ones.&nbs...
From Brain Surgery to Breakthrough: How Kenny Perkins Built the First E-Bike Helmet for Kids
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“You have to be a certain kind of crazy to be a founder, especially in physical products.” Most people want to build something. Kenny Pe...
How Jordan Diatlo Went From Layoff to Leadoff
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I got laid off weeks before my first child was born… and I was so happy.” Most people panic when they lose a job. Jordan Diatlo built...
From Basement to 8-Figures: Reekon Tools & the Future of Hardware with Christian Reed
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most hardware startups die broke. Christian Reed’s didn’t. He turned a basement side project into Reekon Tools, an 8-figure construction...
Daydreaming and Other Unconventional Career Lessons with Jude Pullen
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most careers follow a path. Jude Pullen chose not to. “I like being intellectually promiscuous; finding new tribes, then coming back with fresh...
Why Most Design-Led Founders Fail (And How to Avoid It) | Jordan Nollman, Sprout
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most founders obsess over the product. Jordan Nollman says that’s the wrong game.“We don’t just design the product. We design the tribe around i...
$1,000, a Suitcase, and a Portfolio: How Stuart Lee Built Prime Studio on Grit and Relationships
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From Scarborough to Midtown Manhattan, Stuart Lee’s journey is one of grit, curiosity, and unshakable design intuition. In this episode, Chris sits ...
From Prototype to 200k Products: The Embr Labs Story with Sam Shames
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“What happened was just the market need was so strong… it kept pulling us forward.” — Sam Shames In this episode, Chris sits down with Sa...
How to Launch a Consumer Tech Product That Actually Matters with Emilie Williams
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“It wasn’t just about a new product — it was about a new category.” In this episode of Why Design, I speak with Emilie Williams, industri...
How Brett Lovelady Helped Shape Modern Industrial Design (and Why He’s Still Just Getting Started)
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“The goal was always to amplify design’s value — not just make pretty stuff.” We’re kicking off Series 3 with a true heavyweight in the...
How to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market | Bonus Episode
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode SummaryIn this special live episode, Chris Whyte, founder of Kodu and host of Why Design, delivers an energetic and insight-packed session to ...
Why Nick Ford Drove a Lorry Over a Prototype (and What It Taught Him About Design)
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“We weren’t going to prove durability with a spreadsheet — we needed to drive a lorry over it and watch what happened.”In this final episode o...
Why 97% of Hardware Startups Fail (and How to Avoid It) with Sera Evcimen
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"97% of hardware startups fail. And a lot of the time, it’s the same mistakes repeated over and over again."In this episode of Why Design, I’m joi...
Designing a Better Future with Seaweed: Georgios Gkotsis on Replacing Plastics at Scale
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“There’s a huge amount of innovation in sustainable materials—but very few are truly built around the problem.”In this episode of Why Design, ...
Why Most Hardware Startups Fail (and What Damon Bonser, CEO of British Design Fund Looks for Instead)
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"There’s a huge amount of design talent in the UK—we just need more founders brave enough to commercialise it."In this episode of Why Design, I si...
“You Quoted What?!” – Josh Valman on Pricing, Growth, and Painful Lessons
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“We had no clue what we were doing. We quoted a massive job… way under… and then had to figure out how to deliver it without losing our shirts.”...
The Missing Skill in Design? Tim Perry on Why Commercial Awareness Matters
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this live episode of Why Design, recorded at Blue Garage, I sit down with Tim Perry, a seasoned innovation and design strategy consultant with over...
Making Space for Makers: How Michael Korn's Blue Garage is Empowering London’s Hardware Community
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Why Design, I sit down with Michael Korn, founder of KwickScreen, the modular screen company supplying every NHS trust in the UK, a...
How to Design for Everything from Pizza Ovens to Gas Safety Devices with Hugo Martin
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Why Design, I sit down with Hugo Martin, Director of Product Design at WMP Creative, where he has spent over 14 years building a mu...
From Sewage to Science: How Claire Trant and Untap Health Are Revolutionising Disease Detection
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Why Design, I sit down with Claire Trant, co-founder and CEO of Untap Health, a deep tech company using wastewater epidemiology to ...
From Meditation to Innovation: How Stefan Chmelik Designed a Breakthrough Stress-Relief Device
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listener discount! Get 10% off a Sensate using code WHYDESIGN or by visiting https://getsensate.com/WHYDESIGNIn this episode, host Chris Whyte is join...
From Magician to Design Director: Nick Chubb’s Design Journey
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Why Design?, Chris Whyte speaks with Nick Chubb, Design Director at IDC, about his fascinating journey through the world of product...
Inside Level: How Nichole Rouillac is Creating Meaningful, Inclusive Design
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Nichole Rouillac, Founder of LevelHost: Chris Whyte, Founder of KoduSign up for Why Design? events: https://teamkodu.com/eventsIn this episode ...
