The importance of inclusive design and how passionate people propel mission-led businesses towards their goals with Tom Malloy - Principal Designer and Inclusive Design Lead at Elvie
Episode 2 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!
On this episode we're joined by Tom Malloy.
Tom, a principal designer at Elvie, shares his journey in industrial design and his passion for inclusive design. He emphasizes the importance of being passionate about a cause or mission when applying for a job. Tom also discusses the value of cover letters and physical portfolios in standing out from other applicants. He highlights the need for a more modern and relevant design curriculum in schools. Tom concludes by mentioning his involvement with the Design and Technology Association to improve design education. Tom shares his journey from working at Hornby to joining Oxford Product Design (OPD) and eventually Elvie. He emphasizes the importance of design thinking skills and the value of personal connections in career transitions. Tom also discusses his passion for inclusive design and how it has shaped his work at Elvie. He highlights the need for a well-prepared and fair interview process, sharing a story of an interview faux pas.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Background
- 01:41 Career Journey and Role at Elvie
- 04:53 Studying Industrial Design at Loughborough University
- 06:12 Facilities and Changes in Design Education
- 07:01 Personal Connections and Networking
- 08:21 Internship at PTC and Education Program
- 10:54 Working on Scalextric for Schools Scheme
- 16:04 Importance of Design Thinking Skills in Education
- 20:46 Meeting Rupert and Joining OBD
- 21:43 Working with EuroPro
- 23:11 Joining Elvie
- 26:04 Inclusive Design
- 29:34 Interviewing at Elvie
- 35:18 Interview Faux Pas
- 40:25 Horror stories in recruitment and interviews
- 40:32 Favorite podcasts and books
- 41:33 Influences on social media
- 44:21 The power of AI tools
- 44:50 The problem with job adverts
- 46:23 Making job adverts more appealing
- 47:43 Standing out in an application
- 48:13 Passion and mission in engineering and design
- 49:28 The importance of a cover letter
- 50:46 Receiving applications in the post
- 52:06 Final thoughts and upcoming events
Takeaways
- Passion for a cause or mission can help designers and engineers stand out in job applications.
- Including a cover letter and a well-designed physical portfolio can make an application more memorable.
- There is a need for a more modern and relevant design curriculum in schools.
- The Design and Technology Association works to improve design education and steer away from outdated notions of design and technology. Design thinking skills are essential for designers, and the process of ideation and problem-solving is just as important as the final product.
- Personal connections and networking can greatly facilitate career transitions and job opportunities.
- Inclusive design aims to create products and services that are accessible and beneficial to a wide range of users.
- The interview process should be well-prepared, fair, and considerate of the candidate's time and expectations.
Tom's recommended podcasts:
- Sliced Bread - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07012sf
- In Touch - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qxww/episodes/downloads
Connect with Tom Malloy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/designbymalloy/
Connect with Chris Whyte on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte/
Learn more about Kodu Recruitment: https://teamkodu.com/
