WHY DESIGN?

What happens when you mix engineering instinct, a folding bike prototype built by an eccentric inventor, and a chance conversation with a stranger on a London bus? For Will Butler-Adams, it became the start of a 20-year journey transforming Brompton from a tiny, chaotic workshop into one of Britain’s most recognisable global brands. Today, Brompton bikes are commonplace in cities across the world. But when Will joined in 2002, the company had “a stock turn of one… tons and tons of racking pallets… and squeezed in the edges where people actually adding value.”  In this episode of Why Design, Will joins host Chris Whyte for a rare look behind the scenes at what it actually takes to grow a purpose-led engineering business without compromising on quality, trust or long-term thinking. This is an episode about risk, leadership, hiring, confidence, perspective… and why the world’s most efficient vehicle is still a bicycle. Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/whydesign💡 What You’ll Learn 🚲 Why Brompton’s mission is urban freedom for happier lives, not bikes 🎯 The leadership mindset that helped grow Brompton from a small team to a global brand 💬 Why Will believes most people “worry too much about everything” at work 💼 The danger of chasing growth too quickly, and why patience beats hyper-scaling 🧭 Why hiring “perfect people” is a mistake, and why a “motley crew” builds better products 🔥 How innovation accelerates when you embrace risk and disorder 🧠 Why the next era of engineering belongs to designers who can think beyond their job titles 💬 Memorable Quotes “Opportunity passes us all the time… The challenge is whether we're prepared to get off our ass and grab it.” “Most people regret not taking enough risk. Very few regret taking it.” “Perfect doesn’t deliver innovation. It’s the imperfection, the grit in the oyster, that creates the pearl.” “Purpose is important, but it must be in parallel with profit. Without profit, you have no business.” “The role of the leader is not to create order… it’s to create disorder.” “We're not selling a bike. We're selling freedom; health, wellbeing, exploring, decluttering your mind.”  🔗 Resources & Links 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → whydesign.club 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/whydesign 🔗 Explore Brompton → http://www.brompton.com/ 🔗 Connect with Will Butler-Adams → https://www.linkedin.com/in/eur-ing-will-butler-adams-obe-freng-ceng-frgs-fcgi-fimeche-b05651b/ 📸 Follow @whydesignxkodu on Instagram 🎥 Watch full episodes → YouTube.com/@whydesignpod 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte → LinkedIn.com/in/mrchriswhyte  About the Episode Why Design is powered

What do furniture exhibitions, glowing tables, and digital design have in common? For Rémi, founder of Diplik, they’re all stops on a creative journey that ultimately led to Bitpong; a tech-enhanced, interactive ping-pong table that feels equal parts sport, art installation, and arcade. From early ambitions in car design to studying industrial design in northern France, to guest lecturing and building his own hardware studio in Berlin, Rémi’s story is a reminder that creative careers rarely move in straight lines. Bitpong didn’t emerge from a sudden idea. It came from years of exploring where technology meets physical experience. In this episode of Why Design, host Chris Whyte sits down with Rémi to explore the realities of building a hardware product in 2025, the compromises that shape every designer, and why the best ideas still begin with curiosity.  Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events  💡 What You’ll Learn 🎨 Why design often begins as a “compromise” between art and engineering 💡 How a single furniture exhibition changed the trajectory of Rémi’s career 🎮 The design story behind Bitpong and what makes playful products so hard to build 🏓 Why running a small hardware company requires resilience, iteration and long-term thinking 🧰 The role of cross-functional collaboration in bringing interactive products to life  💬 Memorable Quotes “Design became the bridge between engineering and creativity, the compromise that made sense.” “You need inspiring things early on. A drill doesn’t make you want to become a designer.” “When I say I studied design, what I really mean is I found a way to mix creativity, technology and play.” “Building hardware isn’t just about the product. It’s about what it takes to keep going.” 🔗 Resources & Links 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → whydesign.club 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Connect with Rémi → https://www.linkedin.com/in/remi-bigot-03101a5/ 🔍 Explore Diplik → http://www.bit-pong.com/ 📸 Follow @whydesignxkodu on Instagram 🎥 Watch full episodes → YouTube.com/@whydesignpod 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte → LinkedIn.com/in/mrchriswhyte About the Episode Why Design is powered by Kodu, a specialist recruitment partner for the hardware and product-development industry. Through candid conversations with designers, engineers and creative leaders, we explore not just what they build, but why they build it; the belief, doubt, and persistence behind meaningful innovation. About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner for ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams hire top talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering and product leadership. 🔗 Learn more → teamkodu.com 

