In this episode of But Why? A Design Podcast, Stirling turns the lens toward Eugene and the origin of platFORMed.

What begins as a conversation about naming quickly becomes something deeper - a reflection on purpose, influence, risk, and the uncomfortable moment when success no longer feels aligned.

Eugene shares his pursuit of a holistic impact - not just in products or projects, but in systems, people and environments. The discussion explores the tension between security and soul, and the realisation that legacy is shaped not by position, but by influence.

The conversation explores:

* The decision to leave security in pursuit of purpose

* Designing a life, not just a career

* Influence as a tool for environmental and human impact

* Projects as leverage for systemic change

* The tension between comfort, risk and legacy

* Waste Watch: repair, responsibility and the ‘underused economy’

We hope you enjoy.

Keep questioning, keep exploring, and most importantly… keep asking, But Why?

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platFORMed

& / OR Consulting

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.butwhyadesignpodcast.com

In this episode of But Why? A Design Podcast, we are joined by Sandy Anghie, co-founder and chair of Perth Design Week.

Together, we trace the origin of Perth Design Week from a ‘coalition of the willing’ into a growing platform that brings disciplines together, expands public awareness, and strengthens the conditions for design to be seen as a cultural and economic force, not a niche industry conversation.

Sandy shares what people often do not see: the long hours, volunteer intensity, and behind-the-scenes partnerships required to make the week happen. We talk about why the shift from silos to a shared tent is so powerful in Perth, and how PDW has helped reveal the true scale of the design sector when it moves as one.

A central theme emerges: design is everywhere and for everyone. If design shapes the quality of our cities, homes, services and daily experiences, then Perth Design Week is not just a celebration. It is a mechanism for participation, literacy, and momentum.

This episode is warm, grounded and energising. It is about advocacy through celebration, and the practical reality of turning an idea into an institution.

Topics explored include:

* How Perth Design Week began, and why Perth needed its own design week

* The “coalition of the willing” and why breaking silos matters

* Festival growth and 2026 being a more curated model

* The role of key partners and venues in enabling scale and access

* Why design weeks are cultural infrastructure, and a genuine tourism and economic opportunity

* Local HQ as key activation within The Liberty Theatre

Keep questioning, keep exploring, and most importantly… keep asking, But Why?

Keen to Support Us?

But Why? A Design Podcast is proudly an independent self-funded publication.

Subscribers get early access to new episodes, behind the mic reflections, design field notes, and thoughtful essays that expand conversations beyond the recordings.

Never miss an update! Every new post is sent directly to your email inbox.

If you are feeling generous you can make a pledge but if you would rather just buy us a coffee, we would love that too! Shout us a coffee through the below link:

Show Links

Perth Design Week

State Buildings

WA Museum Boola Bardip

Block Branding

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.butwhyadesignpodcast.com

In this episode of But Why? A Design Podcast, we are joined by Sarah Booth to explore an uncomfortable but necessary question: Why do we design with hostility?

Together, we unpack how environments, systems and processes can unintentionally exclude, overwhelm or alienate. From workplaces and public spaces to services and everyday interactions, this conversation challenges the assumption that good design automatically leads to good outcomes.

Sarah invites us to slow down and look beneath intent, asking where efficiency, control or legacy thinking has overridden empathy, care and lived experience. We talk about power, responsibility and the subtle ways design decisions shape behaviour, dignity and belonging.

A central theme emerges: what if designers became choreographers of care? What if we designed not just for function or aesthetics, but for emotional safety, inclusion and human experience?

This episode is reflective, provocative and quietly hopeful. It is not about blame, but about awareness, accountability and the opportunity to do better.

Topics explored include:

* What “hostile design” really looks like and why it often goes unnoticed

* The difference between intention and impact in design decision-making

* Who gets centred and who gets excluded by default

* Designing with care, empathy and responsibility

* Reframing the designer’s role as a choreographer of human experience

As always, the conversation is unscripted, honest and occasionally uncomfortable.

Keep questioning, keep exploring, and most importantly… keep asking, But Why?

Keen to Support Us?

But Why? A Design Podcast is proudly an independent self-funded publication.

Subscribers get early access to new episodes, behind the mic reflections, design field notes, and thoughtful essays that expand conversations beyond the recordings.

Never miss an update! Every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. Subscribe here: About - But Why? A Design Podcast

If you are feeling generous you can make a pledge but if you would rather just buy us a coffee, we would love that too! Shout us a coffee through this link: https://buymeacoffee.com/butwhyadesignpodcast

Show Links

Sarah Booth

Spacemarket

Winston Churchill Trust

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.butwhyadesignpodcast.com

What does it mean to be “wasted by design”, and are we, as an industry (and a society), designing waste into the system on purpose?

