WHY DESIGN?

Guest: Tom Parsons, Founder of Aetha Design Host: Chris Whyte, Founder of Kodu Sign up for Why Design? events: https://teamkodu.com/events From designing surveillance systems for superyachts to navigating a live war zone in Peru and leading projects at Dyson, Tom Parsons’ journey through product design is nothing short of extraordinary. Now the founder of Aetha Design, Tom shares invaluable lesson...

In this episode of Why Design? , Chris Whyte speaks with Andrew Carr, founder of Bebello, a mission-driven startup transforming the way new parents approach bottle and pump cleaning with sustainability at its core. Andrew’s flagship product, the Bebello Washer, saves time for parents while drastically reducing environmental impact. Andrew’s career journey spans nearly two decades, including roles...

In this episode of Why Design? , Chris Whyte speaks with Oluwaseyi (Seyi) Sosanya, co-founder and CEO of Gravity Sketch, a revolutionary 3D design platform transforming how teams create, visualise, and collaborate across industries such as automotive, fashion, and product development. Seyi’s journey spans continents and disciplines—from studying mechanical engineering at Oregon State University, w...

In this episode of Why Design? , Chris Whyte sits down with Benn Klewpatinond, founder of Inond Design and the visionary behind the Floatrower fitness machine. Benn’s career is a fascinating mix of engineering, design, and entrepreneurship, spanning corporate roles, consultancy work, and now running his own product realisation business. Benn shares his journey, from introducing inclusive design at...

How a Name Change Became Our Biggest Opportunity Yet 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝? It's Chris Whyte here, founder of Kodu and host of The Design Journeys Podcast . I wanted to share an important announcement. After nine months of sharing stories from the world of physical product development, The Design Journeys Podcast is evolving. Starting in January, we’ll be rebra...

Register your interest in our community events here: www.teamkodu.com/events In this final episode of The Design Journeys Podcast under its current name, Chris Whyte speaks with Nick Mannion, co-founder and director of Quarterre Studio. Nick’s career journey has been shaped by a love of drawing, storytelling, and exploration, leading him from a degree in Transport Design at Coventry University to...

In this episode, Chris Whyte speaks with Tracy Sharp, founder of Sharp Minds and host of  Beginner’s Guide to Design Thinking . Tracy shares her incredible journey from studying product design engineering at Strathclyde University to leading global teams and building a career in mentoring and coaching. She opens up about her experiences as a female leader in engineering, the importa...

Episode 19 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every Wednesday!  In this episode, Chris Whyte sits down with Fred Russell-Pavier, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Super Smith, a company focused on creative accessible micro-mobility solutions. Fred’s journey started in academia, where he explored complex sensing and measurement technology, leading to multip...

Episode 18 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every Wednesday! In this episode, Chris Whyte interviews Michael König , a design leader whose career journey spans two decades across digital and physical product design. From launching a digital design studio fresh out of university to leading design at Bang & Olufsen and Fiskars, Michael has tackled challenges at...

Episode 17 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every Wednesday! In this episode, Chris Whyte speaks with Oliver Murphy, founder of SLOWE Living, a brand built around sustainable, minimalist furniture design. Oliver’s career journey began with industrial design at Loughborough University and evolved through branding and freelancing, ultimately leading him to create a...

Episode 16 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every Wednesday! In this episode, Chris Whyte speaks with Michael Bambino, founder and creative director of Facility, a design consultancy that brings a strategic, brand-driven approach to product design. Michael shares his unique career journey from engineering and freelance design to launching his own consultancy, emph...

Episode 15 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday! In this episode, Chris Whyte chats with Tim Maclean, founder of Cognate, a design consultancy based in Bath. Tim's journey spans decades of experience in the design and engineering field, from Avon Rubber to Herman Miller and Dyson. He shares insights on his varied career, the challenges of switchi...

Episode 14 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday! In this episode of The Design Journeys Podcast , host Chris Whyte speaks with Mark Joynson-Bickerstaffe, founder of Mark & May and former design leader at Dyson and Kohler. The conversation explores Mark's career journey, starting from his early influences, his time at Dyson during its startup...

Episode 13 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday! In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, host Chris Whyte interviews Dale Backus, founder and CEO of Ohsnap, a company known for its innovative phone grip. Dale shares his journey from a marketing background to product design, detailing his experiences with Small HD, the challenges of transi...

Episode 12 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday! In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, host Chris Whyte interviews William Gordon, Vice President of Design at Blendjet. They discuss William's journey in industrial design, his time at Kohler and SC Johnson, and the importance of building relationships in the design industry. William emph...

Episode 11 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday! In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, host Chris Whyte interviews Tim Sharpe, co-founder of Better Normal, a consultancy focused on helping non-designers adopt a designer's mindset. Tim shares his career journey, which includes working in various countries and industries, such as consumer...

Episode 10 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday! In this episode, host Chris Whyte interviews Emily Moyer, an independent industrial design strategy and innovation consultant. Emily has worked with big brands like L'Oreal and Nestle, as well as startups like Aura Home and Bark & Co. She shares her career journey and highlights the importance...

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 career journey in product development, from working at Sendo and Motorola to joining TomTom. He discusses the transition from engineer to strategic roles and the importance of connecting design and product development with manufacturing. Ashley also...

Episode 8 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday! In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, host Chris Whyte interviews Tim Morton, Director for Global Design North America for Husqvarna. They discuss Tim's career journey, starting with his studies in industrial design at the University of Wales and his time at Lego.   Tim shares his exp...

Episode 7 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday! In this episode of the Design Journeys podcast, Chris Whyte interviews Adrian Berry, co-founder of Factory Design. They discuss Adrian's design journey, starting from his studies in engineering product design at London South Bank University to his time at Pentagram and Seymour Powell. Adrian shares...

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 Stewart, senior manager for baby and parenting products at Newell Brands, shares her career journey and insights in this episode. She discusses how she chose to study industrial design and the challenges she faced in finding job opportunities. Lea emp...

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. Summary Dr. Kristi Bartlett, Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Design and Director of Product Development at Zibrio, discusses her career journey in medical device design and her passion for equality and gender bias in d...

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. Summary Chris Johnson discusses his journey from studying transportation design at Coventry University to working at design consultancies, Bombardier, and eventually joining Speedo. He shares his experiences and highlights, including working on the icon...

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...

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 principal designer at Elvie, shares his journey in industrial design and his passion for inclusive design. He emphasizes the importance of being passionate about a cause or mission when applying for a job. Tom also discusses the value of cover lette...