NN/G UX Podcast
Episodes
60. Conversational Design and UI: Why Language Matters More Than Ever
29 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it actually mean to design conversationally? Not "add a chatbot" — but genuinely apply the principles of human conversation to t...
59. Getting Hired in UX: What to Do When Apply-and-Wait Isn't Enough
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating the UX job market has always had its ups and downs, especially with AI reshaping the industry. In this episode, host Laura Klein sits down ...
58. The Truth About Lean & Agile (Feat. Principal Experience Specialist, Laura Klein)
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you work in UX, you’ve probably heard the terms lean, Agile, and MVP more times than you can count. But knowing the terms doesn’t mean knowing ...
57. The Next Decade of UX: Why Psychology Matters More Than Ever (Feat. Thomas Watkins, Founder & Principal UX Architect at 3Leaf)
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Therese Fessenden talks with design psychologist and product strategist Thomas Watkins (host of The Design Psychologist and Product-Led Growth Leaders...
56. AI for UX Analysis: How Accurate Is It? (feat. Christian Holst & Jamie Holst, Baymard Institute)
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As AI-powered tools flood the market promising quick evaluations and audits, the conversation zeroes in on a critical issue: the reliability of these ...
55. Democratizing Research in the Age of AI (feat. Ned Dwyer, CEO & Co-founder of Great Question)
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The interest in “customer insights” is higher than ever, and more people are interested in both research insights and carrying out research on the...
54. Designing for Millions of Users (feat. Jay Dutta, Global Head of UX, Deutsche Bank)
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Therese interviews Jay Dutta—Global Head of UX at Deutsche Bank about how designing at scale isn’t just about reaching millions, ...
53. Why You're Not Getting Job Interviews (feat. Hang Xu, Design Recruiter)
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it really take to get hired in design today? In this episode, design recruiter and former product designer Hang Xu shares hard truths about ...
52. Rethinking Users as Ecosystems (feat. authors Mike Youngblood and Ben Chesluk)
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who do we really mean when we say “the user”? And who gets left out?In this episode, Therese Fessenden chats with cultural anthropologists Mike Yo...
51. The Future of Service Design in the Age of AI (featuring Erika Flowers, author of Practical Service Blueprinting)
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to design experiences in a world where pixels are no longer the focus? In this episode, service design thought-leader and author Eri...
50. Responsible AI Use for Research Analysis (feat. Alexander Knoll, Co-Founder of Condens.io)
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI can do more than it’s ever done… but there’s a lot of unfounded hype, especially when it comes to user research. When should you delegate tas...
49. Design Leadership & Org Design (feat. Peter Merholz, co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs)
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Peter Merholz—co-founder of Adaptive Path and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs—joins us to talk about what it really takes...
48. What is Object-Oriented UX (feat. Sophia Prater, Rewired UX)
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
UX practitioners often struggle with shifting requirements and increasing product complexity, making it difficult to design intuitive experiences. Obj...
47. Designing AI Experiences: What to Consider (feat. Caleb Sponheim PhD, NN/g)
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As AI continues to evolve, designers are increasingly finding themselves tasked with creating AI-powered experiences—often without prior experience ...
46. Getting Strategic About Research (feat. Kate Towsey, author of Research that Scales)
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As tech layoffs and budget cuts dominate the start of the year, UX teams are navigating a critical challenge: proving the value of research while doin...
45. Choosing Better User Impact Metrics (feat. Connor Joyce, Author & Behavioral Scientist)
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most experienced professionals in the industry will tell you that the best designs don't operate in a vacuum. Yet, most of our measurement approaches ...
44. AI & UX Research (feat. Savina Hawkins & Caleb Sponheim)
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To explore how is AI shaping UX research and analysis, host Therese Fessenden shares two interviews on the topic; one with Savina Hawkins, Co-founder ...
Bonus: Journey-Centric Design: The Evolution of UX Design Operations (feat. Kim Flaherty, NN/g)
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Product-centric design can be an efficient way to design interfaces, but it can often lead to disjointed and poorly optimized customer journey experie...
43. Responsible AI (feat. Paige Lord, Sr. Product Marketing Manager at GitHub)
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With AI developing rapidly, and AI policy often lagging behind, calls for responsible tech design and development are louder and more public than ever...
42. Icons that Work (feat Kate Kaplan, Insights Architect @ NN/g)
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Icons are popular components to incorporate into digital designs that can help simplify user experiences. But, not every icon is created equal. In thi...
41. UX Accessibility and Designing for Neurodiversity (feat. Stéphanie Walter)
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Accessibility isn’t a novel concept, but in the realm of digital design, it's rare to find a product or service that's truly accessible to a...