What connects electric bikes, mobility systems, high-end wellbeing devices and robotics? For Joachim, it’s the same mission: design technology that feels intuitive, human, and full of possibility. With a career spanning Brussels, Copenhagen and London, and now as co-founder of FutureWave, Joachim has spent the past six years building a 25-strong design and engineering studio working across mobility, consumer tech and deep electronics. From shaping early concepts for startup disruptors to helping global brands reimagine their five-to-ten-year vision, his work sits at the intersection of creativity, engineering, and intuition.  In this episode of Why Design, Joachim joins host Chris Whyte to explore what happens when designers and engineers stop working in silos and start behaving like one organism. Together they unpack his “human generative design” philosophy, why intuition still matters in a world obsessed with data, and how FutureWave is helping clients design experiences fit for the next decade of hardware.  Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 💡 What You’ll Learn 🧠 Why great design blends poetry and industry, and why Joachim believes designers act as the “glue” between disciplines. 🌍 How FutureWave breaks hardware silos to deliver desirability, feasibility and viability in one loop. 🔁 What “human generative design” looks like, and why iteration and cross-functional filtering beats isolated brainstorming. 🚲 Lessons from working with startups vs. corporates from rapid prototyping to de-risking long-term innovation. 🚆 Where hardware is heading from mobility transformation to miniaturised wellbeing tech and robotics. 💭 Why intuition still matters in a world dominated by metrics, risk models and strategy decks.  💬 Memorable Quotes “Designers are never experts of anything… but they’re the glue.” “Intuition helps you build dreams, strategy and engineering help you de-risk them.” “You need diversity of minds to build a great product. It works like an organism.” “Sometimes the market doesn’t know what it wants until you show it the experience.” “The future of hardware is invisible tech; seamless, human, and meaningful.” 🔗 Resources & Links 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → whydesign.club 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Connect with Joachim → https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachim-froment-a1920456/ 🔗 View Joachim's portfolio → joachimfroment.com🌐 FutureWave → https://www.futurewave.eu/ 📸 Instagram → @whydesignxkodu 🎥 Full episodes → YouTube.com/@whydesignpod 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte About the Episode Why Design is powered by Kodu, a specialist recruitment partner for the hardware and product-development...

What connects toy blasters, beauty tools, and musical instruments? For Rich Thrush, it’s all part of the same mission: to make products people love to use. With a career spanning Hasbro, Motorola, Helen of Troy, and now Guitar Center, Rich has led design and innovation teams across some of the world’s most recognisable brands. From developing Braun’s non-contact thermometer to Revlon’s One-Step Volumizer, his work has shaped how millions interact with everyday products. In this episode of Why Design, Rich joins host Chris Whyte to unpack the art and strategy of leading innovation across multiple brands, and why the best ideas start not with technology, but with people. Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events  💡 What You’ll Learn 🧠 How cross-functional curiosity fuels innovation in any industry 🎯 Why “asking why”, five times, leads to better design decisions ⚙️ Lessons from managing a portfolio of global consumer brands 📱 How Motorola’s success (and Apple’s disruption) shaped Rich’s leadership mindset 🎸 Why Guitar Center’s new era of product innovation is rooted in community and passion 💬 Memorable Quotes “Ideas come from people. The trick is knowing how to create the conditions for them to appear.” “Even if you have 90% market share, you still need to be inventing the next thing.” “Great design isn’t just about form, it’s about understanding what people actually need, even when they can’t say it.” “You don’t buy a drill. You buy a hole in the wall. But really, you’re buying what goes in that hole; meaning.” 🔗 Resources & Links 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → whydesign.club  👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events   🔗 Connect with Rich Thrush → https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-thrush/   📸 Follow @whydesignxkodu on Instagram 🎥 Watch full episodes → YouTube.com/@whydesignpod 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte → LinkedIn.com/in/mrchriswhyte About the Episode Why Design is powered by Kodu, a specialist recruitment partner for the hardware and product-development industry. Through candid conversations with designers, engineers, and creative leaders, we explore not just what they build, but why they build it; the belief, doubt, and persistence behind meaningful innovation. About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner for ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams hire top talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. 🔗 Learn more → teamkodu.com 

