Designing Play: How Rémi Bigot Built Bitpong and a Creative Hardware Studio in Berlin

What do furniture exhibitions, glowing tables, and digital design have in common? For Rémi, founder of Diplik, they’re all stops on a creative journey that ultimately led to Bitpong; a tech-enhanced, interactive ping-pong table that feels equal parts sport, art installation, and arcade. From early ambitions in car design to studying industrial design in northern France, to guest lecturing and building his own hardware studio in Berlin, Rémi’s story is a reminder that creative careers rarely move in straight lines. Bitpong didn’t emerge from a sudden idea. It came from years of exploring where technology meets physical experience. In this episode of Why Design, host Chris Whyte sits down with Rémi to explore the realities of building a hardware product in 2025, the compromises that shape every designer, and why the best ideas still begin with curiosity.  Don’t just listen. Go beyond the podcast. Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events  💡 What You’ll Learn 🎨 Why design often begins as a “compromise” between art and engineering 💡 How a single furniture exhibition changed the trajectory of Rémi’s career 🎮 The design story behind Bitpong and what makes playful products so hard to build 🏓 Why running a small hardware company requires resilience, iteration and long-term thinking 🧰 The role of cross-functional collaboration in bringing interactive products to life  💬 Memorable Quotes “Design became the bridge between engineering and creativity, the compromise that made sense.” “You need inspiring things early on. A drill doesn’t make you want to become a designer.” “When I say I studied design, what I really mean is I found a way to mix creativity, technology and play.” “Building hardware isn’t just about the product. It’s about what it takes to keep going.” 🔗 Resources & Links 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Amazon → whydesign.club 👥 Join the Why Design community → teamkodu.com/events 🔗 Connect with Rémi → https://www.linkedin.com/in/remi-bigot-03101a5/ 🔍 Explore Diplik → http://www.bit-pong.com/ 📸 Follow @whydesignxkodu on Instagram 🎥 Watch full episodes → YouTube.com/@whydesignpod 🔗 Follow Chris Whyte → LinkedIn.com/in/mrchriswhyte About the Episode Why Design is powered by Kodu, a specialist recruitment partner for the hardware and product-development industry. Through candid conversations with designers, engineers and creative leaders, we explore not just what they build, but why they build it; the belief, doubt, and persistence behind meaningful innovation. About Kodu Why Design is produced by Kodu, a recruitment partner for ambitious hardware brands, design consultancies, and product start-ups. We help founders and teams hire top talent across industrial design, mechanical engineering and product leadership. 🔗 Learn more → teamkodu.com