40. Managing Priorities (feat. Harry Max, author and managing partner at Peak Priorities LLC)
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“If you squint hard enough, every problem is a prioritization problem.” -Harry Max UX professionals are often faced with the challenge of managing...
39. Cross-Cultural UX Research (feat. Feifei Liu, International UX Researcher)
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Expanding into global markets is a key priority for companies in today's interconnected world. While many companies rely on translations for thei...
38. User Interviews (feat. Steve Portigal, Research Consultant and Author)
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into User Interviews with Steve Portigal, discussing their critical role in product development and design research. User int...
Bonus Episode: Design’s Role as AI Expands (Feat. Don Norman and Sarah Gibbons, VP at NN/g)
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
AI is changing faster than we can sometimes process and will likely do so for a while. The recent tech layoffs have also not spared UX professionals, ...
37. XR: Improving Learning Outcomes
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Extended reality (XR) experiences hold the potential to transform the way we learn, work, and collaborate. Specifically, it can make educational exper...
36. AI & UX: Innovations, Challenges, and Impact
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The surge of AI is currently changing the way we work and live. To avoid feeling left behind, it is important to engage with and understand these tool...
35. Wireframing & Prototyping (feat. Leon Barnard, Content Manager, Balsamiq)
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wireframing is an incredibly useful design technique to flesh out conceptual ideas and communicate them to others. However, with the advent of powerfu...
34. Data-Driven Decision-Making and Intranet Design (feat. Christian Knoebel and Charlie Kreitzberg, Princeton University)
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We often talk about measuring progress, but it can sometimes be harder to do in practice than in theory, especially when you’re combining mixed rese...
33. Tracking UX Progress with Metrics (feat. Dr. John Pagonis, UXMC, Qualitative and Quantitative Researcher)
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Measuring a user experience can be intimidating at first, but it's an essential part of determining whether your work is moving in the right direc...
Quick Update: Episodes Now On YouTube!
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
(But don't worry, we will still continue publishing future episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms!) Check out our YouTube C...
32. Conducting Research with Employees (feat. Angie Li, UXMC, Senior Manager of Product Design at Asurion)
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Research with employees might sound easy in theory: you work in the same company as the people you need to observe or interview, and you might not eve...
31. Service Design 101 (feat. Thomas Wilson, UXMC, Senior Principal Service Designer & Strategist)
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Members of our UX Master Certified community are applying UX principles to their work in a range of different ways. In this episode, we interview Thom...
30. Stakeholder Relationships (feat. Sarah Gibbons, Vice President at NN/g)
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Building stakeholder relationships is no easy task but it is crucial for getting buy-in, aligning expectations and ultimately building trust. But, wha...
29. UX Mentorship (feat. Tim Neusesser, UX Specialist at NN/g, and Travis Grawey, Director of Product Design at OfficeSpace)
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The importance of mentorship for personal and professional development is an often-discussed topic, yet it can be challenging to find a mentor or beco...
28. Games User Research (feat. Steve Bromley, author and games user researcher)
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what it's like to usability test a video game? Or what goes on behind the scenes of gaming studios as they prepare for big ...
27. Customer Journey Management (feat. Kim Salazar, Sr. UX Specialist at NN/g and Jochem van der Veer, CEO/Co-Founder of TheyDo)
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you ask experienced UX practitioners how to stay user-centric, you’ll inevitably hear something about the importance of customer journeys. Howeve...
26. The Evolution of UX (feat. Dr. Jakob Nielsen, Co-Founder & Principal, NN/g)
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The UX industry has recently seen what some call "unprecedented" shifts with layoffs and generative artificial intelligence rapidly changing...
25. Discount Usability: Expert Reviews and Heuristic Evaluations (feat. Evan Sunwall, UX Specialist, NNg)
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the recent surge in tech layoffs, a downsizing of UX labor means UX research is harder to do, meaning: research needs to be prioritized in really...
24. Artificial Intelligence: What Is It? What Is It Not? (feat. Susan Farrell, Principal UX Researcher at mmhmm.app)
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The term artificial intelligence, AI, is having a bit of a boom, with the explosion in popularity of tools like ChatGPT, Lensa, DALL•E 2, and many o...
23. Building Better Products with a Better Mindset (feat. Ryan Hudson-Peralta, Principal Experience Designer at Rocket Homes)
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Building exceptional experiences usable by all is no easy feat. Focusing on what can be influenced and accepting what cannot be changed are two critic...
22. UX, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence (feat. Kenya Oduor, Ph.D., founder of Lean Geeks)
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How has the UX field changed over the years? What does the future of UX work look like if scope is wildly expanding? Will we be automated out of a job...
