Episode 3

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Published on:

1st May 2024

Stefan Bridges' journey from designing Concorde interiors at FactoryDesign to Head of Design at Redbull

Episode 3 of The Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte at Kodu. New episodes every other Wednesday!

On this episode we were joined by Stefan Bridges, Head of Creative Design at Redbull.


Our conversation covered a range of topics, including Stefan Bridges' experiences working at Factory Design, McLaren, and Red Bull. Bridges discussed his decision to join Factory Design after being inspired by a feature in Design Week, despite the low pay, and the subsequent growth of the team. He also shared insights into his decision to join McLaren, emphasizing the allure of relocating from London and the substantial pay increase offered. Bridges then detailed his transition from McLaren to Red Bull, explaining how he was headhunted by his previous boss and attracted to the more creative and inspiring atmosphere at Red Bull.

The conversation also touched on job application strategies, media consumption habits, and potential future guests for the podcast. Chris Whyte and Stefan Bridges discussed the use of portfolios in job applications, the impact of digital approaches, and the rarity of receiving mailed portfolios in the current job market. They also shared their limited use of social media and emphasized the value of genuine career advice. 


lease excuse the sound and video quality of this episode. We hope you enjoy the content regardless :)


Connect with Stefan Bridges on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-bridges-63315a6/


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


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


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About the Podcast

The Design Journeys Podcast
For people interested in physical product design and development
Hosted by Chris Whyte, The Design Journeys Podcast is a podcast focused exclusively on product design and development careers. In each episode Chris interviews a founder or design leader from the physical product development space aiming to give listeners inspiration, insights and actions on how to further their own careers.

About your host

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Chris Whyte

Hi, I'm your host of the Design Journeys Podcast.

I'm also the founder of Kodu - a specialist recruitment consultancy focused exclusively on physical product development. It's the people who I've met in my years in the industry that inspired me to start this podcast.

When I'm not hosting the podcast, I help physical product brands, start-ups and design consultancies identify, attract and hire the best product design & engineering talent ahead of their competitors, across the USA, UK and Europe 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇪🇺

I focus exclusively on 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘴!)

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 & 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬:
✅ Do you have high growth plans for your physical product development and engineering division?
✅ Would you like to engage with and source those hard-to-find Design Engineers and Industrial Designers?
✅ Are you spending too much time in the hiring process only to find that the talent doesn't match your expectations?

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬:
✅ Are you interested in joining an exciting start-up, design consultancy or technology brand?
✅ Interested in honest, transparent advice as to which companies would be the best fit for you?

If you agree with any of the above, I know how you feel as I deal with people just like you every day.

I have successfully placed hundreds of design engineers, industrial designers, managers and directors into some of the world's most exciting technology brands, start-ups and consultancies.

My clients tell me they work with me because:

⭐ I focus on long-term relationship building, not transactions
⭐ I speak their language and understand their businesses and job roles
⭐ I’m professional, yet friendly and very approachable
⭐ My robust process significantly reduces time-to-hire

I’ve worked within consumer electronics, homewares, kitchen appliances, e-bikes, medical devices, gaming controllers, furniture, life-sciences, audio-equipment, vacuum cleaners and more!

Typically, I recruit the following roles:
💡 VP Engineering
💡 Engineering Director
💡 Design Manager
💡 Industrial Designer
💡 Product Designer (products not apps!)
💡 Product Design Engineer
💡 Mechanical Design Engineer
💡 Mechanical Engineer

Outside of work, I'm a wannabe rock star and a father to two teenagers. I support Manchester United and I'm terrible at FIFA/FC24 🤓

If you want to talk about my work or anything else, message me on here and I'll respond as soon as I can. Or you can reach me via:

chris@teamkodu.com

UK: +44 7538 928 518
US: +1 862 298 5088