Running a Bouldering Gym in Japan Hachi-san is the founder of Travis Bouldering Studio, located in Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan. This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/gQ6NL3sfccU Hachi's Links: http://travisbouldering.com/ https://www.instagram.com/travis_bouldering_studio/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGgEH-9thyCDPFy2ADfuITg/videos Table of Contents: 0:00:00 - Start 0:00:29 - Intro 0:01:36 - The State of Japan During Corona Virus 0:06:46 - Opening a Climbing Gym After 1 Year of Practice 0:11:51 - Difficulties to Open a Climbing Gym 0:18:17 - Travis Bouldering Studio's Location 0:25:59 - Comparison with Other Climbing Gyms 0:30:31 - Lead Climbing 0:34:40 - Designing Climbing Walls 0:43:31 - Designing Climbing Routes 0:51:37 - Why Does Hachi Speak English? 1:01:19 - PayPay and Cash in Japan and Pricing at Travis Studio 1:08:41 - Customers' Habits 1:12:46 - Marketing Travis Bouldering Studio 1:14:12 - Outro Tags: bouldering, rock climbing, climbing gym, bouldering gym, Kansai, Japan, Osaka, Hirakatashi, entrepreneurship, design, podcast, design exchange, Hiroshi Hachi, Thomas Grové

Design Exchange with Thomas Grové

DXP-026: Hiroshi Hachiga - Running a Climbing Gym in Japan

The Business of Sci-Fi Motorbike Design Daryl Villanueva is the owner of Bandit9, a motorbike design company based in Vietnam. His designs are unlike any other bikes out there. In this episode of the Design Exchange Podcast, we talk about his approach to design and business and get a sneak peek at some of his latest designs. Daryl's Links: https://bandit9.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bandit9_/ Special thanks to Royal Enfield Vietnam for allowing us to film there! https://royalenfieldvietnam.vn/ This episode is also available as a video: https://youtu.be/NIPM7SdzdgE Table of Contents: 00:00 - Teaser 00:33 - Intro 04:07 - Building Motorbikes 10:58 - Inspiration for Sci-Fi Bikes 16:22 - Advertising Motorcycles 20:03 - American Chopper and Taking Your First Steps as an Entrepreneur 25:22 - From China to Vietnam 28:07 - Next Projects for Bandit9 30:56 - Advice for Designers - from Sketch to Prototype 35:36 - Electric Vehicles, Motorbikes, DIY, and Cyber Truck 42:29 - Dealing with Haters, Criticism in Design, and Designing for a Niche 46:16 - The Reason for Producing 9 Bikes per Design 48:34 - Luxury vs Mass Production as a Business Strategy 54:08 - Managing Clients and Mitigating Risk 59:40 - Different Kinds of Financial Concerns for Startups 1:08:14 - Managing Work-Life Balance 1:19:18 - Book Project 1:24:08 - Outro

DXP-025: Daryl Villanueva - The Business of Sci-Fi Motorbike Design

Videogames, VJing, and Growing A Motion Graphics Studio Tung Khi is the founder and creative director of Box, a motion graphics design studio based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. special note: Tung has a thick accent, so we highly recommend watching the video version of this episode: There are subtitles you can read-along with and examples of Box's motions graphics are projected on the wall behind us throughout the interview. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/yBFEHgc0Vs0 Tung's Links: https://www.theboxcollective.tv/ https://www.instagram.com/theboxcollectivevietnam/ https://www.crazymonkey.vn/ https://www.instagram.com/tungcrazymonkey/ Software Tung Uses: https://www.notch.one/ https://smode.fr/ Podcast Links: http://dxsaigon.com/podcast/dxp-024 https://youtu.be/yBFEHgc0Vs0 https://sefu.jp/switch-bag/ Table of Contents: 00:00 - Teaser 01:09 - What is the Box Collective 03:22 - Tung's Early Career 07:24 - From Employee to Company Owner - Using Your Connections 09:10 - Team Growth, New Offices, and New Branding 11:56 - Where to Find Box on The Internet 14:13 - Typical Box Work and Box Clients 18:18 - Tung'Style 23:13 - Chuck Csuri 24:09 - Projecting on Murals 25:12 - Differences between Hanoi and Saigon 28:20 - Personal Work vs Corporate Work 30:50 - Scaling a Creative Company 32:38 - Typical Staff Background 33:46 - Good Clients vs Bad Clients 36:12 - Video Games: Arcades and Emulators 38:07 - The Story of The Switch Bag 38:59 - Consequences of Aging 44:02 - The Joe Rogan Experience and Elon Musk 45:05 - Tesla vs Vinfast 49:54 - Why Starbucks and McDonalds struggle in Vietnam 53:27 - The Nintendo Switch: Reigniting Videogame Love 57:06 - Design of The Switch Lite 58:04 - Crossplay - Fortnite and Fantasy Strike 1:00:09 - Unity vs Unreal 1:03:17 - Software Used for Motion Graphics and VJing 1:04:33 - Outro

