WHY DESIGN?

In this special live episode, Chris Whyte, founder of Kodu and host of Why Design, delivers an energetic and insight-packed session to design students on how to stand out in a competitive job market. Drawing from 12+ years of experience and dozens of podcast conversations with design leaders, Chris shares practical advice on everything from CV writing to LinkedIn networking, preparing for interviews, and unlocking hidden job opportunities.

This is a must-listen for any early-career designer or student ready to land that first big opportunity.

• Why most CVs fail in the first 7 seconds, and how to beat the odds.
• What hiring managers really want to see in portfolios.
• The power of showing process (not just final outcomes).

• How a single phone call or mailed portfolio can beat 700 online applications.
• Pro tips for writing effective, personalized cover letters (with a smart use of AI—but not too much).

• How to use the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to tell compelling stories.
• Why preparation beats talent when it comes to interviews.
• Questions to expect, and questions you should ask.

• The hidden job market: Why 85% of jobs never make it to job boards.
• How to go beyond LinkedIn job ads and reach decision-makers directly.
• The “3X system” to grow your network, post with purpose, and engage effectively.

• What makes a LinkedIn profile “sticky” to recruiters.
• The benefits of journaling your job search publicly.
• Voice notes, featured posts, and other tactics that boost visibility.

• Be proactive: Most candidates aren’t doing half of what’s possible to stand out.
• Show your thinking: Employers care more about how you think than what you made.
• Network now: Relationships > resumes. Word of mouth leads to most opportunities.
• Use the tools: Google Jobs, ChatGPT for research, TotalJobs, and custom GPTs to prep.
• Follow up: Don’t be afraid to reach out twice. Or three times.

Connect with Chris Whyte on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte/

Learn more about Kodu Recruitment: https://teamkodu.com/

“We weren’t going to prove durability with a spreadsheet — we needed to drive a lorry over it and watch what happened.”

In this final episode of Series 2, I sit down with Nick Ford, founder of PipSqueak 3D and Patent Ferret, to explore how a nontraditional path — from sweeping workshop floors to designing urban furniture used across London — shaped his approach to design, business, and innovation.

Nick shares the full story behind one of his most iconic projects, the Westminster Tulip Bollard, including the now-famous moment when they drove a lorry over the prototype to prove its durability. Along the way, we unpack lessons from 20+ years of running PipSqueak, why small teams often outperform larger ones, and how Nick’s latest venture, Patent Ferret, is helping manufacturers uncover hidden value in their intellectual property.

This conversation is full of practical insights, real-world anecdotes, and a refreshing take on what resilience really looks like in design.

🔹 Why small, nimble teams can solve complex problems more effectively than bigger consultancies

🔹 How the Westminster Tulip Bollard project became a case study in resilience and real-world testing

🔹 What happens when you stress-test your designs by literally driving a lorry over them

🔹 Lessons learned from business insolvency, perseverance, and building a consultancy for the long haul

🔹 Why intellectual property (IP) matters for SMEs, not just big players

🔹 How to unlock value in overlooked ideas, patents, and product concepts

🔹 The importance of building pathways for young people through STEM work experience

💬 “We weren’t going to prove durability with a spreadsheet — we needed to drive a lorry over it and watch what happened.”

💬 “Failure isn’t the right word — it’s part of the process. We need better language for it.”

💬 “If you don’t understand IP, you don’t understand business.”

💬 “We only work for people we like or respect. That’s been a core principle from the start.”

💬 “Small inventors can change the world, but they need to go in with their eyes open.”

🌍 Connect with Nick Ford on LinkedIn

🏢 Learn more about PipSqueak 3D

🔍 Explore Patent Ferret

👥 Join the Why Design community: events, huddles, and workshops → teamkodu.com/events

🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.

💬 PS – Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

"97% of hardware startups fail. And a lot of the time, it’s the same mistakes repeated over and over again."

In this episode of Why Design, I’m joined by Sera Evcimen, Founder of Pratik Development, Innovation Advisor at FORGE and Techstars Paris, and host of the hardware startup podcast The Builder Circle.

