17 amazing UI/UX podcasts to help you be a better designer
Have you ever wondered what makes a person an outstanding graphic designer? In addition to hard skills such as a very good knowledge of graphic programs or a high sense of aesthetics, there are several things which are equally — some would say even more — important: the willingness to learn and develop creative skills, curiosity about the world or insightful observation of trends. A good designer will look for inspiration, pave new paths, try new things. But how to find this undying enthusiasm and time for learning in the course of everyday life?
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Why is it worth listening to design podcasts?
There are many ways to broaden your professional horizons. You can read books — despite the ever-changing trends in the User Interface Design industry, some basic laws in graphic design remain the same. You can also use the knowledge of experts on design blogs and dedicated websites.
However, podcasts are, in my opinion, one of the most beneficial educational materials. They allow for complete immersion in the subject of design, even when you do not have time for it. They are a source of valuable knowledge, inspiration, tips and advice on almost all aspects of product design: from strategy, through the UX process or the business approach to design.
Whenever you need to stimulate your creative powers or just want to listen to smart people — I present you a list of my 17 favorite design podcasts on broadly understood design. Listed alphabetically, I present it to you so that you can choose the ones that are most valuable and inspirational to you. That said, let’s get started!
(Oh, here’s a little disclaimer: podcasts with no more new episodes — or it looks like there won’t be soon any more — have been marked with ❌. But don't worry about that, they're still a great source of inspiration and knowledge, so go ahead and check out those archives too.)
99% Invisible
An exquisite voice of Roman Mars and technically excellently realized, 99% Invisible has been gathering listeners for almost 10 years. The podcast focuses on discovering the side effects, but also the strengths, and sometimes the funny aspects of things and processes in a human-designed world. It covers topics related to design, architecture, technology and more. The podcast is not about UI/UX design directly, but it can be a great inspiration and a moment of breath from specialized materials for graphic designers.
Try it out:
Alphabetical Order, Episode 468
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 20–50 minutes
Release of a new episode: every week
Design Better Podcast
It's one of my favorite podcasts on this list. Hosted by Aarrona Waltera and Eli Woolery, Design Better is based on conversations with the world’s leading creatives and design authorities, involved in creating the greatest products like Airbnb or Netflix. The opportunity to listen to these thoughtful conversations is especially valuable for UX designers. Great audio quality is another undeniable advantage.
Try it out:
Scott Berkun: How design makes the world
In a nutshell:
Duration of episodes: approx. 40–60 minutes
Release of a new episode: varied; usually once or twice a month
Design notes
This Google's Liam Spradlin podcast is a treasure trove of design principles discussed from the perspective of a person having years of design experience. It is a very interesting, informative collection of inspiring conversations about creative work, graphic design and the creative industry itself.
Try it out:
Dark Theme with KAYAK - 2020 Material Design Awards
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 20–30 minutes
Release of a new episode: varied; around 10 episodes a year
High Resolution
❌
The goal of this podcast, initially published as a limited series of YouTube videos, is to bring together the top 25 best creative professionals in a form of 1-hour insightful conversations. These in-depth interviews allow us to benefit from the experience of designers from collaborating with such big companies as Spotify, Facebook or Uber. It is a compendium of knowledge about the culture of design, good and bad design practices and design process and design thinking.
Try it out:
#24: Buzzfeed’s VP Design, Cap Watkins, on effective management and company culture that empowers
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 40–60 minutes
Release of a new episode: —
Metric – The User Experience Design Podcast
❌
Although no longer in production, this podcast hosted by Michael Schofield and Tim Broadwater, is particularly interesting due to the wide spectrum of topics it covers: from design, through strategy to user experience. It is also helpful for all the people who want to start their creative careers and enter the UX design world.
Try it out:
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 30 minutes
Release of a new episode: —
Ramblings of a Designer Podcast
If you're curious about the latest design news and you're short on time, Rambling of a Designer might be for you. Terri Rodriguez-Hong and Laszlo Lazuera, along with the wonderful guests in over 100 episodes, discuss the latest design news and innovations. In special episodes, they also focus on discussing and analyzing selected portfolios.
Try it out:
Ramblings of a Designer ep. 117 – Marlon McKinney
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 20–40 minutes
Release of a new episode: varied; usually every month
Revision Path
Revision Path is a weekly podcast dedicated to Black designers and developers around the world. Since 2013, in a form of in-depth interviews, Maurice Cherry with his team has collected over 400 stories of the best specialists: designers, creative directors, game developers, entrepreneurs and programmers of color.
Try it out:
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 60 minutes
Release of a new episode: every week
The Crazy One
The Crazy One is a podcast created by Stephen Gates, stuffed with practical insights to help you create greater products, increase creativity and be a better leader. His vast experience means that each episode is nothing but honest and useful tips supported by many years of own creative practice. It’s an award-winning show: 2020 Webby Awards Honoree Best Technology podcast, Inside Design’s #1 favorite design podcast, Springboard’s #1 must-listen UX design podcast and more.