When it comes to sustainability, good intentions aren’t enough. For Dr Vicky Lofthouse, sustainability isn’t a checkbox or a materials swap, it’s a mindset shift. As a designer, educator and now founder of En-Able Sustainability, she’s spent over two decades helping companies move past the buzzwords and into the messy, meaningful reality of sustainable product design. In this episode of Why Design, Vicky joins Chris Whyte to explore what sustainability really looks like in practice; from balancing carbon impact with commercial constraints to understanding why context matters more than any single material choice.  Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events What You’ll Learn  🌍 Why “make it sustainable” is the wrong brief ⚙️ How context defines what “better” actually means 🔁 What circular design looks like in real product teams 🧠 Why less plastic isn’t always the right answer 📈 How evidence beats assumptions in sustainable decision-making 💡 The mindset shift every designer and engineer needs to make  Memorable Quotes 💬 “Sustainability isn’t a checklist, it’s a mindset.” 💬 “Sometimes the right answer isn’t the obvious one.” 💬 “Context changes everything.” 💬 “I help companies integrate sustainability and circularity into what they do, not just what they make.” 💬 “Progress doesn’t start with perfection; it starts with questions.” Resources & Links 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → whydesign.club 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events  🌿 Learn more about Enable Sustainability → EN:ABLE Sustainability | Sustainability support for purpose driven manufacturers 👤 Connect with Dr Vicky Lofthouse → https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-vicky-lofthouse-41b4a6/ 🎥 Watch full episodes → YouTube.com/@whydesignpod 📸 Instagram → @whydesignxkodu 🎵 TikTok → _whydesign 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte 📲 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or YouTube so you never miss an episode. 👥 Share this with a designer, engineer or founder rethinking what better really means.  About the Episode Why Design is powered by Kodu, a specialist recruitment partner for the hardware and product-development industry. Through candid conversations with designers, engineers, and creative leaders, we explore not just what they build, but why they build it; the belief, doubt, and persistence behind meaningful innovation.  About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner for ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams hire top talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. 🔗 Learn more →

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 was a mission. After years spent covering stories about courage and competition, he decided to live one. Seven years, countless prototypes, and a steep learning curve later, Dom co-founded Newlane; the company behind the world’s first safety-certified, foldable commuter helmet. In this episode of Why Design, he shares how curiosity, persistence, and a touch of naivety helped him turn rejection into progress and an idea into reality. Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events What You’ll Learn 👇 🧠 Why the “novice mindset” can be a hidden superpower in innovation ⚙️ How to stay resilient through failure, funding droughts, and endless testing 🔥 The difference between building a good idea and building a viable product 📢 Why storytelling sells your vision when prototypes can’t 💡 What every hardware founder can learn from starting over Memorable Quotes 💬 “One of the hardest things is believing in a thing when nobody else can see it yet.” 💬 “A novice’s mindset can achieve what experts say is impossible.” 💬 “Everyone wants innovation until you ask them to live through it.” 💬 “If you’ve got a great product but no story, you won’t sell any.”  Resources & Links 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → whydesign.club 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 🧠 Learn more about Newlane:  https://newlane.co.uk 👤 Connect with Dom Cotton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-cotton/  🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube → youtube.com/@whydesignpod 📸 Follow on Instagram → @whydesignxkodu 🎵 TikTok → _whydesign 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte 📲 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. 👥 If this resonated, share it with a founder, designer, or team leader navigating their own creative leap.  🎬 About the Episode Why Design is powered by Kodu, a specialist recruitment partner for the hardware and product-development industry. Through candid conversations with designers, engineers, and creative leaders, we explore not just what they build, but why they build it; the belief, doubt, and persistence behind meaningful innovation. About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner for ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams hire top talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. 🔗 Learn more → teamkodu.com 

“The world needs design more now than ever.” Most designers want to make beautiful things. Dan Harden wants to make meaningful ones. From building dangerous go-karts as a kid to designing more than 1,000 products (and winning 350+ awards), Dan’s career has been a masterclass in lasting impact. As CEO and founder of Whipsaw, Dan has shaped the modern design landscape while staying grounded in what truly matters: solving real problems for real people. In this episode of Why Design, Dan shares how he turned a passion for sketching and making into a globally respected studio, why the best designers obsess over details, and how to cultivate curiosity, clarity, and creativity over a 30+ year career. Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events What You’ll Learn 👇 🌀 Why the “why” of design matters more than ever 🪚 The discipline behind great design (and why it's more than a sketch) 🔥 How passion, grit, and inspiration fuel longevity 📐 What makes a design transcendent, not just functional 🌍 Why industrial designers must think beyond consumerism  Memorable Quotes 💬 “There are fundamentals about design that haven’t changed.” 💬 “Creativity is not a tool you turn on, it’s a way of life.” 💬 “Don't contribute to the malaise. Don’t do shitty products.” 💬 “You can be creative designing a bolt.” 💬 “Design should be gifting, not just commerce.” Resources & Links 🧠 Connect with Dan Harden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-harden-62389435/ 🏢 Explore Whipsaw’s work: https://www.whipsaw.com/ 🎧 Listen to Prism, Dan’s podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ZHZoL0hOdzZfRcgAXeuvh?si=40de5239ef2548fc 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube → youtube.com/@whydesignpod 📸 Follow on Instagram → @whydesignxkodu 🎵 TikTok → _whydesign 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → whydesign.club 👉 Keep the conversation going.  Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 📲 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. 👥 If this resonated, share it with a friend, designer, or team leader navigating their own creative journey. About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious

