Renae shares the thinking behind Future Materials, a self-initiated platform built to promote low-carbon, circular and bio-based materials for the built environment.

Our conversation touches on industry’s reliance on newness, questions the value we overlook in what already exists, and highlights the role designers play in influencing supply chains, behaviours and long-term outcomes.

This episode is a reminder that specifiers hold power in specification and every decision carries consequences. It also opens up a different way of thinking about buildings - as banks of future value.

The conversation explores:

• The idea of a ‘materials narrative’ and designing with context, locality and story.

• Resource recovery over demolition and reframing ‘waste’ as value.

• Barriers to change including cost, risk, regulation and industry inertia.

• Tensions between certification systems, storytelling and genuine impact.

• Designing for disassembly and the importance of construction methodology.

• Buildings as material banks, including material passports and digital twins.

• The importance of shifting from extraction to participation with the natural world.

We hope you enjoy.

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

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Future Materials

Foolscap Studio

Living Building Challenge

Green Building Council

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

It was super clear throughout this visit and conversation with Scott that Taylor Guitars has had great leadership, and it’s foundations are built on innovation, honesty and ‘doing things for the right reasons’.

The visit demonstrated many things for me – here are some highlights:

Efficiency, economic outcomes, and sustainability outcomes can coexist.

Taylor’s have implemented timber standards and processes that maximise yields and minimise waste without compromising fundamental business expectations. An example is how they have settled the optimal shape, size and length of wooden blocks for production of guitar necks.

Image of blocks that will make multiple guitar necks. Offcuts are untreated and have end-of life pathways (providing employees don’t get to it first for their own creative projects).

To address problems, you need to shed light to them.

Scott Paul shared a story on how the team identified soft plastics as a real problem area and something that they wanted to address. It was present on freight they received, internal material transfer, and used in packaging and guitar protection for the customer. To get an understanding of scale they gathered the abundance of this challenging material, bundled it up and placed it in the staff carpark, with the intent of fixing the issue.

By highlighting the issue, Taylor’s supply partners came forward and offered collaboration opportunities. What was most awesome is the employees found ways to help address elements within their control. Taylor haven’t fixed the problem yet, but they have made strides toward it.

This approach reaffirmed for me that dropping an issue into a group with awareness and contribution across the entire system (not one department, and solely internal) makes lighter work for identifying and enacting solutions.

Social licences should be leveraged for good.

Taylor have maintained a curious and entrepreneurship mindset and are known for challenging industry norms – for asking why and why not. They have introduced timber species, aesthetics and details that have challenged design-and-build traditions. Some have been met with industry (and purists) push back but Taylor’s approach has been for necessity of the continued sustainment of the profession.

A standout that I loved is the approach for introducing ‘different’ on their premium models as a way of positioning them as desirable rather than de-valued. This is a great learning for me.

Product can be an instrument for advocacy.

‘We are not sustainable’ sits clearly on Taylor’s website. And sure, there is some awkwardness for anyone who operates in the world of product-making when talking about sustainability - but Taylor are carrying their fair share and are consciously continuously moving in the right direction.

Each guitar has a story – why this wood, what it has challenged, what community benefited from it, what preservation is necessary. Not only will the guitars be used to write songs but they themselves are able to be used to educate. Taylor has initiated programs such as Ebony in Cameroon, Koa in Hawaii and Urban Trees in California – these are all admirable and meaningful.

Innovation oozes from this organisation and I got a real sense that it comes from the top. Not only was it demonstrated that freedom of innovation has been enabled for others, but it has been enacted repeatedly by co-founder Bob Taylor himself.

I could suggest that not having the hangups of ‘heritage’ (when compared with long standing competitors) enables Taylor their social licence, but I truly got the feeling that challenging and innovating is in the DNA of the organisation. Recently Taylor became 100% employee owned – again testament to the intent and value set of those that created the organisation and have stewarded it for the past 52 years.