Sera has built a career around one goal — helping hardware startups avoid the common pitfalls that so often derail promising ideas. She’s worked hands-on across cleantech, space, consumer tech, and robotics before launching Pratik to support deep tech founders with everything from system integration to supply chain and manufacturing strategy.

We explore how Sera made the leap from startup engineer to fractional CTO/COO, what tribology (the study of friction and contact) taught her about mechanical failure modes, why product decisions define hiring needs, and how her podcast and meetups are helping to build a stronger hardware community on both sides of the Atlantic.

If you're working in physical product development or dreaming of launching your own hardware startup, this one is packed with advice you can apply immediately.

🔹 Hardware is Hard – Why 97% of hardware startups fail, and how common pitfalls like sunk cost fallacy and rushing in-house manufacturing decisions play a part.

🔹 Fractional CTO and COO Work – How Sera plugs into teams to solve technical and operational challenges hands-on, from lab benches to factory floors.

🔹 Tribology Matters – Why understanding friction, wear, and lubrication can unlock better mechanical design and reduce failure rates.

🔹 Product Decisions Shape Teams – How technical choices early on define who you need to hire later.

🔹 Builder Circle Podcast – Amplifying the voices of engineers and operators, not just founders, to share deep practical lessons for startups.

🔹 Community Building – How meetups and peer support networks like Hardware Meetup London are strengthening the hardware ecosystem.

🔹 Authenticity in Hardware – Why admitting risks, asking for help, and being open about challenges makes you more investable, not less.

💬 “You shouldn’t wait until every little detail is perfect. Test your product as soon as possible with someone willing to use it and willing to pay for it.”

💬 “Hardware is a system. Product decisions define your hiring needs and shape the future of your company.”

💬 “Tribology sounds obscure but it is everywhere. It’s the hidden science behind why machines fail.”

💬 “Focus on being interested, not interesting. That’s the best way to network in the hardware community.”

🌍 Connect with Sera Evcimen on LinkedIn

🎙️ Listen to The Builder Circle Podcast

🏢 Learn more about Pratik Development

Join the Why Design community! Sign up for events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events

Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.

PS – Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

“There’s a huge amount of innovation in sustainable materials—but very few are truly built around the problem.”

In this episode of Why Design, I’m joined by Georgios Gkotsis, CTO at Kelpi, a Bristol-based startup creating high-performance seaweed-based coatings to replace fossil plastics in long shelf life packaging.

Georgios has built a career at the intersection of material science, sustainability and engineering strategy. From early R&D at Procter & Gamble and Unilever to cutting-edge biomaterials at Xampla and now Kelpi, he’s seen firsthand what it takes to take an idea from lab bench to supermarket shelf.

We talk about Kelpi’s mission-first approach, the commercial and technical complexity of replacing plastic, and Georgios’ personal journey from hands-on scientist to startup CTO. If you’re working in deep tech, materials innovation, packaging, or care about solving the plastic problem in a commercially viable way—this episode is a must-listen.

🟢 Mission Before Tech – Why Kelpi started with a bold question, not a breakthrough material.

🌱 The Power of Seaweed – A renewable, fast-growing feedstock with real promise for circular packaging.

📦 Replacing Plastic Isn't Plug-and-Play – A deep dive into shelf life, barrier properties, and realistic client expectations.

🧪 From MVP to Market – Why minimum viable products don’t need to be perfect, but they do need validation.

⚙️ Transition to Leadership – How Georgios shifted from doing the work to setting strategy and building a world-class team.

🔁 The Startup Balancing Act – Navigating limited runway, client partnerships, and scaling without owning a factory.

🧠 Using AI in R&D – Why machine learning could accelerate material science and cut years off innovation cycles.

🚀 What's Next for Kelpi – Scaling to tonnes, launching with brands, and expanding the product development team.

💬 “You can’t just swap plastic for a new material and expect it to behave the same. It’s a journey—not a transaction.”

💬 “If you don’t design for the whole lifecycle—materials, performance, shelf life, disposal—you’re not solving the problem.”

💬 “As CTO, your job shifts from doing things to building the team that can do them better than you ever could.”

💬 “AI won’t replace chemists. But it will speed up the work they do—and that’s how we close the sustainability gap faster.”