Lessons from War Zones to Dyson: Tom Parsons' Journey to Founding Aetha Design
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Tom Parsons, Founder of Aetha DesignHost: Chris Whyte, Founder of KoduSign up for Why Design? events: https://teamkodu.com/eventsFrom designing...
How Bebello is Redefining Parenting: Andrew Carr on Time-Saving and Sustainability
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Why Design?, Chris Whyte speaks with Andrew Carr, founder of Bebello, a mission-driven startup transforming the way new parents app...
The Future of 3D Collaboration: Oluwaseyi Sosanya’s Vision Behind Gravity Sketch
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Why Design?, Chris Whyte speaks with Oluwaseyi (Seyi) Sosanya, co-founder and CEO of Gravity Sketch, a revolutionary 3D design plat...
Benn Klewpatinond on how he's building a thriving consultancy through story telling and personal branding.
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Why Design?, Chris Whyte sits down with Benn Klewpatinond, founder of Inond Design and the visionary behind the Floatrower fitness ...
Announcement! The Design Journeys Podcast is changing in January!
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How a Name Change Became Our Biggest Opportunity Yet𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠...
From LEGO to Quarterre: Nick Mannion’s Journey Through Product, Place, and Play
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Register your interest in our community events here: www.teamkodu.com/eventsIn this final episode of The Design Journeys Podcast under its current nam...
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Tracy Sharp’s Journey to Sharp Minds
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Chris Whyte speaks with Tracy Sharp, founder of Sharp Minds and host of Beginner’s Guide to Design Thinking. Tracy s...
How Fred Russell-Pavier Brings Cutting-Edge Stability to Micro-Mobility at SuperSmith
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 19 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every Wednesday!In this episode, Chris Whyte sits down with Fred Russ...
Michael König on Revitalising Iconic Brands Through Storytelling and Design Leadership
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 18 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every Wednesday!In this episode, Chris Whyte interviews Michael König, ...
Building a Brand Around Purpose and Simplicity with Oliver Murphy
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 17 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every Wednesday!In this episode, Chris Whyte speaks with Oliver Murphy, ...
Consulting for Impact: Michael Bambino on Design and Brand Strategy
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 16 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every Wednesday!In this episode, Chris Whyte speaks with Michael Bambino...
Tim Maclean | From Dyson to Founding a Design Consultancy: Lessons in Innovation and Resilience
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 15 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!In this episode, Chris Whyte chats with Tim Maclea...
Mark Joynson-Bickerstaffe on Designing with Purpose: Sustainability and Leadership in Product Development
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 14 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!In this episode of The Design Journeys Podcast, ho...
Dale Backus on lessons learned building SmallHD to a market leader, selling and starting again.
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 13 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, ho...
From Kohler to Blendjet: William Gordon's Design Journey
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 12 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, ho...
Tim Sharpe on how design can be a strategic advantage for non-design companies.
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 11 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, ho...
Emily Moyer on Embracing AI and The Importance of Relationship Building and Networking for Industrial Designers
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 10 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!In this episode, host Chris Whyte interviews Emily...
From Engineer to CEO: Ashley Sayed's Journey in Product Development Improving Supply Chains with SupliChainPro
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 9 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!Ashley Sayed, CEO of Supply Chain Pro, shares his c...
Tim Morton on The Importance of Constraints in Physical Product Design
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 8 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, hos...
Adrian Berry on the Challenges and Lessons in Business Development for Design Consultancies
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 7 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, Chr...
Lea Stewart on Fulfillment and Growth in Your Work and Learning from Design Horror Stories
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 6 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!On this episode we're joined by Lea Stewart.Lea Ste...
Improving Medical Devices for Home Use: Dr. Kristi Bartlett's Research - The Power of User Insights in Design and Innovation
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 5 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!On this episode we're joined by Dr. Kristi Bartlett...
Chris Johnson on his time at Speedo, FactoryDesign and writing his book "Design, Lead, Succeed"
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 4 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!On this episode we're joined by Chris Johnson.Summa...
Stefan Bridges' journey from designing Concorde interiors at FactoryDesign to Head of Design at Redbull
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 3 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte at Kodu. New episodes every other Wednesday!On this episode we were joined by Stefan Br...
The importance of inclusive design and how passionate people propel mission-led businesses towards their goals with Tom Malloy - Principal Designer and Inclusive Design Lead at Elvie
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 2 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!On this episode we're joined by Tom Malloy.Tom, a p...
Geoff Baldwin | People, Places and Things | Working at IDEO and IDEO.org, setting up his own consultancy and sports business, overcoming doubt and imposter syndrome and much more!
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, Chris Whyte interviews Jeff Baldwin, a creative leader and founder of People, Places, and Things. Jeff...