Try it out:
Ep 116 Creativity: Understanding the new imposter syndrome triggers from remote work
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 40 minutes
Release of a new episode: varied; usually every month
The Hacking UI Podcast
❌
Great podcast by Saga Shrieber and David Tintner. Excellent conducted interviews with many authorities in the design industry, including Invision, Intercom and Facebook. Topics such as usability, user experience and research are often raised in the conversations. Definitely worth checking out no matter if you are a newbie or a pro.
Try it out:
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 60 minutes
Release of a new episode: —
The Honest Designers Show
❌
A pleasant podcast, maybe a bit more entertaining than the above-mentioned ones, but in no way inferior in content. Hosts — Tom Ross, Ian Barnard, Dustin Lee and Lisa Glanz — deal with many issues plaguing young designers in an enjoyable and fun atmosphere. If you are wondering how to find your style or how to find work satisfaction, The Honest Designers Show can be a bull's eye.
Try it out:
Episode 183: How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Your Peers
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 30 minutes
Release of a new episode: —
The UX Kitchen Podcast
❌
This podcast, loved by many, focuses on the broadly understood topics of UI/UX design and digital products, deals with myths, and helps young designers find their place in this creative industry. In simple language, Csaba Házi translates seemingly difficult issues, shares many great tips, practical advice and tricks, which may help in growing your freelance business.
Try it out:
What Can You Learn Analyzing Competitors
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 30 minutes
Release of a new episode: —
UI Breakfast: UI/UX Design and Product Strategy
In this podcast, which has been broadcasted since 2013, the host Jane Portman interviews industry experts from UX-related fields. She proudly writes about her podcast as a source of “actionable knowledge that can be applied to your business”. It is an inspirational content to help UI/UX designers advance their skills.
Try it out:
Episode 230: Design Systems for SaaS with Pek Pongpaet
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 40–50 minutes
Release of a new episode: every week
UI Narrative: UX, UI, IxD, Design and Research
UI Narrative, like Revision Path, is devoted to the stories of people of color who made it as designers and now can share their inspirational thoughts related to AI, UI, UX or product design. The host of the show, Senior Product Designer Tolu Garcia shares personal stories, constructive advice, tools and information to help you build better products.
Try it out:
Designing For Emotion | James Castro-Griffiths, Elvie
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 20–60 minutes
Release of a new episode: usually twice a month
User Defenders Podcast
This Jason Ogle’s podcast aims to show us how to improve the user experience, how to design, and above all, if it’s worth designing things that make people's lives better. The User Defender Podcast, focused on self-development, has helped many people become better UI/UX designers, including myself — check out what it can offer you.
Try it out:
077: Conflict Resolution for People Who Hate Conflict with Josh Mauldin
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 60–90 minutes
Release of a new episode: usually every month
UX Podcast
So far almost 300 episodes loaded with knowledge and insights about business, technology and people, published twice a month are a great way to start your adventure with UI/UX podcasts. Very relevant topics that can affect your professional life — this is how I can describe this amazing podcast in two sentences. Created by James Royal-Lawson and Per Axbom, this podcast is just as humorous as valuable and in-depth on user experience design, so it's definitely worth checking.
Try it out:
#276 Creativity with Denise Jacobs & Chris Noessel (UXP Classic)
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 40 minutes
Release of a new episode: usually twice a month
What is wrong with UX
Podcast created by two extremely charismatic individuals: Laura Klein, author of “Build Better Products” and “UX for Lean Startups”, and Kate Rutter, principal at Intello. Let the description of this podcast be the words with which they greet the audience each time: “The podcast where two old ladies yell at each other how to make products suck slightly less”. Created with a huge dose of humor, What is Wrong with UX will allow you to delve into the meander of the user experience while also being a great entertainment.
Try it out:
Why Would You Use That Product
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 20–40 minutes
Release of a new episode: several episodes a year
Wireframe
Last on the list, but definitely one of my very favorite podcasts, Wireframe is a great source of inspiration. Entertaining and insightful, it covers a wide range of user experience and technology topics in varied discussions between experienced designers. It is a collection of lots of practical and creative design advice that will help you not only in your career in the design world but also in success and satisfaction in your professional life.
Try it out:
How streaming services design interfaces to keep us watching
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 30 minutes
Release of a new episode: several episodes a year
Bonus – UX Research Geeks
Here’s a new series from UXtweak: UX Research Geeks. It’s a podcast centered around User Experience, Research, Design, and more. Tina Lickova – the host of the podcast invites many interesting guests to answer questions about UX coaching, healthcare and UX, the current state of UX, and many taboo themes that are not always discussed.
UX RG is also popular in the community, having tens of five-star reviews and thousands of listeners all over the world. Among the guests that sat in her hot seat was Kevin Liang from Zero to UX, Debbie Levitt from Delta CX, Cammille-Kramer Courbarioux, Elizabeth Akpan from the pan-African YUX, and many many more! Feel free to take a listen!
Try it out:
Running a UX business in the Pan-African continent
In a nutshell:
Duration: approx. 50 minutes
It’s a new series with 7 released episodes, starting from 25 April 2022
Conclusion
Podcasts are becoming a more and more popular source of knowledge. As you see, there is a wide variety of materials related to design, touching topics from its broad spectrum. May the lack of time never be an excuse again — check out my suggestions, subscribe to channels that interest you most and remember: you never know what will inspire your next great project.
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