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PODCAST

WHY DESIGN?

Chris Whyte | Kodu

Why Design is a podcast exploring the stories behind hardware and physical product development. Hosted by Chris Whyte, founder of Kodu, the show dives into the journeys of founders, senior design leaders, and engineers shaping people and planet-friendly products. Formerly "The Design Journeys Podcast", each episode uncovers pivotal career moments, lessons learned, and behind-the-scenes insights from industry experts. Whether you’re a designer, engineer, or simply curious about how great hardware

arts design

All Episodes

01:02:32

How Paul Marshall Built Rapid Fluidics into a Global...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/12/17

What connects offshore engineering, inkjet printers, molecular diagnostics and a small workshop in a church in Newcastle?For Paul Marshall, it’s all part of the same journey: a lifelong fascination with how things work, and a belief that good engineering can solve meaningful problems.Paul is the co-founder of Rapid Fluidics, a UK consultancy and prototyping company specialising in microfluidic cartridges. What began as a part-time side project; evenings, weekends and two 3D printers in a rented room

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01:14:01

Leading with Purpose: How Will Butler-Adams Scaled...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/12/10

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

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58:01

Designing Play: How Rémi Bigot Built Bitpong and a...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/12/03

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

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59:49

How FutureWave’s Joachim Blends Engineering,...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/11/26

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

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01:09:55

Designing at Scale: How Rich Thrush Turned Curiosity...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/11/19

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,

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01:00:30

Dr Vicky Lofthouse: Why Context Matters More Than...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/11/12

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

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56:20

From BBC to Newlane: How Dom Cotton Built What...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/11/05

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

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01:28:17

Why the World Needs Designers Now More Than Ever With...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/09/24

“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

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01:10:18

From Brain Surgery to Breakthrough: How Kenny Perkins...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/09/17

“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

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01:07:11

How Jordan Diatlo Went From Layoff to Leadoff

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/09/10

“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

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01:00:45

From Basement to 8-Figures: Reekon Tools & the Future...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/09/03

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

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01:15:00

Daydreaming and Other Unconventional Career Lessons...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/08/27

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

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01:19:13

Why Most Design-Led Founders Fail (And How to Avoid...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/08/20

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

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01:05:16

$1,000, a Suitcase, and a Portfolio: How Stuart Lee...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/08/13

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

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45:31

From Prototype to 200k Products: The Embr Labs Story...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/08/06

“What happened was just the market need was so strong… it kept pulling us forward.” — Sam ShamesIn 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

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01:09:13

How to Launch a Consumer Tech Product That Actually...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/07/30

“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

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01:13:59

How Brett Lovelady Helped Shape Modern Industrial...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/07/23

“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

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01:00:28

How to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market | Bonus Episode

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/05/28

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

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54:19

Why Nick Ford Drove a Lorry Over a Prototype (and...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/05/07

“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,

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57:53

Why 97% of Hardware Startups Fail (and How to Avoid...

WHY DESIGN? ·

2025/04/30

"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

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56 results

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