“You have to be a certain kind of crazy to be a founder, especially in physical products.” Most people want to build something. Kenny Perkins actually did. After nearly dying in a car accident his senior year, Kenny clawed his way into the design world; starting at Fossil, shifting to helmets, and eventually co-founding Osmo, the first kids’ helmet to meet the e-bike safety standard. In this episode of Why Design, Kenny shares the journey from rebuilding a Mustang with his dad at 15 to building Impact Lab, a startup studio funding its own consumer brand, Osmo, by designing life-saving protection for others. Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events What You’ll Learn 👇 💥 How a near-death experience reshaped his entire outlook on work 🚲 The overlooked safety gap for kids in the e-bike revolution 🛠️ Why physical product founders need grit, guts, and patience 📐 How Osmo designed with parents and kids, not just for them 📈 The smart way Kenny self-funded a startup without outside capital  Memorable Quotes 💬 “I saw a dad wearing a helmet I designed… and two kids wearing ones I also designed but not for e-bikes. That stuck with me.” 💬 “We didn’t just design for families. We designed with them.” 💬 “This changed my relationship with work entirely.” Resources & Links 🌍 Connect with Kenny Perkins on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjperkinsdesign/ 🛡️ Explore Osmo Helmets: https://www.ozmohelmets.com/ 🏢 Learn more about impctLAB https://www.impctlab.com/  🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube → http://www.youtube.com/@whydesignpod 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/whydesignxkodu/ 🎵 TikTok → @_whydesign 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → www.whydesign.club  👉 Keep the conversation going. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 📲 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube so you never miss an episode.  👥 If this resonated, share it with a friend or colleague navigating their own founder or design journey. About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams hire top talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. 🔗 Learn more → teamkodu.com 

“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 a business. Just weeks before becoming a dad, Jordan was laid off. Instead of spiraling, he used it as fuel to start Leadoff Studio — now one of New York’s go-to design consultancies for health & wellness brands. In this episode of Why Design, Jordan shares how he went from rejected by corporate to building a values-driven studio that’s helped startups like Roman and Dame become category leaders. Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events What You’ll Learn 👇 🔥 Why getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to him 🏗️ The 5 values that drive every hire, project, and partnership at Leadoff 🎯 How “niching down” created bigger opportunities 📑 The portfolio formula that makes designers stand out 👨‍👩‍👧 Why time > money when balancing family and business Memorable Quotes 💬 “I got laid off with a kid on the way, and I was so happy.” 💬 “Somebody else’s win should feel as important to you as your own.” 💬 “Design isn’t just about objects, it’s communication.”  Resources & Links 🌍 Connect with Jordan Diatlo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordandiatlo/ 🏢 Explore Leadoff Studio: https://leadoffstudio.com/  🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube → http://www.youtube.com/@whydesignpod 📸 Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/whydesignxkodu/ 🎵 TikTok: @_whydesign 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn 🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music → www.whydesign.club 👉 Keep the conversation going! Join the Why Design community and go beyond the podcast → teamkodu.com/events 📲 Subscribe to Why Design on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. 👥 If this resonated, share it with a friend or colleague who’s rethinking their career path. ⚡ About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams hire top talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. Learn more → teamkodu.com 

Most hardware startups die broke. Christian Reed’s didn’t. He turned a basement side project into Reekon Tools, an 8-figure construction-tech brand with tools that don’t break, content that hit 300M+ views, and a cult following of tradespeople. In this episode of Why Design, Chris sits down with Christian to break down exactly how he went from MIT → military → Formlabs → scaling one of the most talked-about startups in hardware. 👉 Want more insights from world-class builders? Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events What You’ll Learn How a Kickstarter side project became an 8-figure company Why building a product ≠ building a business (and what most founders get wrong) The content playbook Recon used to rack up 300M+ views The difference between scaling hardware and software — and why “muscle beats magic” How to spot talent that thrives in startup chaos The truth about AI in design: why it won’t replace you, but will expose you  Memorable Quotes 💬 “Hardware development is a muscle activity. You just have to muscle through it. It never gets easier.”  💬 “If you can’t make content and you don’t appreciate design, you’re just shooting yourself in the foot.”  💬 “If you’re scared of AI, to be frank, it probably just means you’re not a good designer.” 👉 Love this? Subscribe to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or Amazon Music so you never miss an episode.  Links & Resources 🌍 Connect with Christian Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianrreed/ 🔗 Explore Reekon: https://www.reekon.tools/  🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube 📸 Follow on Instagram 🎵 TikTok: @_whydesign 👥 Join the Why Design community: events, huddles, and workshops → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte 🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. whydesign.club  👉 Ready to go deeper? Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 