21. Making Your Visual Designs Work Harder For You (feat. Kelley Gordon, Digital Design Lead at NN/g)
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Visual design takes a lot more work than just making things look pretty, and is a fundamental part of many user's experiences. Our digital design lead...
20. What Makes a "Good" UX Professional?
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to be successful in the field of user experience? There isn't a single, clear-cut answer, but there are a number of different skills...
19. Designing a UX Career (feat. Sarah Doody, Founder of the Career Strategy Lab)
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you thought about your career lately? Chances are, you have - given the buzz around the record high voluntary resignation rates during this “Gr...
18. Presenting UX Work in a Compelling Way (feat. David Glazier, Senior Staff UX Designer at Illumina)
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
UX professionals often find themselves saddled with the burden of convincing others to value UX work. David Glazier, Sr. Staff UX Lead of Digital Expe...
17. User Research Trends: What's Changed and What Hasn't (feat. Erin May and JH Forster, hosts of Awkward Silences)
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is no question that user research has changed over the last two years, but how significant are those changes? The answer is complex, but User In...
16. What's up with DesignOps? (feat. Kate Kaplan, Insights Architect at NN/g)
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As design teams mature in size and scope, the importance of intentionally designing and systematizing processes, approaches, and tools becomes increas...
15. The Metaverse, Blockchain, and UX (feat. Geoff Robertson, Founder & UX Specialist at Chockablock)
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A two-part podcast episode discussing the implications of decentralized computing and mixed reality on the future of UX work. Geoff's Website: geoffro...
14. Keeping Product Visions User-Centered (feat. Anna Kaley, UX Specialist at NN/g)
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Product visions can align a team and inspire a better future state. When visions stem from real user needs, the ideas that follow have the greatest po...
13. Special Edition: What's the "UX hill" you would die on?
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off Season 2, we're releasing a special edition episode, inspired by a tweet posted by @AllisonGrayce in Feb 2021, where she asks followers, "...
12. ResearchOps (feat. Kara Pernice, Sr. VP at NN/g)
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One might think user research gets easier when there are more people available to do it; but managing research initiatives at scale can be a difficult...
11. Solo UX: How to Be a One-Person UX Team (feat. Garrett Goldfield, UX Specialist at NN/g)
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Advocating for UX work is hard. It's even harder when you're the only UX professional on your team. That said, there is still hope for one-person UX t...
10. On Delight, Emotion, and UX - Flipping the Script with UX Specialists Therese Fessenden & Rachel Krause
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate our first podcast milestone, we flipped the script. NN/g UX Specialist Rachel Krause guest-hosts this episode, and interviews host Theres...
9. You Are Not the User: How the the False Consensus Effect Can Lead Good Design Astray (feat. Alita Joyce, UX Specialist at NN/g)
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Does having more experience in the UX industry enable you to make better design decisions by intuition? Does user research ever become a waste of time...
8. Thinking Beyond Interactions: Omnichannel Experiences and CX (feat. Kim Salazar, Sr. UX Specialist at NN/g)
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to create a great customer experience? As it turns out: a lot more than just a series of great interactions. Kim Salazar, Sr. UX Spe...
7. Lessen Digital Misery with Complex Apps (feat. Page Laubheimer, Sr. UX Specialist at NN/g)
05 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Keep it simple," is one of many great UX mantras... but how exactly does someone "keep it simple" when working with complex applications? In this epi...
6. Ethics in UX (feat. Maria Rosala, UX Specialist at NN/g)
01 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aren't all "user-centered" designs ethical by default if we're giving people what they want? Not exactly. Maria Rosala, UX Specialist at NN/g, shares ...
5. ROI: The Business Value of UX (feat. Kate Moran, Sr. UX Specialist at NN/g)
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do you evaluate the impact of UX work? As the world faces another bout of pandemic lockdowns, UX teams are finding themselves in a tough position ...
4. Creativity During a Crisis (feat. Aurora Harley, Sr. UX Specialist at NN/g)
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Diamonds are made under pressure," but what does that mean for creativity and productivity? Aurora Harley, Senior UX Specialist, shares some advice o...
3. UX Careers: Growing in (and out of) Your Current Role (feat. Rachel Krause, UX Specialist at NN/g)
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What does a typical UX career path look like? Are there even typical career paths in UX? How can you become a UX leader? What should new and seasoned ...
2. Empathy, Adaptability, and Design (feat. Sarah Gibbons, Chief Designer at NN/g)
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Gibbons & Therese Fessenden discuss empathy and adaptability as critical design skills (perhaps now more than ever) and share thoughts on ho...
1. What is UX, anyway? (feat. Dr. Jakob Nielsen, the usability guru)
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nielsen Norman Group is celebrating its 22nd anniversary by launching our very own NN/g UX Podcast. Join host Therese Fessenden as she interviews NN/g...