The 14 best UX and product design podcasts, ranked
The best UX podcasts for product designers and researchers: research methods, design process, working with product and engineering, design leadership and careers. Practical shows about software design. Ranked for usefulness.
Michael Riddering (Ridd) (product designer; creator of Dive Club and the Figma Academy course)
one-on-one interviews with working product designers · 45-58 min · weekly · since 2023
Why it is #1: It is the most current show for product designers: guests are the people designing AI products and tools this year, and they show their real workflows. Few other shows get this close to the day-to-day craft of software design.
What it is like: Ridd talks with designers from companies like Shopify, OpenAI, Google and Anthropic about how they actually work, often with screens and files open. The talk stays on process, tools and decisions, not on design philosophy.
How are other product designers using AI tools in their daily workflow right now?
How do I build a prototype in code instead of only in Figma?
How do design teams at companies like Shopify keep quality high as they grow?
What do hiring managers look for in a product designer in today's job market?
Start with
Kyle Zantos - Our AI design workflows have changed (again).A walkthrough of how one designer's AI workflow changed over a year, with the tools and steps named.
Danny Martinez - Thriving in today’s design job market.Concrete advice on portfolios and interviews for designers looking for work now.
Erin May (senior VP of Marketing at User Interviews, the research recruiting company that runs the show). Carol Guest (product leader at User Interviews)
interviews with UX researchers and research leaders · 30-58 min · every two weeks, with breaks · since 2018
Why it is #2: It is the most consistent research methods show still publishing, with guests from NN/g, Okta, Coinbase and Workday. Episodes stay on how to run and sell research inside a product team.
What it is like: Each episode takes one research topic, such as measuring impact, research ops or AI in analysis, and works through it with a researcher who has done it. The vendor rarely comes up; the guests do most of the talking.
Therese Fessenden (senior User Experience Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group; Kate Moran and Laura Klein co-host some episodes)
interviews and discussions with NN/g staff and outside UX practitioners · 28-50 min · monthly · since 2020
Why it is #3: The advice is grounded in Nielsen Norman Group's research and training, so it tends to be careful and evidence-based. It covers both research and design, plus job hunting and goal-setting.
What it is like: Calm, structured conversations that answer one UX question per episode, often backed by NN/g research. It sounds like a good training session rather than a chat.
Peter Merholz (co-founder of Adaptive Path; co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs). Jesse James Garrett (co-founder of Adaptive Path; author of The Elements of User Experience)
host conversations, often with a design leader as guest · 45-60 min · every two to four weeks · since 2020
Why it is #4: It is the main show made specifically for design leaders, from two people who built one of the first UX consultancies. Guests are directors and heads of design dealing with the same org problems you have.
What it is like: Two veteran UX leaders talk through problems design managers face, usually with one guest. It is reflective but stays tied to how design teams are organized and run.
Anfisa Bogomolova (product designer and design educator; teaches the Into UX Design course). Ioana Teleanu (product designer and design educator; writes about AI for designers)
co-host conversations plus occasional guests · 20-70 min · weekly in seasons · since 2021
Why it is #5: It is the most useful show for the career side of product design: portfolios, interviews, levels and changing roles. The hosts are candid about what they got wrong.
What it is like: Two product designers with about 20 years of experience between them talk openly about careers, portfolios and the job market. It feels like advice from senior colleagues over coffee. It was called Honest UX Talks until 2026.
Lou Rosenfeld (founder and publisher of Rosenfeld Media, the UX book publisher; co-author of Information Architecture for the World Wide Web)
interviews with UX authors, researchers and practitioners · 25-40 min · irregular, a few episodes a month in season · since 2014
Why it is #6: Guests are often the people who wrote the standard books on research, information architecture and research ops. The short length makes it easy to sample.
What it is like: Short, focused interviews, often with the authors of UX books Rosenfeld Media publishes. Each episode covers one idea in enough depth to try it.
Eli Woolery (co-founder of The Curiosity Department; former director of design education at InVision). Aarron Walter (co-founder of The Curiosity Department; former VP of design education at InVision; founded the UX team at Mailchimp)
interviews with design leaders and creative people · 25-60 min · weekly · since 2017
Why it is #7: The hosts get senior design leaders from companies like Notion, Netflix, OpenAI and Wealthfront to talk about team culture and collaboration. The wider creative guests give perspective you will not get from UX-only shows.
What it is like: Polished interviews with a wide range of guests, from software design leaders to typographers and architects. Roughly a third of episodes are directly about product design teams.
What happens when a designer moves into product management?
How do designers and engineers collaborate when AI is in the workflow?
How do I keep creative energy over a long design career?
Start with
Randy Hunt: Notion and Etsy design leader on why the best design teams stay small.A design leader's case for small teams and how to run one.
Niyati Gupta: Netflix Product Design Lead on what happens when a designer becomes a product manager, and why your influence might not be in your title.What changes when a designer moves into product management, and how to build influence without the title.
Patricia Reiners (UX/UI designer and consultant; teaches an AI for Designers course; former Adobe creative resident)
short solo episodes plus occasional interviews · 20-30 min, interviews up to 60 min · weekly · since 2019
Why it is #8: It is the quickest way to keep up with AI tool changes for designers, explained by a working designer. Episodes are short enough for a commute.
