WHY DESIGN?
by Chris Whyte | Kodu
Latest episode
Why Great Design Isn't Enough to Win Work | Tim Perry
Why Great Design Isn't Enough to Win Work | Tim Perry
About this podcast
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 products come to life, Why Design offers real stories, actionable advice, and inspiration for anyone passionate about design and innovation.
Join us as we listen, learn, and connect through the stories that define the world of physical product development.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 91 episodes
- Why Great Design Isn't Enough to Win Work | Tim Perry · 28 min · Season 2 Episode 11What if the last 5% of craft you are chasing is the part your clients will never notice? In this episode of Why Design, Tim Perry shares the belief that sits at the heart of his…
- Your Startup Isn't Special. Here's Why Most Fail | Sera Evcimen (Special Feature) · 43 min · Season 2 Episode 15What if the decision that sinks your hardware startup is one nobody remembers making? In this episode of Why Design, Sera Evcimen shares the belief that sits at the heart of her…
- We Ran a 32 Ton Lorry Over Our Own Prototype | Nick Ford · 40 min · Season 2 Episode 16Why would Airbus bring in three guys in a shed at the bottom of somebody's garden? In this episode of Why Design, Nick Ford shares the belief that sits at the heart of his work…
- AI has not replaced the design skill. It just changed who has access to it: A Why Design Guide to AI · 24 min · Season 4 Episode 14This compilation pulls together four Season 4 guests, a CEO, two design and innovation leaders, and a design consultancy owner, on where AI genuinely helps a hardware or design…
- Raising too much money can be Dangerous: A Why Design Guide to Fundraising and Investment · 39 min · Season 4 Episode 13What does two million pounds actually buy a hardware founder, and what does it cost? This compilation pulls together nine Season 4 guests, founders, owners and senior leaders…
- Why you are getting rejected even before the Interview - A Why Design Guide on Getting Hired · 21 min · Season 4 Episode 12What if the CV you keep polishing for the fourth time is the reason you're not getting hired? Eight guests: from a Brompton CEO to a first-time founder, all landed their roles a…
- How this Company Is Revolutionising Engineering One Messy Home at a Time - A Special Feature on VAX · 6 min · Season 5 Episode 25What if the hardest engineering problem in the room is also the one nobody wants to admit they'd be proud of? In this episode of Why Design, Chris Whyte shares the belief that…
- Why the Perfect CV Is the Wrong Hire, A Why Design Guide on Hiring (SN 4 Recap) · 21 min · Season 4 Episode 11What if the candidate who looks perfect on paper is exactly the one you shouldn't hire? Eight Season 4 guests, from a bike brand to an industrial giant to three small hardware…
- The Sign You're Doing the Right Thing | A Why Design: Founders’ Mission and Purpose Journey · 31 min · Season 5 Episode 24What does it actually sound like when someone can tell you, precisely, why their work matters? In this compilation of Why Design, fourteen hardware founders, designers, and…
- Why Artificial Intelligence Makes You a Little Bit Dumber | A Why Design Guide on AI · 27 min · Season 5 Episode 23What does AI actually do to the people building the physical world around you? In this compilation of Why Design, ten hardware practitioners share the belief that sits at the…
- Why Women Leave Design, and What Actually Keeps Them | Alba Bayona · 1 h 21 min · Season 5 Episode 19What does it take to go from a one-way ticket to London with no job, to a seat on the board of one of the UK's best known bathroom manufacturers? In this episode of Why Design…
- The Biggest Mistake keeping Designers Underpaid | James Wood, Studio Wood · 1 h 21 min · Season 5 Episode 18What does it actually cost to get into design if you don't come from money? In this episode of Why Design, James Wood shares the belief that sits at the heart of Studio Wood…
- Hardware Money | A Why Design? Investment and Fundraising Guide · 24 min · Season 5 Episode 22What does it actually take to convince someone to write a cheque for a business that has to build something physical before it can sell anything? In this compilation episode of…
- Why Most Founder Exits Fail, and Why This One Took Eight Years to Get Right | Kirsty Dias, PriestmanGoode · 1 h 16 min · Season 5 Episode 17What happens to a business the year there's no bonus to hand out? In this episode of Why Design, Kirsty Dias shares the belief that sits at the heart of her work: that a creative…
- I Thought I Knew How to Hire | Why Design: A Guide to Hiring · 15 min · Season 5 Episode 21What if the candidate who interviews best is exactly the one you should not hire? In this compilation of Why Design, fifteen hardware founders, CTOs and design leaders share the…
- Nobody Told Me How to Get Here | A Why Design Guide on Being Hired · 13 min · Season 5 Episode 20The hardware and deep tech industry does not do much to tell talented people how to get in, when to make a move, or how to build a career that lasts. Over twelve episodes of Why…
- Why He Diversified from Designing Products and Started Asking Why? | Shaun Fynn · 45 min · Season 5 Episode 16What if the most important thing a designer can do has nothing to do with making? In this episode of Why Design, Shaun Fynn shares the belief that sits at the heart of his work…
- They Gave Their Own Product Away for Free, Then It Funded in a Day | Pensa · 1 h 9 min · Season 5 Episode 15What 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, share the belief that sits…
- Why the Best New Design Leaders Change Nothing in Their First 90 Days | Stephan Clambaneva · 1 h 7 min · Season 5 Episode 14Are 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 belief that sits at the heart…
- The SOSV Partner Who Says the Best Persuaders Are Introverts (And Why He Backs Them First) | Bill Liao · 1 h 24 min · Season 5 Episode 13What 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 the heart of his work: that…