🌍 Learn more about Kelpi

🔗 Connect with Georgios Gkotsis on LinkedIn

📩 Contact the Kelpi team – [email protected]

👥 Join the Why Design community!

Sign up for events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events

🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.

PS – Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

"There’s a huge amount of design talent in the UK—we just need more founders brave enough to commercialise it."

In this episode of Why Design, I sit down with Damon Bonser, founder and CEO of the British Design Fund—a team of operators-turned-investors backing early-stage product businesses with real-world impact.

Damon knows firsthand why most hardware startups fail—because he’s been through it himself. After launching over 400 products, navigating stock finance headaches, and scaling a business across the UK, US, and Asia, he sold his company and switched sides of the table. Now he backs founders with the potential (and grit) to build something meaningful.

We talk about the real markers of investability—TRL5+, commercial clarity, protected IP—and why pitch decks and pretty prototypes don’t cut it. Damon shares his take on cashflow mastery, reshoring opportunities in the UK, and the red flags he sees too often when meeting founders.

If you’re building a physical product, thinking about raising, or want a brutally honest take on early-stage investing—this one’s for you.

🔹 Built, Scaled, Sold – Damon’s journey from novelty bottle openers to running a 400-SKU business with global operations.

🔹 Why Most Hardware Startups Fail – Poor cashflow planning, overengineering, no route to revenue—and no real need for the product.

🔹 What the British Design Fund Looks For – A clear problem, TRL5 or above, manufacturing viability, and a founder with domain obsession.

🔹 Cashflow is King – Why understanding your margins and stock finance is non-negotiable in physical product businesses.

🔹 Sustainable Hardware That Matters – The BDF backs engineering-led solutions to real-world problems—not gadget fluff.

🔹 Red Flags for Investors – Founders who don’t know their numbers, haven’t tested assumptions, or treat manufacturing as an afterthought.

🔹 UK Hardware Advantage – Why the UK’s funding ecosystem, engineering talent, and reshoring momentum are aligned for growth.

🔹 From Founder to Funder – Damon’s switch from doing it all to helping others do it better—with lessons learned the hard way.

💬 “Most founders overengineer the product, underthink the business, and don’t plan for scale.”

💬 “We didn’t raise a penny—we bootstrapped the whole thing through sheer bloody-mindedness and cashflow juggling.”

💬 “You can’t outsource conviction. If you’re not obsessed with solving the problem, no one’s backing you.”

💬 “Don’t come to us with a pretty prototype—come with a plan to take it to market.”

🌍 British Design Fund Website

💼 Connect with Damon Bonser on LinkedIn

📬 Apply for Funding – Check the criteria and submit your startup.

👥 Join the Why Design community!

Sign up for events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events

🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.

💬 PS – Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

“We had no clue what we were doing. We quoted a massive job… way under… and then had to figure out how to deliver it without losing our shirts.”

That’s how Josh Valman, CEO of RPDK, describes one of the earliest—and most painful—lessons from scaling his product development business. In this episode of Why Design, we dive into the unfiltered reality of building a hardware startup from scratch.

Josh’s journey is anything but conventional. By age 10, he was designing robots. By 19, he was consulting for global corporates on manufacturing and supply chains—while still in school. What followed was the growth of RPD into a 100-person team working across design, engineering, and global production before being acquired by Kinara International.

We talk about what most founders get wrong, the messy middle between prototyping and mass production, and why investors care less about your idea and more about your plan. Josh also shares what he’s up to now—backing founders through the British Design Fund and filming a new TV show to shine a light on what really happens behind factory doors.

If you're building a hardware product, thinking about scaling, or just want a brutally honest take on how products get made, this episode is a must-listen.

🔹 Started Young – Josh was consulting before clients realised he was still a teenager.

🔹 Pricing Lessons – Why quoting too low nearly broke the business—and how they clawed it back.

🔹 Design to Scale – Why the “middle” (certification, tooling, sourcing) is where most projects fail.

🔹 Spec Work That Pays – How early projects for Bosch and Unilever helped prove RPD’s capabilities.

🔹 No Degree, No Problem – Why Josh skipped uni, and how he built a career by doing, not studying.

🔹 The Founder’s Job – It’s not the product—it’s planning, cashflow, forecasting, and doing the hard stuff.