DXP-024: Tung Khi / Crazy Monkey

Designing Affordable, Modular, Prosthetic Limbs and Building Humans Rafael Masters is the CEO of Vulcan Augmetics, a Vietnam-based startup that develops affordable, adaptable, and upgradable robotic arms. Links: https://www.wearevulcan.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafael-masters-81276678/ Table of Contents: 00:00 - Intro 01:51 - Affordable Prosthetics 11:44 - Design Concerns to Make Prosthetics More Affordable 19:07 - Customer's Journey 29:39 - Amputee's Mental Acceptance 36:06 - Company's Journey 46:14 - Elon Musk / Tessla's Cyber Truck Design 52:21 - First 2 Years of Operations and Investment 59:57 - Design for Maintainance, Practicality, and Dignity 1:07:35 - Outro Episode Hashtags: #Augmetics, #Prosthetics, #Robotics, #3dprinting, #Entrepreneurship, #Startup, #Vietnam, #Affordable, #Design, #DXP This podcast is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/MLRoTsqeBRw

DXP-023: Rafael Masters

Designing and Marketing Delicious Tea Aaron Shinn is a former #IDEO design lead and the cofounder of August Uncommon Tea who has been a dear friend for many years. We caught up on the streets of Osaka to discuss #futurism, Japan, and the nuts and bolts of designing and selling #tea. Links: https://www.aaronshinn.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ashinn/ https://august.la/ https://www.instagram.com/augustuncommon/ https://www.facebook.com/AugustUncommon/ Table of Contents: 00:00 - Start 00:50 - Intro to Aaron Shinn 01:40 - Dontonbori is the Fisherman's Wharf of Osaka 01:52 - Japan Neon, the 80's Future, and a Newer Future in Other Places 03:47 - Aaron Shinn is one of Thomas Grové's Design Mentors 04:40 - KPT Bryce and 90's Art Tools 06:21 - Realtime Rendering, VJing, Cloaking, Crazy Monkey 08:21 - August Uncommon Tea 09:15 - Availability in Japan 10:16 - The Economics of Running and Scaling A Tea Business 16:01 - Acquiring Customers through Advertising: Retargeting vs Prospecting 19:46 - Why Did Aaron and Gina Get into the Tea Business? And Where August Fits Amongst the Different Types of Tea Markets. 28:36 - The Process of Developing a Tea Flavor and the Link between Taste and Smell 34:06 - How Are People Preparing and Drinking August Tea? 39:35 - Random People Join the Fun pt 1 41:38 - Aaron Shinn's Role at August 46:27 - This is a Record of This Conversation 47:20 - Neil Stephenson - Cryptonomicon - Tea and Why Oversteaping Tea Makes It Bitter 53:20 - Can You Cold Brew Flavored Teas? 55:27 - The Development Process - What Percentage of New Blends are Failures? 1:00:26 - Customer Service and Dealing with Negative Feedback 1:10:05 - Random People Interaction Pt 3 1:10:54 - Tools for Ecommerce Pt 2 1:12:05 - Aaron Shinn Says Japan is a Different World. And Hiking the Kumonokodo Pilgrimage Trail. 1:14:03 - Outro This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/6XuDLZQvO9Y