In Episode 002 of But Why? A Design Podcast, Eugene and Stirling step back and set context for the work behind the mic. This is Part One of a two-part origin story, focused on Stirling’s journey and the philosophy behind Wasted by Design, a business name that is deliberately ironic, intentionally provocative, and rooted in years of observing waste in commercial interiors.

Stirling shares why the problem is not just environmental, but also human. Wasted materials, wasted time, wasted quality, wasted potential. The episode explores why reuse is still treated as “less glamorous” than new, why commercial settings struggle with circularity even when households embrace second-hand platforms, and how fear, liability, and fragmented decision-making keep the system stuck.

They also introduce a new recurring segment, Waste Watch, designed to call out everyday examples of waste, with a constructive lens. The first target: a very public piece of seasonal marketing that raises bigger questions about design intent and brand responsibility.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Why the name Wasted by Design is meant to provoke an honest conversation

* The human and spatial cost of a profit-first system

* Why commercial reuse is harder than household reuse

* How designer ego and the pursuit of new can crowd out better options

* When sustainability tools become badge-chasing instead of genuine impact

* The Never-Used Economy, including speculative fitouts that are built then removed before use

* Waste Watch: the KFC bucket hat as a case study in designed waste and marketing choices

Keep questioning, keep exploring, and most importantly… keep asking, But Why?

Keen to Support Us?

But Why? A Design Podcast is proudly an independent self-funded publication.

Subscribers get early access to new episodes, behind the mic reflections, design field notes, and thoughtful essays that expand conversations beyond the recordings.

Never miss an update! Every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. Subscribe here: About - But Why? A Design Podcast

If you are feeling generous you can make a pledge but if you would rather just buy us a coffee, we would love that too! Shout us a coffee through this link: https://buymeacoffee.com/butwhyadesignpodcast

Show Links

Wasted by Design

Perth Design Week

Big Bash

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.butwhyadesignpodcast.com

In this first episode of ‘But Why, A Design Podcast’, hosts Eugene Hooks and Stirling Fletcher explore the question of - Why do we design?

Drawing from frameworks, philosophy, lived experience and a few unexpected tangents, we unpack the forces that drive designers and non-designers alike to shape the world around them. From primal instincts of shelter and survival to modern challenges of ego, commercialisation and planned obsolescence, this episode explores how design began with human progress, lost its way in some areas, and is now being re-examined with a renewed sense of responsibility.

Along the way we discuss:

- What AI thinks design is for

- How Maslow’s hierarchy shows up in design evolution

- The tension between intent and commercial reality

- Empathy as a design tool

- Design as instinct versus design as profession

- When design solves problems and when it creates them

This conversation sets the foundation for everything that comes next. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

Keep questioning, keep exploring, and most importantly… keep asking, But Why?

Keen to Support Us?

But Why? A Design Podcast is proudly an independent self-funded publication.

Subscribers get early access to new episodes, behind the mic reflections, design field notes, and thoughtful essays that expand conversations beyond the recordings.

Never miss an update! Every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. Subscribe here: About - But Why? A Design Podcast

If you are feeling generous you can make a pledge but if you would rather just buy us a coffee, we would love that too! Shout us a coffee through this link: https://buymeacoffee.com/butwhyadesignpodcast

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.butwhyadesignpodcast.com

In our very first release of But Why? A Design Podcast, we open the door to the questions that started it all. What began as years of conversations between two design-minded friends has now become a space to explore the deeper intent behind design, the systems that shape our world, and the curiosity that keeps us asking… But why?

This introductory episode sets the tone for what’s to come:

* Topics we’re passionate about and want to challenge

* Guests who bring expertise beyond our own

* Solo reflections and shared discussions

* Thoughtful, curious explorations of how design influences people, places and experiences

It’s an invitation into a community of questioners and thinkers, designers and non-designers alike. We thank you for joining us on this journey.

Keep questioning, keep exploring, and most importantly… keep asking, But Why?

Keen to Support Us?

But Why? A Design Podcast is proudly an independent self-funded publication.

Subscribers get early access to new episodes, behind the mic reflections, design field notes, and thoughtful essays that expand conversations beyond the recordings.

Never miss an update! Every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. Subscribe here: About - But Why? A Design Podcast

If you are feeling generous you can make a pledge but if you would rather just buy us a coffee, we would love that too! Shout us a coffee through this link: https://buymeacoffee.com/butwhyadesignpodcast

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.butwhyadesignpodcast.com