Tom Metcalfe - What does it mean to be a designer?
This week I’m joined by Tom Metcalfe — interdisciplinary designer, researcher and educator.
Tom’s journey into design wasn’t linear — from rally driving to getting into product design at DJCAD through clearing at 21. Since then he's had a yo-yo relationship with Dundee. From Dundee to London (via New Designers and Random International), then Bristol for 10 years and now back. Along the way, he’s developed a design practice rooted in place, interaction and thoughtful design.
We get into what it means to be a designer, the split between ways of seeing and ways of making and how design education really needs a shake up.
🔗 tom.scot
📷 @sky_over_fife
30 Apr 2025
Jolene Guthrie - Jo-AMI - Knitwear but not as you know it
Jolene Guthrie, founder of the knitwear fashion brand Jo-AMI (pronounced Jo Amy) joins me this week, talking about how you make knitwear cool, comfy and considered.
From internships and positions with the likes of Hayley Scanlan and Tom Pigeon to working with major fashion houses in London, Jolene has built a career rooted in hands-on experience and a deep love for knitwear. Why knitwear? She’s drawn to its magic—how and you can create a 3D piece from nothing but yarn. It also runs in the family with her great Aunt and Uncle owning Donbros Knitwear in Alloa in the 1960’s.
Jo-AMI began in the spare room of her mum and dad’s house in Dundee, using a 1960s Dubied knitting machine. That ‘studio’ has since grown, moving from WASPs to a shopfront in Douglas Court, and evolving into a brand that’s known for its considered, colourful, and unisex designs. Alongside running Jo-AMI, Jolene also works part-time at The Knit Shop, a micro-manufacturing factory in Dundee.
In this episode, we talk about the realities of building a creative business slowly and sustainably, how outsourcing her content to Greene Creatives has boosted sales and freed her up to focus on the making, and what it takes to scale without losing your core values.
https://jo-ami.com/
23 Apr 2025
Alastair Walker - 'Why not Dundee?'
In this episode, I chat with graphic designer Alastair Walker. After spending 13 years building his career in Manchester, rising through the ranks to creative director, Alastair took a step back to reassess. A four-month break in Vienna gave him the space to reflect and a desire for change eventually led him north to Dundee.
We explore the relationship between software skills and creative thinking, the importance of building long-term trust with clients and whether designers should be managing projects or focusing on the work itself. Alastair shares how joining Creative Dundee’s Amps programme helped him build early connections and why he believes Dundee has the potential to nurture and celebrate small-scale creativity.
We also get into the shifts between freelancing and full-time roles, and the bigger picture of what design means in and for Dundee. It’s a thoughtful and honest look at a creative career that’s evolved through curiosity, intention, and a desire to make meaningful work.
https://www.alastairwalker.me/
https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/series/the_follow_up
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