Top digital design podcasts in 2023

If you want to know what’s happening in the world of UX, UI, graphic design or service design, podcasts are usually your best bet. Not many of us have time to sit down and actually read books about UX, but tuning in to a quick episode of Google Design on the morning commute doesn’t take much effort. And you can often learn a lot.  

So which podcasts are worth your precious listening time? Here are some of the most popular design podcasts for 2023.

1. UXPodcast 

   Released twice monthly since 2011 by industry pros James Royal-Lawson and Per Axbom, the aptly named UXPodcast covers all the latest trends, big events and leading thinkers in UX and UI. It’s about breaking down those organisational silos and spreading good UX knowledge far and wide. Well worth a listen.

2. Google Design

   Want to know how some of the best UX operators in the world think and operate? Google Design is Google’s in-house design podcast, and it’s split into 3. two shows: Method and Design Notes. Method dives into the career journeys of Google’s UX designers (really interesting stuff) while Design Notes interviews creatives from all over the world.

3. DesignerUp Podcast

   Leading the charge for ‘mindful UX design’, host Elizabeth Alli brings us DesignerUp. It’s a podcast that looks at UX and UI trends, but also the psychology behind the medium, and how designers can incorporate creativity and mindfulness to become better at what they do. Good for those wanting a more holistic take on traditional UX.

4. The NN/g UX Podcast

   One of the most popular podcasts in the UX space, the Nielsen Norman Group (NNg) UX Podcast is hosted by industry expert Therese Fessenden. It began in August 2020, in the teeth of the pandemic, and each episode features exciting guest interviews with leading figures from the world of UX and UI. Mandatory listening for designers.

1. The Customer Experience Podcast

   Having clocked in more than 220 episodes, there’s a reason they call this The Customer Experience Podcast. Started by CX company BombBomb, way back in the dawn of the podcast revolution, it covers a huge range of topics, from lifecycle marketing and human emotion/psychology to sales processes, automation and video email. If you’re just starting your CX journey, start it here. 

2. Crack the Customer Code

   Hosted by global CX pros, Adam Toporek and Jeannie Walters, Crack the Customer Code has been going strong since 2014. Most episodes feature an interview with an industry heavyweight (they often get Fortune 500 leaders, authors, and up-and-coming founders), or broader musings on the state of CX, and what the current trends might mean. This one releases weekly.  

3. The Intuitive Customer

   The best podcasts hold your attention, but also leave you feeling slightly smarter. The Intuitive Customer is one of those podcasts. Hosted by customer expert Colin Shaw and professor Ryan Hamilton, The Intuitive Customer blurs the line between CX and market research, looking at the psychology behind user trends. It’s worth it for the banter alone.  

1. Design Matters

   Design Matters began in 2005 as a radio show, which makes it the first design-based podcast. Ever. And it’s still going strong in 2022. Design Matters covers more than just graphic design (recent episodes include the father of modern branding, David Aaker, and author Steven Heller, for example) but if you’re interested in the broader world of creative culture, this is the one for you. 

2. Deeply Graphic Designcast

   Deeply Graphic Designcast (or DGDC as it’s also known) is tailor-made for graphic designers. It features regular interviews with interesting creatives, plus insights into freelance life, tech trends and practical tips. The hosts – Nick Longo, Mikelle Morrison and Jordan Wilson – always keep things fresh and entertaining. A great resource for budding designers. 

3. Bounce the Block

   Feeling stuck in your work? The good news is, you’re not alone. Every week in Bounce the Block, photographer Emme Croman chats to creatives who are feeling…well, blocked. This one’s less about the technical ins and outs of graphic design, and more the mindset of being a successful creative. Topics include everything from comparison-itis to setting your rates. 

1. Service Design Podcast

   Continuing the trend of design podcasts named to optimise their SEO, we have Service Design Podcast, a collaboration between Dutch service designers Knight Moves and the Service Design Network. The episode are somewhat sporadic, but always interesting. New hosts Laurens Somers and Jeroen Depuydt took over in September 2022 – their recent episode about ‘activating agency’ is well worth a listen. 

2. Digital Insights

   The award-winning Boagworld Show might have died in 2021, but design expert Paul Boag has started a new podcast, Digital Insights, which began in March this year (if you need more Paul Boag in your life, you can also find him at One Footer In The Grave). Digital Insights is perfect, snackable, bite-size design content, from one of the best minds in the game. Each episode is only about 5 minutes.

3. Service Design Show

   A weekly crash course for service designers, and hosted by Marc Fonteijn (co-founder of the first ever service design studio in The Netherlands), Service Design Show released its first episode back in 2016. It’s one of the industry’s favourite podcasts, with a distinctly make-the-world-a-better-place-through-service-design vibe. Interesting guests, a lively host, and wall-to-wall service design. What’s not to like?

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This article was originally published on 14 December 2022