Most careers follow a path. Jude Pullen chose not to. “I like being intellectually promiscuous; finding new tribes, then coming back with fresh ideas.” In this episode of Why Design, Chris talks with Jude Pullen; creative technologist, prototyper, and storyteller. Jude’s career spans Dyson, Sugru, and Lego, with projects ranging from poetic air-quality monitors to complex hardware systems. Today, he splits his time between the RCA and Lego, while advising companies on technology, creativity, and play. From challenging the myth of the “forever job” to reframing daydreaming as essential design work, Jude shares how portfolio careers unlock creative freedom, and why diversity, vulnerability, and playfulness are the real engines of innovation. 💬 Keep the conversation going! Join the community and go beyond the podcast! http://teamkodu.com/events  What You’ll Learn 💼 Why the “forever job” is outdated and what portfolio careers make possible 💭 How daydreaming and downtime can fuel serious innovation 🐦 The evolution of Jude’s open-source Good Air Canary project and why metaphors matter in design 🤝 The power (and challenge) of building truly diverse teams across age, class, and background 🌱 How vulnerability and “safe spaces” help unlock team creativity ☯️ Why design needs more debate, discomfort, and cross-pollination to thrive 🛠️ The role of prototyping not just products, but ideas and conversations 👉 Enjoying these insights? Don’t just listen, join the Why Design community. Connect with founders, engineers, and design leaders at teamkodu.com/events. Memorable Quotes 💬 “I follow fear. Where there’s uncertainty in AI, diversity, sustainability, that’s where creativity lives.” 💬 “I’m not interested in the tech for its own sake. The question is: should we make this, and what are the consequences?” 💬 “Daydreaming is design practice. Busy isn’t the same as productive.” 💬 “The best teams aren’t homogenous, they’re messy, diverse, and sometimes uncomfortable.” 💬 “Play is underrated in business. If you want real breakthroughs, start with curiosity, not quarterly reports.” Resources & Links 🌍 Connect with Jude Pullen on LinkedIn 🔗 Explore JudePullen.com  🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube 📸 Follow on Instagram 🎵 TikTok: @_whydesign 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn 🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music whydesign.club 👉 Subscribe to Why Design on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. If this resonated, share it with a friend or colleague who’s rethinking their career path. About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams identify, attract, and hire the best talent in industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. Learn more at

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 it.”In this episode of Why Design, Chris talks with Jordan Nollman, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Sprout Studios. For over 20 years, Jordan has helped brands like Nike, Bose, and Microsoft create products that don’t just look good — they shape culture.From launching a consultancy during the 2008 recession to building a multi-disciplinary team across hardware, packaging, UX, and venture design, Jordan reveals what early-stage founders usually get wrong and how design can make or break a company’s trajectory.👉 If you’re building hardware or leading a design team, hit subscribe now —this is 45 minutes that will change how you think about design.What You’ll Learn🌱 How starting a studio in a recession forced Sprout to out-innovate competitors🎯 The branding mistake most founders make (and how to avoid it)👟 What Nike and Burton taught Jordan about community-driven design📦 Why great products fail without packaging, UX, and marketing in sync🧠 The rookie errors early-stage teams make around design maturity🤝 How Sprout partners with founders and VCs to turn design into long-term value🔄 How Jordan grew from junior designer to CCO while staying hands-on with clients👉 Enjoying these insights? Don’t just listen — join the Why Design community. Connect withfounders, engineers, and design leaders at teamkodu.com/events.Memorable Quotes💬 “If you’re just making objects, you’re already dead. We build tribes.”💬 “Designers need to speak the language of business, not just form.”💬 “Culture is the lens we design through. Without it, you’re just making stuff.”💬 “If you want brand love, you need more than function.”Resources & Links🌍 Connect with Jordan Nollman on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnollman/🏢 Explore Sprout Studios https://sprout.cc/🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube Why Design? - YouTube📸 Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/whydesignxkodu🎵 TikTok: @_whydesign👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music 👉 Subscribe to Why Design on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. If this resonated, share it with another founder who needs to hear it.About KoduWhy Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partnerto ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. Wehelp founders and teams identify, attract, and hire the best talent inindustrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. Learn moreat

