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Design · Episode 003
Latest episode
47:10
Designing for the next generation
Guest: Tom Okafor Season 6 · Released Thursday
About this episode
Design educator Tom Okafor has taught thousands of students — and says the curriculum is the easy part. The real work is teaching young designers to defend an idea, kill a darling, and present to a room that disagrees.
This week's nightcap covers portfolio truth vs. portfolio theatre, why craft still beats tools, and the classroom exercise Tom calls "the critique that changes everyone." A must-listen for students, mentors, and hiring managers alike.
- Runtime
- 47 min 10 sec
- Recorded
- 9:30 PM, Studio B
Key takeaways
01 — Critique is a skill
Giving and receiving sharp feedback is trainable. The designers who grow fastest are the ones who ask for the hard notes early.
02 — Tools expire, taste doesn't
Software changes every year; judgment compounds for decades. Learn the tool in a weekend, spend the career on the eye.
03 — Show the mess
The best portfolios show process, not just polish. Sketches, dead ends, and revisions prove you can think — not just finish.
Guest
Tom Okafor
Tom teaches communication design and runs a mentorship programme pairing students with working studios. Previously a product designer, Tom still takes on one client project a year "to stay honest."
"I don't teach students to make pretty things. I teach them to defend brave ones."
— Tom Okafor, Episode 003
