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Artwork for WHY DESIGN?
CES
Sustainability
Automata
Tympany Medical
Windfall Energy
Monaco
Flushlocks
Longbow Motors
Lab Automation
John Lewis
Westinghouse
Stanley Black & Decker
Motive Design
Béa Fertility
Biomedical / Life Sciences
Medical Devices
Fieldwork Robotics
Ocado
Brighton
D2M Product Design

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 fr... more

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Artwork for WHY DESIGN?

Latest Episodes

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 belief that sits at the heart of his work: that industrial design's greatest contribution is at the ... more

YouTube

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 the heart of his work: that the stories we co-believe in are our civilisation, and that the words yo... more

YouTube

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 episode of Why Design, Lisa Gralnek shares the belief that sits at the heart of her work: that design... more

YouTube

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 shares the belief that sits at the heart of his work: that lightness is not a compromise. It is the... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Lisa Gralnek
First US Managing Director of iF Design, leading the US market presence and sustainability initiatives
iF Design
Episode: Why Design Is Still a Polite Cost Centre With Good PR | Lisa Gralnek
Mark Tapscott
Founder of Longbow Motors, serial EV entrepreneur
Longbow Motors
Episode: How He Built a Sports Car Company Without an Engineering Team | Mark Tapscott
Bob Schwartz
Design leader with 35+ years at GE Healthcare, Procter & Gamble, Motorola, American Red Cross; former IDSA executive director
GE Healthcare, Procter & Gamble, Motorola, American Red Cross
Episode: Why Bob Schwartz Walked Into GE Healthcare Carrying 50 Dream Catchers
Floyd Freeman
Founder, FlushLocks
FlushLocks
Episode: No Engineering Degree. No Prototype. He Signed Up for CES Anyway | Floyd Freeman
Matt Batchelor
London-based industrial designer and chartered engineer, co-founder of Instrument Industries
Instrument Industries
Episode: What Building the Production Machine Teaches You About the Design | Matt Batchelor
Phil Staunton
Founder of D2M Product Design and former hardware entrepreneur
D2M Product Design
Episode: Why Getting Into John Lewis Still Wasn't Enough | Phil Staunton
Felicity Boyce
Materials scientist at Koroyd
Koroyd
Episode: Why the best hardware careers look like wrong turns from the outside | Felicity Boyce
Sid Shaikh
CTO of Fieldwork Robotics, with 25+ years in robotics and automation
Fieldwork Robotics
Episode: Why the Softest Fruit is the Hardest Engineering Problem, And Robotics’ Potential | Sid Shaikh
Rob Hallifax
Mechanical engineer and founder of Windfall Energy
Windfall Energy
Episode: Why Half the Country Can't Access Clean Energy, And What’s Changing | Rob Hallifax

Host

Chris Whyte
Host of Why Design, guiding conversations around hardware and product development.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 17 ratings
  • My go to design podcast

    These episodes are packed with rich insights from a wide variety of well selected figures from across our industry. It’s fascinating, and often validating, to hear the experiences of those who’ve trodden the path before us… Thanks Chris!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SalopSlop
    United Kingdom10 months ago
  • Excellent — Chris knows what makes design interesting!

    Good to hear questions from someone who understands the topic, and gets to the good stuff without any filler.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Xaveus100
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • The art of sharing enthusiasm

    Great podcast - focused specifically on product design. Enthusiastic speakers sharing top tips from wide experiences.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mark77A
    United Kingdoma year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are described as well-chosen and insightful, offering top-tier tips without filler.
The conversations are highlighted for their actionable takeaways and enthusiasm for hardware design.
Listeners praise the show's depth and focus on practical design leadership.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#215
United States/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#12
Chile/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#78
Israel/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#118
Japan/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#151
Denmark/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#189
Finland/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why Design Should Take Over the World: A Conversation with Tylan Tschopp
Q: What are you excited about for the next 12 months in your work at Westinghouse?
Continued product launches, entering new categories, and growing design talent—leveraging the belief that design-led businesses perform better and building leadership that combines design with strong business sense.
Why the Worst Thing You Can Do Is Be the Designer Everyone Wants You to Be | Dan Salisbury, Automata
Q: What was the hardest part of the journey?
Navigating low-volume production constraints and convincing engineers about the value of industrial design, while balancing cost, manufacturability, and functional requirements to deliver a cohesive design language that actually works in real lab environments.
Why the Worst Thing You Can Do Is Be the Designer Everyone Wants You to Be | Dan Salisbury, Automata
Q: Why Automata and what about the role excited you?
The chance to be the first industrial designer with自由 rein to define a design language and strategy for a life-sciences oriented lab automation product, plus the opportunity to have an impact in a startup where the product must launch and scale, which matched my desire for tangible, life-improving outcomes.
Why the Worst Thing You Can Do Is Be the Designer Everyone Wants You to Be | Dan Salisbury, Automata
Q: What led you to industrial design in the first place?
A childhood exposure to graphic design, a GCSE in graphic design, and a teacher who urged me toward product design at university, followed by an actual path into industrial design at Loughborough, where I pursued a broader, hands-on design education before moving into consultancy.
The Quiet Discipline Behind Long-Lasting Design Businesses with Paul Metaxatos
Q: What keeps Motive resilient in a changing market?
A strong focus on relationships, ethics, transparent communication, and a pragmatic business philosophy that prioritizes people and the long-term health of the business over quick, leverage-fueled growth.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About WHY DESIGN?

What is WHY DESIGN? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This series centers on the people who design and build hardware, exploring pivotal career moments, decision-making, and the organizational shifts that unlock better physical products. Conversations span design leadership, manufacturing strategy, and go-to-market realities, with a clear through-line around how design drives business value, sustainability, and user-centered outcomes. Notable throughlines include the discipline of turning ideas into scalable production, the tensions between creative vision and manufacturing constraints, and practical lessons from founders and senior design leaders navigating fast-moving hardware spaces. The format frequently blends personal storytelling with actionable guidance for designers, engineers, and pr... more

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1. How I Built This with Guy Raz
2. The High Performance Podcast
3. The Rest Is Politics: US
4. Pivot
5. The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

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WHY DESIGN? launched 2 years ago and published 73 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on WHY DESIGN??

Recent guests on WHY DESIGN? include:

1. Lisa Gralnek
2. Mark Tapscott
3. Bob Schwartz
4. Floyd Freeman
5. Matt Batchelor
6. Phil Staunton
7. Felicity Boyce
8. Sid Shaikh

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