Designed for Life

This is the official podcast of the Design and Technology Association. 'Designed for life' aims to entertain, inform and inspire, bringing the worlds of business and industry together. Design and Technology is a wide-ranging curriculum subject that, along with qualifications in other facilitating subjects, can open doors to students across an ever-increasing breadth of career. England was the first country in the world to introduce this subject to its mainstream curriculum offer in 1988. Where we led others, have followed and in various guises, it is now taught in countries around the world including India, Australia, China, USA, France and Finland. This podcast consists of a series of short, informal conversations with people from across the worlds of education, industry and design. The intention is to help to link business, industry and education, as the solutions to tomorrows problems are being educated today!

All Episodes

Designed for Life

Designed for Life - In conversation with Nick Ford

September 03, 2024 • Tony Ryan CEO Design & Technology Association • Season 4 • Episode 10

In this episode, we talk with Nick Ford, founder of the design studio Pipsqueak and IP development specialist. Nick talks us through his school education, which took place at a time when neurodiversity was not so easily recognised or accounted for.
Several very diverse jobs followed as Nick sought to find his way in the world of work from a mechanics role that wasn't quite what he thought it would be to a cleaner in an engine machine shop and a motorcycle courier.

Whilst it is safe to say that none of these roles offered Nick what he was looking for, he gave each role his all, picked up information, and learned from each one.
All of the above eventually led to the creation of a company that designed and made working showpieces and exhibits for museums. It was leading up to the Millennium, and a lot of business and money was available to mark the start of a new age. Sadly, Nick and his business partner failed to see the inevitable shutting off of this ready income stream. The once highly profitable business quickly lost cash flow, and the company had to close as a result. Thanks must go to Nick for being so open about how this happened and for sharing the learning and scars that live to this day.

And so, finally, to Pipsqueak. I won't tell you how this new company got its enigmatic name—it's a great story that we include in the pod—but I would implore you to look at the diversity of projects that this design company involves itself in at https://www.pipdev.co.uk.

We cap this conversation off by discussing Nick's newly established company, Patentferret, created to help smaller designers and entrepreneurs protect their IP, a problematic field for many. We also discuss how Nick has helped over twenty school students with work experience and has used design principles to create a structure around this work, linking school students with university undergraduates seeking a working studio experience.

This is a wide-ranging and, I believe, really enthralling conversation with a designer who loves what he does and is leaving a legacy that continues to develop and grow through his work.

So sit back, put those earbuds in place and enjoy Designed for Life in conversation with Nick Ford.

As always, thanks to The Edge Foundation for their continued support of Designed for Life.

www.pipdev.co.uk