Simone Giertz on Making, Design, and the Journey from Shitty Robots to Everyday Inventions

Science Friday sits down with Simone Giertz, a maker, inventor, and designer, to explore a decade of building quirky yet surprisingly useful inventions and the design philosophy behind projects from soup-feeding robots to a half-dirty clothes chair. The conversation covers her YouTube journey, embracing collaboration, and tactics for solving everyday frictions in home life.

Overview: A decade of making and the through-line

The podcast opens with Flora Lichtman framing the world of makers and Simone Giertz's place on the spectrum between practical invention and playful absurdity. Simone explains how she started as a self-taught engineer, using humor and deliberately imperfect robots to lower the stakes and unleash experimentation. She reflects on how the phrasing queen of shitty robots became a badge she outgrew, highlighting the evolution from accidental comedy to tackling real, malleable design problems in daily life. The discussion also touches on personal growth, including how a brain tumor and recovery reshaped her sense of skill, confidence, and what counts as a worthwhile project.

"I think the design philosophy is very messy because I'm interested in a lot of different things" - Simone Giertz

From DIY robots to refined design philosophy

Simone describes the through line in her work as a pursuit of unique solutions. Early projects were intentionally imperfect takes on common problems, serving as a vehicle to practice building and testing without overthinking perfection. As she gained experience, she began to shift toward solving meaningful problems with careful craftsmanship, while preserving the quirky edge that defines her work. Flora and Simone discuss how this shift mirrors a broader arc from comedy to functional design, underscoring that important value can come from odd, memorable ideas that still work well in real life.

"The through line is unique solutions" - Simone Giertz

Collaboration and scale: how a village builds a project

The conversation moves to how large projects evolve from solo tinkering to team-based endeavors. Simone recalls that her Tesla pickup conversion was a village effort, with project managers, engineers, and mechanics shaping the final result. She contrasts this with her early days when she insisted on doing every step herself, partly to prove the work was truly hers. Now she embraces help and views her product line as a collaborative enterprise, leveraging a wider network to realize ambitious ideas and ensure quality across a broader portfolio.

"In the beginning of my career I was so adamant about doing everything myself" - Simone Giertz

Design for everyday life: solving normal day frictions

One of the standout moments in the interview is the chair designed for everyday mess, specifically a rail to hold half-dirty clothes. Simone describes designing not for the best day but for a normal day, a philosophy Flora captures as designing with empathy for imperfection. The chair concept addresses a common problem many people face—figuring out where to put items that are not fully dirty or clean enough for the drawer. The discussion broadens to how everyday objects can be redesigned to be more functional and considerate, turning mundane friction into an opportunity for improved user experience.

"not for our best day, but for our normal day" - Simone Giertz

Longevity online and the role of personality in making

Flora asks about the secret to staying relevant on the internet, and Simone emphasizes authenticity and genuine enthusiasm. The key is content birthed from personal curiosity rather than chasing trends. Simone notes that her channel’s growth has been a natural consequence of staying excited about the projects she pursues, and she highlights the importance of maintaining a self-directed focus to keep producing material that is both interesting and valuable. She also discusses how the online world shapes her practice, continually pushing her to innovate and reimagine what persuasion looks like in a creator-led engineering space.

"the secret to longevity, I think, is being genuinely excited about what I'm doing" - Simone Giertz

Future plans: junk drawers, white whales, and the never-ending quest to tinker

Towards the end, the talk circles back to practical design ideas—the junk drawer problem, a familiar foe for many, and how Simone approaches problem-solving methodically. When asked where she sees herself in ten YouTube years, she envisions continued activity in a product business that sustains her creative practice and keeps the channel alive with new, interesting projects. She reflects on the value of a speed of iteration that keeps ideas fresh, and how the YouTube platform, despite its challenges, remains a powerful force enabling her to pursue ambitious designs month after month.

"my white whales in some way are just small and infuriating" - Simone Giertz

Closing reflections: the maker’s path and the human element

The guests wrap with a candid sense of purpose: Simone feels she has found true fulfillment in making, continuing to design and build, and embracing the evolving landscape of new tools, materials, and communities. She expresses a clear devotion to crafting things that are both quirky and useful, suggesting that this combination is what keeps her motivated in the long run. Flora closes by praising Simone’s journey and the enduring appeal of curiosity and hands-on problem solving in science and technology culture.

"I would probably still be on YouTube" - Simone Giertz