I look forward to seeing Taylor Guitars continue to evolve, challenge, and own the space of sustainability innovation in their industry.

Story links:

Taylor Guitars YouTube

Taylor Guitars Website

2021 Article on Soft Plastic Wrap

In this episode of But Why? A Design Podcast, Eugene and Stirling are joined by architect Jimmy Thompson of MJA Studio to explore the idea that design has the power to enhance life.

Jimmy shares insights from years of practice working across housing and mixed-use projects, where the challenge is not just creating buildings, but shaping environments that support dignity, wellbeing and everyday experience. The conversation moves beyond form and aesthetics, asking deeper questions about the role architects play in creating places where people spend most of their lives.

At the centre of the discussion is a reminder that design decisions carry consequence. From light and air through to spatial planning and material choices, the built environment has the potential to elevate human experience when intention and care are applied.

The conversation also touches on a challenge within the design profession itself: designers often struggle to communicate the why behind their decisions.

The conversation explores:

• Architecture as a tool for enhancing everyday life

• The responsibility designers hold toward the people who occupy their buildings

• Housing as more than shelter, creating dignity, health and wellbeing

• Balancing professional success with humility in design practice

We hope you enjoy.

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

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

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MJA Studio

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

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?

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.

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platFORMed

& / OR Consulting

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

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.

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Perth Design Week

State Buildings

WA Museum Boola Bardip

Block Branding

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

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.

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Sarah Booth

Spacemarket

Winston Churchill Trust

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

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.

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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:

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Wasted by Design

Perth Design Week

Big Bash

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

But a new layer had been added.

It appears KFC have the rights to the ‘heads’ of attendees, so Budget Direct has taken an opportunity to design something for the ‘hands’.

A ‘sun’ made of a medium density foam type composition.

This is what I noticed:

• Kids and adults alike accepting two, sometimes three.
  One for each hand. One for the head. Often stacked on top of a KFC bucket hat.

• Discarding started before the first ball was even bowled.

• The smell of heated foam became obvious once they sat in direct sunlight, a reminder that these objects were never designed to exist in heat, time, or reality. Only in attention.

• These products could reasonably be considered harmful to both human health and the environment.

  

• They are not merchandise.

• They are not mementos.

• They are attention devices designed to become landfill.

And they are being pushed directly at children.

Yes, parents have a role in helping kids understand the impacts of accepting such material. But when brands and venues flood a space with free ‘things’, social pressure does the rest.

It is a design issue.
A system issue.
A responsibility issue.

Sure, I am probably going to come across as the fun police – but how is this ok?

Design holds power. Marketing holds power. And with power comes responsibility.

.

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.

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Subscribe now

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:

Buy Coffee

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

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 now

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:

Buy Coffee

Produced by us.

Music by Jessica Hooks.

Inspired by a week of conversations and observations.
Design rhetoric that felt detached from responsibility and the current state of our society.
Design holds power, and with power should come accountability.

Design for designer’s sake.
Ego blinkers on.
Help not,
for our world’s state.
Jazz hands here.
Transparency,
where?
Such an appalling trait.

If it resonates, feel free to share your perspective. If it challenges you, that is welcome too.

We are setting up the mics, tuning the sound, and getting ready to share stories, ideas, and honest conversations about design and the people behind it.

But Why? A Design Podcast explores design as something that touches everyone. From the spaces we move through to the systems we rely on, design shapes how we live, feel, and connect. Our goal is to ask better questions, uncover the thinking behind the things we often take for granted, creating awareness along the way.

Hosted by Eugene Hooks and Stirling Fletcher, the series will feature voices from across Australia and beyond of design, sustainability, and creativity. Some episodes will challenge what design can be, others will celebrate what it already is. All will invite curiosity and conversation.

We believe that design should be accessible, thoughtful, and good for people and planet.

Looking forward to sharing what we have been working on.

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