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.
Episodes
12 episodes
Why We Still Tip for Service
Before you even see the total,you know another decision is coming.A percentage.A screen turned toward you.A quiet pause that feels heavier than it should.In this episode of Curious by...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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10:08
Why Grocery Stores Are Designed to Confuse You
You walked in for milk and eggs.You walked out with more.Not wildly more.Just enough.In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore how grocery stores became some of the most carefull...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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10:51
Why Daylight Saving Time Exists
Twice a year, we all agree to feel slightly off.The clock changes.Sleep breaks.Schedules wobble.And we just… accept it.In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore why Daylig...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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10:08
Why Airline Boarding Feels So Chaotic
Everyone has an assigned seat.The plane isn’t leaving without you.And yet… boarding always feels tense.In this episode of Curious by Design, we unpack why airline boarding feels chaotic, stressful, and strangely co...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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12:06
Why Elevator “Close Door” Buttons Don’t Work
You’ve pressed it.Probably more than once.And almost nothing happened.In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore why elevator “close door” buttons often don’t do anything, and why they still exist anyway....
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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10:08
Why Time Exists the Way It Does
Time feels natural. Constant. Inevitable.But the way we experience time today is almost entirely invented.In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore how time went from something humans observed, sunrise, seasons, cy...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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10:26
Why Billboards Look the Way They Do
You probably didn’t mean to look.But something landed anyway.In this special episode of Curious by Design, we explore why billboards look the way they do, and how they became one of the most effective attention-capture sy...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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11:15
Why Street Signs Look the Way They Do
Street signs are so effective that you barely notice them.You stop.You slow down.You go.Often without remembering why.In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore how street signs became one of th...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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14:29
Why the Workweek Is Five Days Long
Time feels natural. Constant. Inevitable.But the way we experience time today is almost entirely invented.In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore how time went from something humans observed, sunrise, seasons, cy...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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10:23
Why Bathroom Stalls Have Those Awkward Gaps
Why would a space meant for privacy be designed to feel so exposed?In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore the uncomfortable history behind American bathroom stalls, and why the gaps, open bottoms, and half-c...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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11:13
Why the QWERTY Keyboard Still Exists
It’s not alphabetical.It’s not intuitive.And it wasn’t even designed to help humans type better.In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore the strange history of the QWERTY keyboard—a layout create...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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6:49
Why Things Are the Way They Are : Curious by Design Trailer
Every product, city, system, and business around us didn’t just happen.It was designed, by people, under constraints, making tradeoffs.Curious by Design is a podcast about how things get built, and why they end up the w...
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Season 1
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1:22