Off The Brief

By Jaden Haynes

There's a version of design thinking that lives inside the brief. Safe, considered, signed off.

Off The Brief lives somewhere else.

A study in brand, design, and culture. Curated by Jaden Haynes, whos... more

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FAQs about Off The Brief:

How many episodes does Off The Brief have?

The podcast currently has 36 episodes available.

Off The Brief episodes:

November 13, 2025 #16 – Antifragility – Are You Thriving, Surviving, or Yielding Amidst the Chaos?
In this conversation, Jaden explores profound philosophical questions about the meaning of life, focusing on the concept of entropy and humanity's role in the universe. He presents a unique perspective that intertwines scientific principles with existential inquiries, leading to a thought-provoking discussion about our existence and purpose.

What does it mean to be antifragile? How can we teach ourselves to lean into discomfort, rather than fear it? What does it all mean?

Expect to learn how Maya Jama deals with setbacks, why we scientifically can’t evade chaos, a theory on our unique role in the cosmos, and much, much more…

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Get access to every episode for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/

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Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
28min
November 10, 2025 #15 – Matt Dehaty – a Masterclass in Product, Rugby & Being the Founder of OldNovo
Matt Dehaty is the founder of OldNovo, a lifestyle sportswear brand rooted in rugby values. Before launching Old Novo, Matt mastered the blueprint for building global apparel brands with deep cultural resonance, having spent over a decade at Nike before becoming Buying Director at Gymshark.

How do you know when it's time to leave corporate stability to pursue a personal mission? What is the process of translating intangible values into tangible design and product quality? In the age of fast fashion, what does it mean for a brand to demand intentional purchasing from its customers?

Expect to learn how Matt translates the traditional values of rugby through OldNovo, how Nike sets its direction at its HQ in Oregon, the cultural significance of rugby in the fashion world, and much, much more.

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Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/

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Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]

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TIMESTAMPS:
Chapters

00:00 Home Advantage and Entrepreneurship
02:54 The Passion for Product
06:04 Identifying Market Gaps in Rugby Apparel
08:49 Translating Values into Design
11:43 Contemporary vs. Traditional Rugby Fashion
15:09 The Future of Rugby Branding
17:53 Influencing the Rugby Apparel Market
20:52 Collaboration and Innovation in Rugby Fashion
38:43 The Art of Storytelling in Design
41:01 Rugby Merchandise: A Shift in Trends
46:32 The Evolution of Rugby Jerseys
51:50 Balancing Aesthetics and Mythology in Sportswear
56:14 Crafting a Personal Narrative for Old Nova
01:00:59 The Intersection of Fashion and Sports
01:09:41 The Future of Women's Rugby and Fashion
01:11:43 Empowering Women in Rugby
01:14:01 The Evolution of Rugby's Creative Landscape
01:15:51 The Intersection of Men's and Women's Rugby
01:19:10 Navigating Product Creation in Sports
01:24:42 Staying True to Your Vision
01:28:11 Observing and Learning from the Game
01:33:43 The Cultural Significance of Rugby Jerseys
...more
1h 43min
November 08, 2025 #14 – Defining Your Life’s North Star – Alignment, Authenticity & Audits Ahead of the New Year
We have a little over 7 weeks before 2026 and this is the time of the year we all get reflective and start thinking about next year. If you’re anything like me, previous resolutions can be quite prescriptive, and irrelevant to what we really want. This is where the personal north star comes in. Expect to learn how to define your life’s north star, how we can go about striving in the right direction towards our north star, a full process we can do to audit our own lives and much, much more.
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Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/
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Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
25min
November 06, 2025 #13 – Wedding Crashers – Dealing With Imposter Syndrome
We all need to change our relationship with imposter syndrome. Anyone who aims high experiences it at some point or another.
My hot take is that imposter syndrome is the signal that we are 1) striving, and 2) striving in the right direction for us.
I talk a lot about how we can navigate imposter syndrome as though we are wedding crashers, a technique that has helped me a lot so far.
In this episode of By Design, expect to learn about how Jameela Jamil has progressed in her career, what we can learn from Messrs Vaughn and Wilson, how Jimmy Carr holds himself accountable to his progression using imposter syndrome, and much, much more.
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Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/
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Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
7min
November 03, 2025 #12 – From Language to Leverage – the Communication Pyramid, Lessons From Learning Languages & Empathy When Sharing Ideas
One of the major things I’ve learnt when acquiring Spanish is how to communicate ideas. The same lessons I learnt in Spanish class have stuck with me throughout my life so far. Expect to learn about why we can’t just riff, why the listener is more important than the speaker, the triangle of communication, and much more…
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Get access to every episode for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/
-
Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
8min
November 01, 2025 #11 – Pink Pill Ideology – Sprinkle Sprinkle, the Work Required to Have a Preference & Designing Your Prize
Pink Pill ideology encourages women to see men for their wallets, and themselves as prizes. There is a fantastic Substack article in the newsletter “Raz’s Revelations” that critiques this ideology and forms the basis of this podcast episode. I discuss how some people may just have a preference, and that’s okay, how we rarely do the work required to have an opinion, what some very smart people from the past have said about this, why we might want to design our own prize, and much more…

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Get access to every episode for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/

-

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
26min
October 30, 2025 #10 - Visual Design Thinking in Life - First Principles, White Space, Colour, Context & Balance
I love design and so should you. Everything around us is designed and we can live life using design principles to bring clarity, joy, and happiness. In this episode, I discuss how to use first principles to figure out exactly what it is we want, how removing ‘stuff’ is more important than adding ‘stuff,’ how to think of life experiences more vividly, why modern takes on ‘balance’ are nonsense, and much more…
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Get access to every episode for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/
-
Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
18min
October 27, 2025 #9 - Charge It to the Game
One of the most useful phrases I've come across is 'charge it to the game.' It's helped me to be more present, positive, and productive in everything I do, amidst the chaos that life brings. In this episode, I outline why I think charging it to the game works, and how to action it when living a life By Design.
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Get access to every episode for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/
-
Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
12min
October 25, 2025 #8 - Intentional Consumption: How to Make Doomscrolling Work for You
With more ways to consume than ever, the ability to consume with intention is becoming more important. It flips the script, from being a slave to algorithms, to having the algorithms serve you. Whether you're an artist, creative, writer or investment banker, it's crucial to know how to consume with intention and By Design.-Get access to every episode for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/
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Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
11min
October 23, 2025 #7 – 0 to 1 – Creating Something Out of Nothing, Enhancing Creativity With Restrictions & Communicating Ideas By Design
In Monday's episode with Leroy, we mentioned the idea of going from 0 to 1 rather than prioritising going from 0 to 10. In this episode, I expand on that idea a little further, also looking into how restrictions can enhance creativity and give us clarity on how to actually do things By Design.

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Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jadenhaynes.substack.com/

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Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadenlmhaynes
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadenlmhaynes
Email: [email protected]
...more
15min

FAQs about Off The Brief:

How many episodes does Off The Brief have?

The podcast currently has 36 episodes available.