DXP-022: Aaron Shinn

Acting, Directing, and Running a Theatre Company Dan Cooney is a professional actor, a director, and the founder of The Encore, a musical theatre company in Dexter, Michigan. Episode Links: https://www.theencoretheatre.org https://www.facebook.com/Encore.Musical.Theatre Table of Contents: 00:00 - Teaser 00:15 - Intro to Dan Cooney 00:50 - Dan's Acting Path 05:37 - A Pro Actor at Acting School 07:50 - "Schmackting" 11:47 - Difference between Acting on Stage and on Camera 13:30 - Advice for Aspiring Actors 20:38 - Learning acting and singing 25:34 - Advice for Young Actors - Meditation, Observation, Learn Yourself 30:06 - About Method Actors 34:18 - Directing 42:29 - Show Preparation 50:31 - From Acting to Directing 54:48 - Why Encore is Moving to a Bigger Space 58:12 - The Economic Effects of a Theater in a Community 1:02:18 - Outro This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/GSw1FSvzz08 The Design Exchange Podcast is produced by dxSaigon.

DXP-021: Dan Cooney - The Encore

Boutique Fashion Design in Vietnam Leo Huynh is the founder and designer of the Sinhtolina fashion brand. She makes the clothes that she wants to wear, characterized by comfortable open-back dresses suitable for warm weather. Leo's Links: https://www.instagram.com/sinhtolina/ https://www.facebook.com/Sinhtolina Table of Contents: 0:00:27 - Intro - Vietnamese and Spanish Names 0:03:55 - The Genesis of a Fashion Brand 0:06:40 - Challenges with Sizing 0:12:14 - Femininity in Fashion across Different Cultures and Ages 0:19:20 - Thomas Thinks Confidence is Sexy 0:22:52 - Leo's Design and Business Background 0:30:23 - Influencer Marketing 0:33:36 - Comparing Interior Design and Fashion Design 0:40:53 - Shrinking Issues 0:44:37 - Thomas's Frustration with Mass Production 0:53:42 - Brand Positioning 0:56:46 - Finding Inspiration, Human Observations, Corporate Creative Life 1:00:59 - Where Can You Find Sinhtolina? 1:03:05 - Origin of the Sinhtolina Name 1:05:34 - Outro This episode of the Design Exchange Podcast is also available to watch as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/lhecO_8DxwQ Tags: Fashion, Design, Dress Design, Saigon, Vietnam, Sinhtolina, Leo Huynh, Design Exchange, Podcast, DXP, Business, Entrepreneurship,

DXP-020: Leo Huynh

Running a Design Agency in Vietnam Vi Ton is co-founder and CEO of Studio BCA (Bo Cong Anh / Dandylion) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Vi's Links: https://studioboconganh.com/ https://www.facebook.com/StudioBCA https://www.linkedin.com/in/vi-ton-b07b9626/ Table of Contents: 00:33 - Intro 01:04 - Vi's Journey 10:33 - Business partnership 14:41 - Voice User Interface Design 22:54 - Artificial Assistants for Design 31:28 - Personal Implication in Entrepreneurship 37:05 - Human Resource Management 41:23 - Business and Identity Design 46:42 - Outro This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/-GRqScEw6WQCheck out our podcasting host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free, no credit card required, forever. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-4b5077 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Design Exchange with Thomas Grové.

DXP-019: Vi Ton

The Process of Photography David Dredge is a portrait photographer based in ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We talk about his latest exhibition, Mono, as well as his journey as a photographer and his motivation. David's Links: https://daviddredge.com/ https://www.instagram.com/daviddredge/ https://www.facebook.com/DavidDredgePhotography/ Table of Contents: 00:41 - Intro 01:07 - Art Exhibition "Mono" 04:13 - Photo Processing Part 1 06:48 - David's Use of Specific Printing 09:59 - Photo Processing part 2 15:46 - Panoramas 19:37 - David's Path to Saigon Part 1 29:09 - David's Path to Saigon Part 2 38:47 - Turning a Passion into a Job 46:07 - Process vs Final Output, Developing as an Artist 59:13 - Productivity, Ethics, and the Future 1:07:01 - Outro This episode is also available to watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/iMC-k8ePa8U Episode Hashtags: #Cyanotype, #Blueprint, #Printing, #Photography, #Portrait, #Podcast, #Art

