Design, UX, Worm Charming and gravy wrestling… what more could you want from a podcast about destination websites?

In this episode of Destination Unknown: A Destination Website Podcast by DestinationCore, host Neil Prentice is joined by Will Wright and Jay Pratt to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in destination marketing: the difference between design and user experience (UX) – and why it matters so much for destination websites, tourism boards and place brands.

After a quick catch-up on listener reactions to our Worm Charming story – and a new “weird and wonderful” detour into gravy wrestling in Lancashire – we get into the serious business of how visitors actually experience your site.

Drawing on years of designing and optimising high-performing destination websites, the team explore how great UX quietly shapes user behaviour, while great design makes your place stand out and feel distinctive.

You’ll hear:

• A simple, memorable analogy (involving a coffee mug) that explains design vs UX once and for all

• Why UX is about how your site works – information architecture, wireframes, flows and accessibility – not just how it looks

• How design brings your brand, personality and sense of place to life on screen

• The role of UX in helping users complete key tasks: finding things to do, planning a trip, or moving from browsing to booking or visiting

• Common mistakes destinations make when they prioritise visuals over usability

• Why modern destination websites must be planned more like products and less like static brochures

• How design and UX work together to support your goals as a DMO, LVEP, BID or place partnership

If you’re planning a new destination website, refreshing an existing platform or just trying to brief your designers more effectively, this episode will help you talk confidently about design and UX – and make better decisions that serve both your brand and your users.