3 years of design thinking - pause, reflect, celebrate!

Here are the links to the bodies of work mentioned by the listeners who asked us questions this episode:

Candor Dennis - The Event Playbook Coffee Chat Series

Liz Atkin - Refreshing Comms

Vaughan Broderick - Innovation Playbook

In this reflective episode, Lucy and Tracy celebrate three years of their design thinking podcast, sharing personal growth stories, podcast successes, and lessons learned.

They engage with listener questions, discuss the importance of empathy in design thinking, and explore the future of the discipline, particularly around longevity, education and leadership.

The hosts also share humorous moments from their podcasting journey and reflect on the significance of external validation.

As 2026 looms, Lucy looks forward to releasing her solo spin-off podcast 'Rebel by Design (Thinking)' and Tracy looks forward to starting a new role. They both express excitement for future projects and the continued evolution of design thinking within their chosen fields.

Key takeaways:

• Listener numbers and retention rates have exceeded anything they could have hoped for since they started the podcast as a fun experiment 3 years ago.
• Resilience and adaptability are the key lessons they've learned whilst recording.
• Empathy is crucial in design thinking and product development.
• When adopted, design thinking principles can greatly benefit the education and longevity sectors, and aid with career progression.
• The importance of humour and fun in any journey.
• External validation is not the primary focus; the message is what matters.

As we press pause on our recordings for now, we'd like to thank every single listener and supporter. We've been blown away by the reach, engagement and connections we've had the pleasure of making this past 3 years. Don't forget to tune into Lucy's solo spin-off 'Rebel by Design (Thinking) in the new year.