DXP-018: David Dredge

Failure, Depression, and Success in Business Tam is a serial entrepreneur focusing on F&B concepts in Saigon including Saigon Siblings, Modern Hustle, and The Bean Store. Tam's Links: https://saigonsiblings.vn/ https://www.facebook.com/saigonsiblings/ https://www.instagram.com/saigonsiblings/ https://www.facebook.com/modernhustle/ https://www.instagram.com/modernhustlers/ This episode is also available to watch as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/11pZnayKGjE Table of Contents: 00:33 - Tam's Journey 02:03 - Saigon Siblings 06:43 - About Podcasts 10:22 - The Naked Director 12:39 - The Brand DNA of Tam's Businesses 17:23 - Entrepreneur's success and failure 25:36 - Scaling Business Part 1: Franchise 30:41 - Working to Cafe Noise, Music, or Silence? 32:12 - Scaling Business Part 2 36:31 - Success is Temporary - Entrepreneur's Depression 41:12 - Other People's Expectations - What is Success in Modern Times? 48:19 - How Critical is Exercise for Depression? 49:22 - Outro Episode Hashtags: #F&B #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Business #Vietnam #Saigon #Cafe #AirBnB #Podcasting #Podcast #DXP #DesignExchange #Depression #Failure #Success

DXP-017: Tam Nguyen Cao

Freelance Photographer in Vietnam and USA Reggie Doan is a freelance photographer who recently returned to Saigon from Portland. We discuss a wide range of topics in this interview including language, politics, culture, and photography.This episode is also available to watch as a video on youtube: https://youtu.be/fkz_U8lwgvo Reggie's Links: http://reggiejphotos.com/ https://www.instagram.com/reggiejphotos/ Table of Contents: 0:00:52 - Intro 0:02:04 - Reggie Doan's Professional Journey 0:11:30 - Vietnamese Guy in the USA 0:18:51 - Photography's Context in Portland and Inspiration 0:28:22 - Processing Photos 0:35:27 - Big Names and Pronunciation 0:43:54 - Differences between English, German and Vietnamese Languages 0:54:08 - Difference between Cultures 1:10:57 - Education and Healthcare Systems 1:21:15 - Free Speech 1:33:53 - Plus Size Models and Victoria Secret Protests 1:41:56 - The Impact of Protests 1:57:58 - Creative Industry in Saigon and Japan 2:08:17 - Outro Episode Hashtags: #gender #pronouns #politics #vietnam #portland #photography #podcast #dxp #designexchange 

DXP-016: Reggie Doan

Padi Master Scuba Diver Trainer in Maui Hawaii Jose Silva is a Padi Master DiveScuba Dive Instructor based in Maui, Hawaii. He has certified more than 1,100 divers and has logged over 12,000 dives. You can follow his Instagram @all4reef Table of Contents: 00:31 - Intro 01:28 - Jose Silva: Scuba Diving Instructor 06:25 - Problem Solving in Diving 10:59 - What's in Jose Silva's Mind While Diving 14:58 - Underwater Photography and Videography 17:08 - Underwater Risks and Skills 21:08 - Jose Silva's Top Diving Spots 24:53 - Traveling Around The World with Scuba Diving Equipment 28:56 - Responsibly Attract New Divers 34:45 - Responsible Human Behavior 40:13 - Everybody's Impact on The Environment 49:15 - Outro This episode of the Design Exchange Podcast is also available as a video podcast: https://youtu.be/t3nEYa5Jctw Episode Hashtags: #padi #scuba #diving #hawaii #maui #DXP #DesignExchange #podcast