From Scarborough to Midtown Manhattan, Stuart Lee’s journey is one of grit, curiosity, and unshakable design intuition. In this episode, Chris sits down in person with Stuart to explore the formative moments that led to the founding of Prime Studio — the product and brand design consultancy behind household names like Harry’s, Welly, and MoMA. Stuart shares how rewiring motors and welding steel during his early apprenticeship helped him think more empathetically about design for manufacture, why he sees himself as a design doer (not a design thinker), and what still excites him after 27 years leading his own studio. It’s a rich, no-frills conversation on design craft, business instinct, and the value of simply being a good person in a small industry. In This Episode The Yorkshire lad who arrived in NYC with a suitcase and a portfolio Smart Design, Able, and the building blocks of Prime Studio “The design we do is never just design — it's operations, manufacturing, supply chain.” Why Stuart never plans too far ahead (and how that’s worked just fine) Lessons from building long-term client partnerships, from Unilever to Harry’s Teaching the next generation: real talk on job hunting, ChatGPT cover letters, and why “Dear Hiring Manager” just doesn’t cut it Royalties, equity, and what designers should really know about contracts “As a consultant, your only value is your people.” Quotes to Remember “It's work you're looking for, so you have to work at it.” “I’m not a planner. I kind of ride the wave — but I’ve been riding it for 27 years.” “I always say Smart Design is where I learned to be a designer. Able is where I learned the business of design.” “Royalties smooth things out. You might not get the big equity payout, but you get forecastable cash flow — and that’s everything in business.” 🔎 Resources & Links 🌍 Prime Studio 💼 Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube 📸 Follow on Instagram 🎵 TikTok: @_whydesign 👥 Join the Why Design community: events, huddles, and workshops → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams identify, attract, and hire the best talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. Learn more at Home - Kodu 

“What happened was just the market need was so strong… it kept pulling us forward.” — Sam Shames In this episode, Chris sits down with Sam Shames — materials engineer, MIT grad, and co-founder of Ember Labs, the company behind the Ember Wave: a wearable that helps people regulate temperature and reclaim comfort on their terms. Over the last 12 years, Sam has led Ember from a student side project to a real business, launching two hardware generations, shipping over 200,000 units, and recently pivoting to a subscription model that’s rare in consumer wearables. We talk product-market fit in hardware, solving real pain points like hot flashes, scaling with a lean team, and what it really takes to make a physical product company sustainable, both financially and environmentally. Key Takeaways: 🚀 The prototyping contest that sparked Embr Labs, and the overheated lab that started it all 🚀 From student side project to Kickstarter success (and 4 years of learning in between) 🚀 Building circularity into hardware, and why refurbishment isn’t just a sustainability play 🚀 Subscriptions in wearables, how $20/month changed everything for Ember 🚀 Designing for real needs, from aesthetics to AI that predicts hot flashes 🚀 Founder evolution; why Sam stepped back and hired a CEO to scale the business Memorable Quotes: 🟰 “We thought it was going to take six months. It ended up taking four years.” 🟰 “It's never too early to think about manufacturing. Prototypes and products are worlds apart.” 🟰 “At some point, we realized this wasn’t just a cool project. It needed to become a real business.” 🟰 “The leap from Gen 2 to Gen 3 will feel like going from a flip phone to a smartphone.” Resources & Links: 🌍 Connect with Sam Shames on LinkedIn 🧊 Explore Embr Labs  https://www.embrlabs.com🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube 📸 Follow on Instagram 🎵 TikTok: @_whydesign 👥 Join the Why Design community: events, huddles, and workshops → teamkodu.com/events  🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte 🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. 💬 PS – Subscribe so you never miss an episode! About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams identify, attract, and hire the best talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. Learn more at teamkodu.com. 

“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, industrial designer and co-founder of Hydrific, a new venture within LIXIL focused on building smarter, more sustainable water products for the home. Based in New York, Emilie has led the creative direction behind dozens of kitchen and bath products for household names like American Standard, Brizo, and Delta. Now at Hydrific, her work spans product design, branding, and business development — all aimed at rethinking how we use and value water in everyday life. We talk about what it takes to build a design-led venture inside a global corporation, why climate-conscious innovation needs both urgency and nuance, and how Emilie’s journey from graphic design intern to IDSA-recognised design leader has shaped her perspective on user needs, brand identity, and long-term impact. Key Takeaways: Why smart water tech is still underserved — and where the opportunity lies Designing a new category vs. launching another product What it looks like to build a brand, team and hardware platform simultaneouslyy The difference between greenwashing and grounded sustainability Lessons from leading design at scale — from Delta Faucet to LIXIL How Emilie bridges brand, physical product, and human experience Why visibility, equity and representation still need work in design leadership  📌 Memorable Quotes: “Our brief was water stress. Not style, not finish. Water.” “You don’t have to have it all figured out — you just have to listen and keep showing up.” “We’re not here to make a gadget. We’re here to shift behaviour.” “Designing inside a giant corporation takes both conviction and patience.”  Resources & Links: Connect with Emilie Williams on LinkedIn  💧 Explore Hydrific by LIXIL Follow Emilie on Instagram   Watch full episodes on YouTube  Follow Why Design on Instagram  TikTok: @_whydesign Join the Why Design community: events, huddles, and workshops → teamkodu.com/events Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. PS – Subscribe so you never miss an episode! About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams identify, attract, and hire the best talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering, and product leadership. Learn more at teamkodu.com 