What it is like: Mostly short solo episodes where Patricia explains new AI design tools and what they mean for UX roles, with an interview every few weeks. It is quick to listen to and focused on what to learn next.
How can I use Claude or other AI tools to build case studies and prototypes?
How do I keep influence as a UX designer when fewer meetings include me?
How do teams like Intercom prototype with AI?
Start with
#174 What Actually Gets Designers Hired in 2026 (and How I Build My Case Studies with Claude).What hiring teams look for now and a step-by-step way to write case studies with AI help.
#164 How Fin (Intercom) Prototypes With AI with Domingo Widen.How a product design team at Intercom builds prototypes with AI tools.
Petra Rajkov (senior UX researcher at UXtweak, the research software company that runs the show; took over from Tina Ličková in 2026)
interviews with UX researchers, plus short Field Notes recaps · 30-40 min, Field Notes 4-7 min · about every three weeks · since 2022
Why it is #9: It brings in researchers from outside the usual US tech circle, so you hear how research works in many kinds of companies. Episodes are short and stay on research practice.
What it is like: Plain, friendly interviews with researchers from around the world on one topic each, from healthcare research to research careers. Short Field Notes episodes pull out the main lessons.
Arpy Dragffy Guerrero (founder of PH1 Research, the product research consultancy that presents the show). Brittany Hobbs (research and insights leader; listed in episode notes as VP of Insights at Huge)
interviews with AI product designers, researchers and leaders · 45-58 min · every two weeks · since 2024
Why it is #10: It is one of the few shows focused on the UX of AI products rather than AI news. Guests include the Sentient Design authors and research teams at Microsoft and Atlassian.
What it is like: Interviews about designing and researching AI products: adoption, trust, failures and how roles are changing. The show was called Design of AI until 2026.
How do I design AI features that people actually adopt?
Why do AI products fail, and how can research catch it early?
How do I move from vibe coding to real AI-native product design?
How do I stay hireable as design roles change because of AI?
Start with
19. Upgrade from Vibe Coding to AI-Native Product Design (Metalab's Myles Palmer).How a design studio moved from quick AI prototypes to a real AI-first design process.
20. AI Shouldn't Be Like Bolting a Spoiler on a Crummy Honda (Sentient Design Authors Josh Clark & Veronika Kindred).How to design AI into a product's core instead of adding it as a feature on top.
Best for: Designers and researchers working on AI features
Skip it if: You do not work on AI products and want general UX topics.
Nathan Isaacs (producer of the show at UserTesting, the user research platform that runs it; UserTesting leaders rotate in as hosts)
interviews with UX, product, CX and marketing leaders · 28-60 min · weekly · since 2020
Why it is #11: Weekly episodes on research and experience topics with well-known guests, including past episodes with Jakob Nielsen and Teresa Torres. Useful for seeing how research connects to product and business outcomes.
What it is like: Interviews about customer research and experience design, now mostly about AI's effect on product teams. Some episodes are aimed at marketers or PMs rather than designers.
How do I build AI-assisted customer research workflows without losing quality?
Why don't customers trust AI answers that are correct?
How is AI changing the boundaries between design, research and product roles?
How do I avoid cultural blind spots in AI-powered research?
Start with
How to build AI customer research workflows without losing the human touch.How to add AI to research steps while keeping direct contact with customers.
AI is making UX research faster. But are we asking the right questions?.Why faster research output does not help if the research questions are wrong.
Best for: Researchers and designers interested in research's business role
Skip it if: You want episodes only about design craft; many topics are for marketers and PMs.
Chris Strahl (co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, the design systems platform that runs the show)
interviews with design system and product leaders · 35-55 min · irregular, about monthly · since 2019
Why it is #12: It covers design systems at enterprise scale with the people who run them, including teams at Ford Pro and Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. The archive of 140+ episodes is a strong reference for systems work.
What it is like: Conversations about how design systems and digital production work in large companies, now often about AI agents. It was called the Design Systems Podcast until 2026.
Jason Moore (UX veteran; co-produces the show through Moore+One). Ephie Risho (UX veteran and co-host)
co-host discussions, sometimes with a guest · 60-85 min · every two weeks, no new episode since July 2026 · since 2023
Why it is #13: You hear two experienced UX leaders argue through current questions without a vendor agenda. Good for leaders who want opinions to test their own against.
What it is like: Two UX veterans talk at length about UX leadership, team measurement and AI's effect on the field. It is loose and opinionated, with some off-topic banter.
Elyse Holladay (design systems practitioner and design engineer)
*Seems to be not active anymore
interviews with design system practitioners, plus short minisodes · 40-60 min · weekly in seasons; no new episode since April 2026 · since 2024
Why it is #14: It is the most detailed show on design systems practice, hosted by a practitioner rather than a vendor. The two seasons work as a reference even with no new episodes.
What it is like: Detailed conversations with people who build and run design systems, past the basics of tokens and components. Elyse asks for specifics rather than general answers.
Practical depth first: does an episode leave you with something you can use at work on Monday? Then the quality of the hosts and guests, whether the show is still publishing, and how consistent it is. Fame counts for little. Listener numbers are shown only when the show or a credible source has published them, with a link to where; we never estimate them. Facts were checked in November 2026.
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