DXP-015: Jose Silva

Teaching Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and Shuai Jiao in America Master Mollica is a 9th Degree Black Belt in Shaolin Tiger Kung Fu and a 7th Degree Black Belt in Shuai Jiao. He teaches Kung Fu and Tai Chi in Columbus, Ohio. I became his student 30 years ago. Links: http://mastermatt.com/ http://dxsaigon.com/ This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/odBU1PEEDzc Table of Contents: 00:00 - Intro Banter 00:38 - Chi Kung Meditation 01:35 - Mater Mollica's Martial Arts Background 06:13 - Master Mollica Was Surprised by The Popularity of MMA 10:43 - Thomas Suggests Game Design Inspired Rule Changes to MMA 14:21 - Martial Arts - Practice vs Competition, Technique vs Strength, Shuai Jiao / Judo / Wrestling / MMA 17:20 - Cardio and Endurance in MMA Competitions 21:52 - Everything Is A Technique - Training in Everyday Life and The Traditional Training Techniques of Chang Tung Sheng Shuai Jiao 28:45 - The Importance of Strategy in Martial Arts 29:55 - Taiyo Marang - Comparing Martial Arts Styles and Passing the Torch to The Next Generation 36:08 - Traditional Shuai Jiao Strength Training Exercises Demonstrated 40:45 - Tai Chi's Combat Application is Wrestling! 43:11 - Outro Episode Hashtags: #Kung-Fu #Shuai-Jiao #Shuai-Chiao #Sway-Jo #Tai-Chi #Chi-Kung #Chang-Dongsheng #Chang-Tung-Sheng #MMA #Martial-Arts #DXP #Podcast

DXP-014: Master Mollica

An iOS Audio Pioneer Speaks About Creativity and Technology Dan Walton is a computer programmer and entrepreneur with a specialty in audio software and crypto. He's a founder at The Retronyms, an app development house known for Tabletop, Wej, iMPC, and the very first Recorder app for iOS. Dan recently moved back to Columbus from San Francisco. Dan's Links: http://retronyms.com/ https://ethex.market/ https://cast.market/ Table of Contents: 00:28 - Intro 01:05 - Podcasting Basics, what is DXP? 01:56 - cast.market 02:44 - The History of The Retronyms 06:42 - Dan Walton: Instruments are the Ultimate Combination of Art and Technology 08:30 - Music Apps and Mobile Devices 13:26 - Is It Worth Developing Audio Software for Android? 15:11 - Hardware for Music Apps 20:50 - San Francisco and Columbus, Cities of Creativity? 28:17 - Other Occupations 31:50 - Company Establishment 36:47 - Blender and 3D Software, Open Source vs Subscription 42:23 - Computers and Performance 51:51 - Video Streaming 57:21 - Video Game Streaming 1:03:24 - Outro Episode Hashtags: #AcidTechno #iMPC #Rebirth #Retronyms #crypto #ethex #sanfrancisco #columbus #appdevelopment #dxp #podcast #dan-walton #musicinstruments This episode is also available to watch as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/qFg8dvYC9YQ

DXP-013: Dan Walton

Making Art and Experiences in Columbus Ohio Matt Barnes is a user experience and collage artist working out of Columbus Ohio. He recently started Barnes Cards, an irreverent and funky greeting card company. Matt's Links: - https://www.barnescards.com/ - https://www.instagram.com/misterbarnes/ - https://www.instagram.com/barnescards/ Table of Contents: 1:49 - The Art Journey of Mister Barnes 13:17 - Guerilla Marketing, Trash Art Objects on Twitter 17:12 - Designing A Leisure Club Based on Nostalgia 22:11 - Columbus Has Less Cocaine Than Miami 28:36 - Columbus is into Sports 31:34 - Mister Barnes Wants to Create Amazing Experiences for People 39:46 - Thomas Pontificates on Experience Design 48:30 - Civitas Now Was An Attempt to Merge Art with Advertising 51:20 - Matt is Hard Working - Does Everyone Have Creativity or Taste? What is Art? 59:42 - What Inspires Mister Bares to Make Art? Higher Dimensions Geometry. Urban Agriculture. 1:10:21 - Columbus Galleries 1:13:37 - Outro This episode is also available to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/US-L0nq2_mc Episode Hashtags: #ExperienceDesign #MisterBarnes #MattBarnes #DXP #Podcast #Columbus #ArtScene #Artist #Collage

DXP-012: Matt Barnes

Thomas is a veteran of the video game industry and founder of the Séfu fashion brand. Join him as he interviews people around the world working in creative fields to find out what gets them out of bed in the morning. General topics include: Design, User Experience, Techno, Crypto, Cyberpunk, Making Things, Expat Life, Cultural Differences, Consciousness, and Zen. This podcast is also available as a video on Youtube.

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Design Exchange with Thomas Grové

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