“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 world of industrial design — Brett Lovelady, founder of the legendary ASTRO Studios and spin-off brand ASTRO Gaming.Brett has spent three decades leading design, brand, and product strategy for culture-shifting companies like Nike, Xbox, HP, Sony, Dell, Logitech, and many more. His work has helped generate over $100 billion in new revenue for clients worldwide, and shaped some of the most iconic tech and lifestyle products of the last 30 years. In this conversation, we unpack the story behind ASTRO’s rise, how ASTRO Gaming became one of the most respected brands in gaming hardware, and what Brett’s learned from building design-led companies from the ground up. Brett’s focus is now on collaborating with founders, investing in design-led innovation, and helping creative people have more impact — without losing the soul of what makes design matter. Key Takeaways: 🛠️ From agency to venture – How ASTRO Studios evolved from consultancy to brand builder 🎮 ASTRO Gaming's origin story – What happened when designers built their own product company 🎯 Design with conviction – Why standing by your ideas is as important as listening to users 📈 Design drives value – How design leadership contributed to billions in revenue for global clients 🔁 Building and exiting – Brett's experience co-founding and exiting multiple VC-backed companies 👥 People, not just projects – Why mentoring, team culture, and design communities matter more than ever  📌 Memorable Quotes: 💬 “Designers don’t have to wait to be asked. They can originate ideas, shape strategy, and lead.” 💬 “We weren’t chasing scale, we were chasing significance.” 💬 “If you want to build a great culture, start with trust and shared ambition.” 💬 “We built ASTRO Gaming with conviction. We used our own money, took risks, and made decisions quickly — like a product company should.” Resources & Links: 🌍 Connect with Brett Lovelady on LinkedIn 🌍 Follow Brett's new studio - AllStar Design🚀 Explore ASTRO Studios  🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube 📸 Follow on Instagram 🎵 TikTok: @_whydesign 👥 Join the Why Design community: events, huddles, and workshops → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte 🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. 💬 PS – Subscribe so you never miss an episode! About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner to ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams identify, attract,...

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 Bridges, Head of Creative Design at Redbull.Our conversation covered a range of topics, including Stefan Bridges' experiences working at Factory Design, McLaren, and Red Bull. Bridges discussed his decision to join Factory Design after being inspired by a feature in Design Week, despite the low pay, and the subsequent growth of the team. He also shared insights into his decision to join McLaren, emphasizing the allure of relocating from London and the substantial pay increase offered. Bridges then detailed his transition from McLaren to Red Bull, explaining how he was headhunted by his previous boss and attracted to the more creative and inspiring atmosphere at Red Bull.The conversation also touched on job application strategies, media consumption habits, and potential future guests for the podcast. Chris Whyte and Stefan Bridges discussed the use of portfolios in job applications, the impact of digital approaches, and the rarity of receiving mailed portfolios in the current job market. They also shared their limited use of social media and emphasized the value of genuine career advice. lease excuse the sound and video quality of this episode. We hope you enjoy the content regardless :)Connect with Stefan Bridges on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-bridges-63315a6/Connect with Chris Whyte on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte/⁠Learn more about Kodu Recruitment: https://teamkodu.com

Episode SummaryIn this special live episode, Chris Whyte, founder of Kodu and host of Why Design, delivers an energetic and insight-packed session to design students on how to stand out in a competitive job market. Drawing from 12+ years of experience and dozens of podcast conversations with design leaders, Chris shares practical advice on everything from CV writing to LinkedIn networking, preparing for interviews, and unlocking hidden job opportunities.This is a must-listen for any early-career designer or student ready to land that first big opportunity.What You’ll LearnCrafting Standout ApplicationsWhy most CVs fail in the first 7 seconds, and how to beat the odds.What hiring managers really want to see in portfolios.The power of showing process (not just final outcomes).Cutting Through the NoiseHow a single phone call or mailed portfolio can beat 700 online applications.Pro tips for writing effective, personalized cover letters (with a smart use of AI—but not too much).Nailing the InterviewHow to use the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to tell compelling stories.Why preparation beats talent when it comes to interviews.Questions to expect, and questions you should ask.Job Search Tactics That WorkThe hidden job market: Why 85% of jobs never make it to job boards.How to go beyond LinkedIn job ads and reach decision-makers directly.The “3X system” to grow your network, post with purpose, and engage effectively.Building a Better LinkedIn PresenceWhat makes a LinkedIn profile “sticky” to recruiters.The benefits of journaling your job search publicly.Voice notes, featured posts, and other tactics that boost visibility. Top TakeawaysBe proactive: Most candidates aren’t doing half of what’s possible to stand out.Show your thinking: Employers care more about how you think than what you made.Network now: Relationships > resumes. Word of mouth leads to most opportunities.Use the tools: Google Jobs, ChatGPT for research, TotalJobs, and custom GPTs to prep.Follow up: Don’t be afraid to reach out twice. Or three times.Connect with Chris Whyte on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte/Learn more about Kodu Recruitment: https://teamkodu.com/

