Thomas Girard – Finding Creativity in Unexpected Places

Jul 22, 2025

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Thomas Girard brings a thoughtful lens to design, creativity, and resilience 🌍 — sharing why processes matter 🧠, and how the quiet work of reflection can shape the future of design 🚀.

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Episode Chapters:

00:00 – Why Design’s Processes Still Matter
00:30 – Welcome and Introduction
02:09 – Meet Thomas Girard
04:19 – Family Legacy, Photography, and Airports as “Non-Places”
07:33 – Cultural Similarities and Craving the Familiar
11:38 – Cities That Shaped Thomas’s Design Perspective
12:24 – Preparing for and Delivering a Two-Minute TED Talk
17:04 – Listening to Yourself While Public Speaking
19:00 – Overcoming Stage Fright and Speaking as an Introvert
21:30 – Breaking Out of the Design Echo Chamber
23:03 – The Strengths and Future of Design Education
27:00 – Pairing Design and AI Without Losing the Human Lens
33:07 – Low-Fidelity Prototyping Through Conversation
35:00 – Launching and Growing the Unique Ways Podcast
50:24 – Life or Death Typography and Teaching Students to See Type
57:30 – What Designers Must Not Lose as the Field Evolves

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Who is Thomas Girard?

Thomas Girard is a design educator, writer, and speaker whose work bridges creativity, innovation, and resilience 🌍.

He has:
✅ Delivered keynotes at UXIndia and Sorbonne University
✅ Earned multiple Emerging Scholar awards for his contributions to design
✅ Authored the memoir Son of Greg Girard
✅ Built UNIQUEWAYS, a podcast uncovering different perspectives on success and creativity

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Find Thomas Girard here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onthomas/
Podcast: https://uniqueways.ca

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Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:

Brendan Jarvis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/
The Space InBetween Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/