The Resilient Designers Podcast

The Resilient Designers Podcast
Podcast Description
While design is increasingly seen as crucial to addressing complex problems, we often overlook the burden this places on designers themselves. When trying to change the status quo, designers often face resistance, experience uncertainty and feel stuck. Through open conversations with design practitioners and educators, we discover what skills, knowledge and attitudes are needed to become more resilient as designers.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Explores themes around resilience in design, the intersection of creativity and professional practice, and the importance of language and feedback in fostering growth, with episodes discussing topics like the role of poetry in design and the embracing of pluralism and ambiguity.

While design is increasingly seen as crucial to addressing complex problems, we often overlook the burden this places on designers themselves. When trying to change the status quo, designers often face resistance, experience uncertainty and feel stuck. Through open conversations with design practitioners and educators, we discover what skills, knowledge and attitudes are needed to become more resilient as designers.

What happens when the path forward isn't really clear? In this episode, Vim talks with three students from Delft University of Technology – Toby from electrical engineering, Wessel from architecture, and Lena from industrial design – about navigating the uncertainties of student life. From switching studies to tackling procrastination, from stepping outside comfort zones to managing diverse team dynamics and dealing with performance pressure, they share honest insights about what it really takes to find your way. How do you stay motivated when the vibe isn't right? How do you not feel imposter syndrome? When is 70% certainty enough to make a choice? And why might planning everything perfectly and then throwing it out the window be exactly what you need? This conversation explores the messy reality of student life, where taking baby steps, being open, and finding your own way might be the best advice of all.
Mentioned in this episode:
- WAVE student association at TU Delft
- The importance of taking breaks and doing something entirely different when unmotivated
- Time blocking and planning strategies (that you might not follow)
- The 9-to-5 approach vs. following your creative flow
- ”What Critique Looks Like” paper on giving good feedback
- Bas Flipsen and Stefan Persaud's research on team collaboration at IDE
- The value of spending time with your team outside of project work
- Architecture as learning from walking around and observing buildings
- The procrastination limbo and deadline-driven work
- Cultural differences in design approaches (Italian aesthetics vs. Dutch pragmatism)
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