July 22, 2025

Thomas Girard – Finding Creativity in Unexpected Places

1 hour 1 minute

Thomas Girard brings a thoughtful lens to design, creativity, and resilience 🌍 — sharing why processes matter 🧠, and how the quiet work of reflection can shape the future of design 🚀.

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Episode Chapters:

00:00 – Why Design’s Processes Still Matter

00:30 – Welcome and Introduction

02:09 – Meet Thomas Girard

04:19 – Family Legacy, Photography, and Airports as “Non-Places”

07:33 – Cultural Similarities and Craving the Familiar

11:38 – Cities That Shaped Thomas’s Design Perspective

12:24 – Preparing for and Delivering a Two-Minute TED Talk

17:04 – Listening to Yourself While Public Speaking

19:00 – Overcoming Stage Fright and Speaking as an Introvert

21:30 – Breaking Out of the Design Echo Chamber

23:03 – The Strengths and Future of Design Education

27:00 – Pairing Design and AI Without Losing the Human Lens

33:07 – Low-Fidelity Prototyping Through Conversation

35:00 – Launching and Growing the Unique Ways Podcast

50:24 – Life or Death Typography and Teaching Students to See Type

57:30 – What Designers Must Not Lose as the Field Evolves

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Who is Thomas Girard?

Thomas Girard is a design educator, writer, and speaker whose work bridges creativity, innovation, and resilience 🌍.

He has:

✅ Delivered keynotes at UXIndia and Sorbonne University

✅ Earned multiple Emerging Scholar awards for his contributions to design

✅ Authored the memoir Son of Greg Girard

✅ Built UNIQUEWAYS, a podcast uncovering different perspectives on success and creativity

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Find Thomas Girard here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onthomas/

Podcast: https://uniqueways.ca

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Subscribe to Brave UX

Like what you heard?

🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/brave-ux-with-brendan-jarvis/id1552607805

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpaceInBetween

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Follow Brave UX for more great content!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/

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Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:

Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/

The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/

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By The Space InBetween

4.3

66 ratings

July 22, 2025

Thomas Girard – Finding Creativity in Unexpected Places

1 hour 1 minute

Thomas Girard brings a thoughtful lens to design, creativity, and resilience 🌍 — sharing why processes matter 🧠, and how the quiet work of reflection can shape the future of design 🚀.

======

Episode Chapters:

00:00 – Why Design’s Processes Still Matter

00:30 – Welcome and Introduction

02:09 – Meet Thomas Girard

04:19 – Family Legacy, Photography, and Airports as “Non-Places”

07:33 – Cultural Similarities and Craving the Familiar

11:38 – Cities That Shaped Thomas’s Design Perspective

12:24 – Preparing for and Delivering a Two-Minute TED Talk

17:04 – Listening to Yourself While Public Speaking

19:00 – Overcoming Stage Fright and Speaking as an Introvert

21:30 – Breaking Out of the Design Echo Chamber

23:03 – The Strengths and Future of Design Education

27:00 – Pairing Design and AI Without Losing the Human Lens

33:07 – Low-Fidelity Prototyping Through Conversation

35:00 – Launching and Growing the Unique Ways Podcast

50:24 – Life or Death Typography and Teaching Students to See Type

57:30 – What Designers Must Not Lose as the Field Evolves

======

Who is Thomas Girard?

Thomas Girard is a design educator, writer, and speaker whose work bridges creativity, innovation, and resilience 🌍.

He has:

✅ Delivered keynotes at UXIndia and Sorbonne University

✅ Earned multiple Emerging Scholar awards for his contributions to design

✅ Authored the memoir Son of Greg Girard

✅ Built UNIQUEWAYS, a podcast uncovering different perspectives on success and creativity

======

Find Thomas Girard here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onthomas/

Podcast: https://uniqueways.ca

======

Subscribe to Brave UX

Like what you heard?

🎙️ Subscribe to Brave UX for more conversations with world-class voices in UX, design, and product leadership. Your support helps others discover the show!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/brave-ux-with-brendan-jarvis/id1552607805

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7j2ocni6A00fzgHkj6TtCK

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpaceInBetween

Podbean: https://braveux.podbean.com/

======

Follow Brave UX for more great content!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-space-in-between/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brave_ux

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespaceinbetw__n/

======

Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:

Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/