🔹 British Design Fund – What investors actually want to see from hardware startups.

🔹 TV Project Incoming – A behind-the-scenes series exploring how everyday products get made.

🌍 Connect with Josh Valman on LinkedIn

🏭 Learn more about RPDK

💸 Explore the British Design Fund

📺 TV series coming soon—watch this space!

👥 Join the Why Design community! Sign up for events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events

🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.

💬 PS – Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode!

In this live episode of Why Design, recorded at Blue Garage, I sit down with Tim Perry, a seasoned innovation and design strategy consultant with over 20 years of experience helping creative businesses sharpen their commercial edge.

From scaling consultancies and steering agency acquisitions to guiding in-house teams at major brands like Nokia, McLaren, and Logitech, Tim shares his unique perspective on the intersection of design and business.

We explore why designers and design consultancies often overlook commercial awareness, how consultancies can rethink their positioning in a crowded marketplace, and why commercial skills should be developed just as early as creative ones.

Tim also talks about the common challenges agencies face around business development, the tricky art of saying “no,” and why sometimes less is more when selling your services.

If you’re a designer, consultancy owner, or anyone working at the crossover of creativity and commerce, there’s plenty of actionable advice here.

🔹 From Designer to Strategist – How Tim transitioned from packaging design to leading agency growth and design strategy at Nokia and beyond.

🔹 Lessons from Scaling & Selling – Insights from scaling Web deVlam and overseeing its sale.

🔹 The Positioning Problem – Why agencies often dilute their message by trying to be everything to everyone.

🔹 Specialism vs. Niche – Why focusing your positioning is key, but you can still take on a variety of work.

🔹 Building Commercial Confidence – How designers can develop business development and negotiation skills early in their careers.

🔹 The Power of Networking – Tim’s take on why generosity and curiosity are vital in client-facing roles.

🔹 The LinkedIn Effect – How LinkedIn can help creatives spark conversations and create business opportunities—when used with authenticity.

🔹 Negotiation Lessons – Tim’s real-world story of a high-stakes negotiation that almost went wrong, and what it taught him about holding your ground.

🌍 Connect with Tim Perry on LinkedIn

🎯 Check out Tim’s Commercial Skills Training (includes free sample courses)

🎙️ Learn more about Blue Garage – A creative community space in Lewisham, London.

👥 Join the Why Design community! Sign up for upcoming events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events

🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!

In this episode of Why Design, I sit down with Michael Korn, founder of KwickScreen, the modular screen company supplying every NHS trust in the UK, and Blue Garage, a unique makespace and creative hub in Lewisham built to support hardware entrepreneurs and product designers.

We unpack Michael’s fascinating journey, from studying manufacturing engineering and design at the RCA, to bootstrapping KwickScreen into a successful healthcare business. Michael shares hard-won lessons about the challenges of starting a hardware company in London, why manufacturing shaped his design thinking, and how listening and tenacity have been key to his entrepreneurial path.

Michael also takes us inside Blue Garage, a space created to provide hardware founders with the facilities and community he wished he’d had when starting out—think WeWork, but with machines.

If you’re curious about bootstrapping hardware ventures, creative collaboration, or building community-driven spaces, this episode is packed with inspiration.

🔹 From Engineering to Design – How Michael’s manufacturing background influenced his user-focused, entrepreneurial approach to product design.

🔹 The KwickScreen Story – How a student project to solve infection control in hospitals evolved into a nationwide healthcare product.

🔹 Bootstrapping in London – The gritty reality of starting a hardware business without outside funding or proper facilities.

🔹 Listening & Learning – Why Michael credits his success to persistence combined with listening deeply to users and stakeholders.

🔹 The Birth of Blue Garage – How Michael turned a 38,000 sq ft former Travis Perkins into a vibrant makespace for London’s maker and hardware community.

🔹 Supporting Founders Differently – Why founders don’t always need accelerators or awards, sometimes they just need space, tools, and community.

🔹 Team & Legacy – How early hires at KwickScreen, including its now-CEO, have grown into leaders and founders themselves.

🔹 Community Events & Collaboration – How Blue Garage is helping freelancers, startups, and creative businesses collaborate and scale in the heart of London.

