Curious by Design

About Curious by Design

Curious by Design is a podcast about how things get built, and why they end up the way they do. Every product, city, system, and business is the result of a series of choices. Some intentional. Some accidental. Some brilliant. Some… less so. Hosted by Jason Hardwick, this show explores the thinking behind the work: the history, the tradeoffs, the constraints, and the invisible decisions that shape the world around us. From design and engineering to culture, technology, and everyday systems we take for granted, each episode pulls on a single thread and follows it deeper than expected. This isn’t a how-to podcast. It’s a why-did-they-do-that podcast. If you’ve ever looked at something and wondered how it came to be—or how it could’ve been designed better, you’re in the right place. Welcome to Curious by Design.

Publisher

Jason Hardwick

Category

education · history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Jan 2026

Latest episode

27 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Apr 2026

   Why Electric Vehicles Are Designed the Way They Are

   Think about an electric vehicle. No engine noise. Instant acceleration. A dashboard that feels more like a screen than a control panel. It looks familiar… but it behaves completely differently. In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore why electric vehicles are designed the way they are—and how removing the internal combustion engine reshaped the entire architecture of the car. Traditional cars were built around one dominant component: the engine. It dictated layout, weight dis...

2. 

   23 Apr 2026

   Why Cell Phones Work the Way They Do

   Think about your phone. You tap a screen… Send a message… Load a video… Make a call from almost anywhere. It feels instant. Effortless. Reliable. But behind that simplicity… is one of the most complex systems humans have ever built. In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore why cell phones work the way they do—and how a global network of invisible connections makes modern communication possible. Cell phones don’t actually connect directly to each other. Instead, they connect ...

3. 

   20 Apr 2026

   Why Video Games Are Designed the Way They Are

   Think about the last time you played a video game. You completed a level. Unlocked something new. Maybe lost… and tried again immediately. Games feel engaging. Addictive, even. But that pull isn’t accidental. In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore why video games are designed the way they are—and how developers use psychology, feedback loops, and systems thinking to keep players engaged. Early video games were simple. Limited graphics. Basic mechanics. But even then, designe...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact Curious by Design

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.