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Making Space for Makers: How Michael Korn's Blue Garage is Empowering London’s Hardware Community
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In this episode of Why Design, I sit down with Michael Korn, founder of KwickScreen, the modular screen company supplying every NHS trust in the UK, and Blue Garage, a unique makespace and creative hub in Lewisham built to support hardware entrepreneurs and product designers.
We unpack Michael’s fascinating journey, from studying manufacturing engineering and design at the RCA, to bootstrapping KwickScreen into a successful healthcare business. Michael shares hard-won lessons about the challenges of starting a hardware company in London, why manufacturing shaped his design thinking, and how listening and tenacity have been key to his entrepreneurial path.
Michael also takes us inside Blue Garage, a space created to provide hardware founders with the facilities and community he wished he’d had when starting out—think WeWork, but with machines.
If you’re curious about bootstrapping hardware ventures, creative collaboration, or building community-driven spaces, this episode is packed with inspiration.
Key Takeaways:
🔹 From Engineering to Design – How Michael’s manufacturing background influenced his user-focused, entrepreneurial approach to product design.
🔹 The KwickScreen Story – How a student project to solve infection control in hospitals evolved into a nationwide healthcare product.
🔹 Bootstrapping in London – The gritty reality of starting a hardware business without outside funding or proper facilities.
🔹 Listening & Learning – Why Michael credits his success to persistence combined with listening deeply to users and stakeholders.
🔹 The Birth of Blue Garage – How Michael turned a 38,000 sq ft former Travis Perkins into a vibrant makespace for London’s maker and hardware community.
🔹 Supporting Founders Differently – Why founders don’t always need accelerators or awards, sometimes they just need space, tools, and community.
🔹 Team & Legacy – How early hires at KwickScreen, including its now-CEO, have grown into leaders and founders themselves.
🔹 Community Events & Collaboration – How Blue Garage is helping freelancers, startups, and creative businesses collaborate and scale in the heart of London.
Resources & Links:
🌍 Learn more about Blue Garage
🔗 Connect with Michael Korn on LinkedIn
👥 Join the Why Design community! Sign up for our upcoming events, online huddles, and workshops: teamkodu.com/events
🔗 Follow Chris Whyte on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte
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