🌍 Learn more about Blue Garage

🏥 Explore KwickScreen

🔗 Connect with Michael Korn on LinkedIn

👥 Join the Why Design community! Sign up for our upcoming events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events

🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!

In this episode of Why Design, I sit down with Hugo Martin, Director of Product Design at WMP Creative, where he has spent over 14 years building a multi-award-winning design division from the ground up.

We dive into the balance between process and intuition in product design—when to trust your instincts and when structure is necessary. Hugo shares insights from designing everything from life-saving gas safety devices, where precision and research are crucial, to high-end pizza ovens, where the experience and theatre of cooking take priority over strict engineering constraints.

We also explore how design consultancies can stay competitive in a shifting market, the role of AI in industrial design, and the evolving nature of holistic product development, where storytelling, branding, and user experience are just as important as the product itself.

If you're a designer, entrepreneur, or just fascinated by how great products come to life, this episode is packed with insights!

🔹 The Evolution of a Design Consultancy – How Hugo built a product design division within a family-run creative agency.

🔹 The Power of Process vs. Intuition – When to trust gut instincts and when research and structured validation are essential.

🔹 Designing for Different Markets – How working on gas safety devices differs from crafting premium pizza ovens.

🔹 Holistic Design Services – Why product design is no longer just about form and function but also branding, digital experiences, and storytelling.

🔹 Lessons from Working with Startups and Established Brands – How client expectations shift and how to manage those relationships.

🔹 The Future of Industrial Design – How AI is changing the design process and what it means for the next generation of designers.

🔹 Why Some Brands Ignore Focus Groups – How companies like Nothing and Teenage Engineering use intuition to create standout products.

🔹 Building Long-Term Client Relationships – How WMP Creative’s success is built on repeat business and deep client partnerships.

🌍 Connect with Hugo Martin on LinkedIn

🎨 Learn more about WMP Creative

🔥 Check out Gosney Pizza Ovens (One of Hugo’s latest projects)

🔍 Learn more about Crowcon Gas Safety Devices

👥 Join the Why Design community! Sign up for our upcoming events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events

🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. Don't forget to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!

In this episode of Why Design, I sit down with Claire Trant, co-founder and CEO of Untap Health, a deep tech company using wastewater epidemiology to detect illnesses before symptoms appear. Claire’s journey from Imperial College to Rolls-Royce and then into entrepreneurship is as inspiring as it is challenging.

She opens up about the highs and lows of startup life—navigating funding rounds, scaling a hardware business, and the personal challenges that have shaped her leadership. From securing patents and raising millions to pivoting the company’s mission and testing breakthrough technology, Claire shares what it truly takes to build a deep tech startup in a male-dominated field.

If you’re interested in the raw, unfiltered reality of building a hardware company from scratch, this one’s for you.

🔹 From Academia to Entrepreneurship – How Claire’s background in materials science and aerospace led her to founding Untap Health.

🔹 The Evolution of a Startup – How Untap pivoted from large-scale wastewater monitoring to targeted health surveillance in hospitals and care homes.

🔹 Scaling a Hardware Business – The challenges of developing, testing, and rolling out new deep tech solutions.

🔹 Fundraising Realities – Lessons learned from securing pre-seed funding and preparing for the next round.

🔹 Surviving a Tough Year – How Claire navigated personal and professional hardships, including the loss of her co-founder and sister, to keep Untap moving forward.

🔹 Building the Right Team – The impact of hiring a Chief Product Officer and the importance of aligning culture with company vision.

🔹 Women in Deep Tech – Claire’s experience as a female founder and the biases she’s encountered along the way.

🔹 What’s Next for Untap Health – Expanding into new markets, working with hospitals and farms, and the long-term vision for public health monitoring.

🌍 Connect with Claire Trant on LinkedIn

🔬 Learn more about Untap Health

📢 Hiring! Untap Health is looking for a Head of Business Development – Check out the role here

💙 Support Claire’s Charity Marathon for Diagnostics Research – Donate Here

👥 Join the Why Design community! Sign up for our upcoming events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events

🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte

🎧 Listen to Why Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music. Don't forget to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!