“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 of Series 2, I sit down with Nick Ford, founder of PipSqueak 3D and Patent Ferret, to explore how a nontraditional path — from sweeping workshop floors to designing urban furniture used across London — shaped his approach to design, business, and innovation.Nick shares the full story behind one of his most iconic projects, the Westminster Tulip Bollard, including the now-famous moment when they drove a lorry over the prototype to prove its durability. Along the way, we unpack lessons from 20+ years of running PipSqueak, why small teams often outperform larger ones, and how Nick’s latest venture, Patent Ferret, is helping manufacturers uncover hidden value in their intellectual property.This conversation is full of practical insights, real-world anecdotes, and a refreshing take on what resilience really looks like in design.Key Takeaways:🔹 Why small, nimble teams can solve complex problems more effectively than bigger consultancies🔹 How the Westminster Tulip Bollard project became a case study in resilience and real-world testing🔹 What happens when you stress-test your designs by literally driving a lorry over them🔹 Lessons learned from business insolvency, perseverance, and building a consultancy for the long haul🔹 Why intellectual property (IP) matters for SMEs, not just big players🔹 How to unlock value in overlooked ideas, patents, and product concepts🔹 The importance of building pathways for young people through STEM work experience📌 Memorable Quotes:💬 “We weren’t going to prove durability with a spreadsheet — we needed to drive a lorry over it and watch what happened.”💬 “Failure isn’t the right word — it’s part of the process. We need better language for it.”💬 “If you don’t understand IP, you don’t understand business.”💬 “We only work for people we like or respect. That’s been a core principle from the start.”💬 “Small inventors can change the world, but they need to go in with their eyes open.”Resources & Links:🌍 Connect with Nick Ford on LinkedIn🏢 Learn more about PipSqueak 3D🔍 Explore Patent Ferret👥 Join the Why Design community: events, huddles, and workshops → teamkodu.com/events🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.💬 PS – Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

"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 joined by Sera Evcimen, Founder of Pratik Development, Innovation Advisor at FORGE and Techstars Paris, and host of the hardware startup podcast The Builder Circle.Sera has built a career around one goal — helping hardware startups avoid the common pitfalls that so often derail promising ideas. She’s worked hands-on across cleantech, space, consumer tech, and robotics before launching Pratik to support deep tech founders with everything from system integration to supply chain and manufacturing strategy.We explore how Sera made the leap from startup engineer to fractional CTO/COO, what tribology (the study of friction and contact) taught her about mechanical failure modes, why product decisions define hiring needs, and how her podcast and meetups are helping to build a stronger hardware community on both sides of the Atlantic.If you're working in physical product development or dreaming of launching your own hardware startup, this one is packed with advice you can apply immediately.Key Takeaways:🔹 Hardware is Hard – Why 97% of hardware startups fail, and how common pitfalls like sunk cost fallacy and rushing in-house manufacturing decisions play a part.🔹 Fractional CTO and COO Work – How Sera plugs into teams to solve technical and operational challenges hands-on, from lab benches to factory floors.🔹 Tribology Matters – Why understanding friction, wear, and lubrication can unlock better mechanical design and reduce failure rates.🔹 Product Decisions Shape Teams – How technical choices early on define who you need to hire later.🔹 Builder Circle Podcast – Amplifying the voices of engineers and operators, not just founders, to share deep practical lessons for startups.🔹 Community Building – How meetups and peer support networks like Hardware Meetup London are strengthening the hardware ecosystem.🔹 Authenticity in Hardware – Why admitting risks, asking for help, and being open about challenges makes you more investable, not less.📌 Memorable Quotes:💬 “You shouldn’t wait until every little detail is perfect. Test your product as soon as possible with someone willing to use it and willing to pay for it.”💬 “Hardware is a system. Product decisions define your hiring needs and shape the future of your company.”💬 “Tribology sounds obscure but it is everywhere. It’s the hidden science behind why machines fail.”💬 “Focus on being interested, not interesting. That’s the best way to network in the hardware community.”Resources & Links:🌍 Connect with Sera Evcimen on LinkedIn🎙️ Listen to The Builder Circle Podcast🏢 Learn more about Pratik DevelopmentJoin the Why Design community! Sign up for events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/eventsFollow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn –