UX Podcast

By James Royal-Lawson & Per Axbom

What's UX Podcast about?

UXPodcast™ is a twice-monthly digital design podcast - hosted by James Royal-Lawson and Per Axbom - sharing insights about business, technology and people since 2011. We want to push the boundaries of how user experience is perceived and boost your confidence in the work you do.

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UX Podcast episodes:

04.18.2024
The rule of three with Ellen Lupton
S02E15 (#325). Ellen Lupton, designer, educator and author, helps us stock up our toolbox of design principles and methods, starting off with storytelling in visual design, and the “rule of three” before we move on to linear and non-linear experiences....
04.04.2024
Sketching workshop with Eva-Lotta Lamm
S02E14 (#324). A slightly different episode to usual. Eva-Lotta Lamm joins us to hold a visual thinking sketching workshop – Eva-Lotta, James and Per have fun going through three sketching exercises set by Eva-Lotta that can help you with your...
03.14.2024
Change leadership with Maria Giudice
S02E13 (#323). We are in the age of design-driven change. Maria Giudice joins us to talk about being changemakers – How we can design change in a complex world. We start by looking at the history of change management and...
02.29.2024
The right question with Meena Kothandaraman
S02E12 (#322). Asking the right question and wanting to get a good response. How do we handle that as researchers? Meena Kothandaraman joins us to talk about our curiosity as researchers, the different lenses of inquiry we can apply from...
02.15.2024
Building trust in AI with Carol Smith
S02E11 (#321). How do we know when to trust a system? Carol Smith leads the Trust Lab team at Carnagie Mellon Universty, where they conduct research into making trustworthy, human centered, and responsible AI systems. Our conversation highlights the importance...
02.01.2024
Digital Ownership with David Dylan Thomas
S02E10 (#320). What does it mean to own something? We talk with David about the concept of ownership, going beyond the legal definition and into the wider concept of ownership and how digital artefacts lead us to re-think and re-evaluate...
01.18.2024
Experience strategy
S02E09 (#319). A linkshow. James and Per discuss two articles that have caught their attention. The articles in this episode are about pragmatic discovery; delivering value to projects, and how UX Strategy should focus on, understand, and design, across all...
01.04.2024
Lost history with Zoë Rose
S02E08 (#318). Zoë has been researching the history of some of the creative thinking methodologies we use as designers. In this episode she takes on a journey back to the origins of brainstorming, the double diamond, and design thinking.
11.16.2023
Hidden dilemmas
S02E07 (#317). A slightly different linkshow featuring two articles, one by James and one by Per. The articles in this episode are about how the experience of a delayed flight highlights the wider impact of poor service design, and how...
10.19.2023
Designer accountability with Kim Goodwin
S02E06 (#316). Reflections and Lessons from heathcare design. Kim Goodwin has spent many years working within the healthcare industry. We discuss design principles used in healthcare and how they are transferrable across industries, as well as how designers should be...
10.05.2023
Presenting design work with Ben Sauer
S02E05 (#315). Death by screens. Presenting high stakes design work with Ben Sauer. We talk about how presenting is an experience that needs to be designed, and we discuss some of the ways in which you can approach crafting a...
09.21.2023
Make it more so with Chris Noessel and Nathan Shedroff
S02E04 (#314). Sci-fi and AI. Over a decade on from our first chat with Chris and Nathan, after the publishing of their book Make It So – Interaction Design Lessons from Science Fiction, Per and James found themselves with the...
09.07.2023
Frugal computing
S02E03 (#313). A linkshow featuring two articles that have grabbed James and Per’s attention. The articles in this episode are about the need for low-carbon and sustainable computing and CSS media features that can be used for detecting user preferences...
08.24.2023
Get the words to work with Torrey Podmajersky
S02E02 (#312). Torrey Podmajersky, author of Strategic Writing for UX, joined us to help us get the words to work. Together with Torrey we highlight the importance of giving our work context as well as establishing a shared vocabulary.
08.10.2023
The leader’s journey with Donna Lichaw
S02E01 (#311). Donna Lichaw takes us on another enthrawling journey in our latest podcast interview with her. This time Donna helps us understand the value of finding out your superpower and becoming a superhero. What’s all that got to do...
06.22.2023
Season 2 update from James and Per
We’ve got an update for you about season 2 of UX podcast. After our 10-year long first season, we’re soon back for season 2. August 11th 2023 will see the first episode of the new season released.
03.23.2023
An update from James and Per
We’ve got a little update for you about UX podcast. We’ve been publishing an episode every other Friday without fail for just over a decade since episode 33, which is absolutely insane. It’s a streak of 277 episodes. 554 weeks....
03.09.2023
#310 Fudge design thinking with Anna Kirah
Power dynamics, egos, “I know best”. The ways in which we go about solving problems need to be challenged and changed. Anna Kirah joins us to help us facilitate that change and make a move from design thinking towards transdisciplinary...
02.23.2023
#309 Container queries and design thinking
Episode 309 is a linkshow. James and Per discuss two articles that have grabbed their attention – we feature articles about container queries being available to use in all major browsers and how design thinking was supposed to fix the...
02.09.2023
#308 Systems thinking with Sheryl Cababa
What is systems thinking and how can designers make use of it in their work? In her book Closing the loop, Sheryl Cababa lays out her answer and approach to this question. We talk to her and discuss some of...
01.26.2023
#307 Policy and design with Alexandra Schmidt
In this conversation with Alex Schmidt, author of Deliberate Intervention, we discuss “policy” in relation to digital design and tech. We discuss how even though designers intend to do good and have a positive impact, harm can still happen as...
01.12.2023
#306 Human centred design with Alastair Somerville (UXP Classic)
We are constantly simplifying the world around us and the people within it. This is a perfectly understandable reaction to the messy things we have to work with. But with every step back we are building a wall between the...
12.29.2022
#305 Dyscalculia and ChatGPT
Episode 305 is a linkshow. James and Per discuss two articles that have grabbed their attention – we feature articles about designing for people with dyscalculia and low numeracy, and How ChatGPT is blowing Google out of the water: a...
12.15.2022
#304 Building a content strategy practice with Natalie Marie Dunbar
Getting anything up and running takes both time and planing. Content strategist Natalie Marie Dunbar joins us to talk about her content strategy practice blueprint and how it can help you when building a practice. What to do in order...
12.01.2022
#303 Metacognition with Steve Fleming
We take a dive into neuroscience and metacognition. Thinking about thinking and thinking about other minds. We are joined by Professor Stephen Fleming, neuroscientist and author of the book Know Thyself to learn more about how our cognition works and...
11.17.2022
#302 Articulating design decisions with Tom Greever (UXP Classic)
We talk to Tom Greever about Articulating Design Decisions. How do we talk about our designs effectively with stakeholders? Every designer has to explain (and justify) their design decisions to non-designers but what are the skills tactics and methods that are needed to...
11.03.2022
#301 Informed consent with Kim Foulds and Joyce Rafla
Informed consent is a critical part of the research process. We talk to Kim Foulds and Joyce Rafla about how they made use of videos featuring Sesame Workshop muppets to make taking a consent decision more inclusive, accessible and informed.
10.20.2022
#300 Jokes and humour with Delia Chiaro
We’ve been tacking jokes onto the end of our shows since Episode 138. So to celebrate Episode 300, we take a look at jokes and humour. We’re joined by Professor Delia Chiaro, who has spent decades researching humour to learn...
10.06.2022
#299 Best practice with Rich Brophy
“Let’s find out what’s best practice and just run with that”. That’s something many of us will recognise and have experienced. But what actually is best practice? Is it something we should follow? And can we? Rich Brophy joins us...
09.22.2022
#298 Colonised Thinking and Figma
Episode 298 is a linkshow. Per and James discuss two articles that have grabbed their attention – we feature articles about how car culture colonised our thinking, and how Figma is making you a bad designer.
09.08.2022
#297 Complexity with Jonas Söderström (UXP Classic)
In this classic UX Podcast, Jonas Söderström joins us to talk about complexity. We like to think that we have made the world better through digitalisation, but perhaps all of the productivity gains were actually in the very early days...
08.25.2022
#296 Introvert designers with Tim Yeo
How do you make an impact as an introvert without pretending to be an extrovert? Often designers find themselves as quiet people in a noisy world, struggling in silence and being frustrated at not being heard. Tim Yeo joins us...
08.11.2022
#295 Discovery with Dan Brown (UXP Classic)
We need to ask the big hard questions at the beginning of the process so we can make good design decisions later. We talk to Dan Brown about the “discovery phase” or, as Dan suggests, the “discovery mindset”.
07.28.2022
#294 Sitemaps
Episode 294 is a linkshow. Per and James discuss two articles that have grabbed their attention – we feature articles about designing the perfect button, and how sitemaps are an essential tool in web design.
07.14.2022
#293 Designing for stress with Katie Swindler
We often find ourselves in stressful situations. Sometimes that’s expected, but sometimes it’s not. The same can be said about the things we design. Sometimes we knowingly design for stressful situations, but sometimes our designs are used (unexpectedly to us)...
06.30.2022
#292 Product management with Christian Crumlish
What is product management? And “product”? And product designers? We talk to Christian Crumlish, author of Product Management for UX People to learn more about how designers can collaboration and contribute in a product organisation.
06.16.2022
#291 Designing elevators with Reetta Ranne and Jussi Hiltunen (UXP Classic)
Lifts and elevators are things that we love to talk about in UX circles. Every elevator panel is capable of being the starting point for a user experience conversation. In this classic UX Podcast interview, we talk to Reetta Ranne...
06.02.2022
#290 Web3 with Laura Kalbag
Web3 is a term that’s getting a lot of attention, along with associated concepts such as blockchain, crypto, NFTs. There are a lot of concepts and phrases to understand, some of them quite technical, before we can get to the...
05.19.2022
#289 Diagramming with Abby Covert
Diagrams are everywhere and used by many people in many professions. But what is a diagram? When are they useful? And what makes a good one? Information architect and author of “How To Make Sense of Any Mess” Abby Covert...
05.05.2022
#288 Native emojis
Episode 288 is a linkshow. Per and James discuss two articles that have grabbed their attention – we feature articles about the problems with, and the alternatives to, the term “users” plus the surprisingly complex world of emojis.
04.21.2022
#287 Endineering with Joe MacLeod
Joe’s first book “Ends”, back in 2017 was focused on why we don’t do endings, and how that links into consumerism. Joe’s second book, “Endineering” is about how to actively design endings, a ‘how-to’ book for improving how products, services...
04.07.2022
#286 Reintroduction to Information Architecture with Donna Spencer (UXP Classic)
We get a reintroduction to information architecture with Donna Spencer. Donna shares with us some of the methods and tools she teaches as part of her workshops as well as look at some of the challenges that information projects can...
03.24.2022
#285 Brainstorming with Christopher McCann
Why don’t we just brainstorm that? Brainstorming as a tool for ideation has a number of drawbacks, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be useful. Design leader and leadership coach Christopher McCann joins us to discuss how we can improve...
03.10.2022
#284 Additive bias
Episode 284 is a linkshow. Per and James discuss two articles that have grabbed their attention – we feature articles about additive bias and the current state of mobile UX.
02.24.2022
#283 Core web vitals with Katie Hempenius
Your own vital signs are your heart rate, temperature, breathing and blood pressure. These are used to help get an idea of your health, and give a “heads-up” that something is not as performing as it should be. Google has...
02.10.2022
#282 Older adults and tech with Carolyn Wilson-Nash
Carolyn Wilson-Nash together with Julie Tinson, both from Stirling University, published a research paper entitled ‘I am the master of my fate’: digital technology paradoxes and the coping strategies of older consumers. Carolyn joins us to talk more about her...
01.27.2022
#281 Organisational trauma with Vivianne Castillo
We often think of trauma as something that individuals go through, but organisations can experience trauma too. Vivianne Castillo was part of producing a research-based report that reveals the ways that organisations respond to trauma. The report also puts forward...
01.13.2022
#280 Ethical experimentation with Craig Sullivan
Mass democratisation and access to AB test tooling has meant that hundreds of millions of experiments have been run on people, via digital products and services. Although we are not running pharmaceutical trials and tests, these experiments still raise numerous...
12.30.2021
#279 War Stories with Steve Portigal (UXP Classic)
For a number of years Steve Portigal has been collecting user research war stories. The stories describe experiences researchers have had whilst doing fieldwork. Awkward, morally challenging, painful, unsuccessful.
12.16.2021
#278 No, seriously, it’s been a year
Episode 278 is a linkshow. Per and James discuss two articles that have grabbed their attention – we feature articles about the era of design system in Russia and a status report on the toxicity in digital design.

What's UX Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

UX Podcast episodes:

The rule of three with Ellen Lupton

Sketching workshop with Eva-Lotta Lamm

Change leadership with Maria Giudice

The right question with Meena Kothandaraman

Building trust in AI with Carol Smith

Digital Ownership with David Dylan Thomas

Experience strategy

Lost history with Zoë Rose

Hidden dilemmas

Designer accountability with Kim Goodwin

Presenting design work with Ben Sauer

Make it more so with Chris Noessel and Nathan Shedroff

Frugal computing

Get the words to work with Torrey Podmajersky

The leader’s journey with Donna Lichaw

Season 2 update from James and Per

An update from James and Per

#310 Fudge design thinking with Anna Kirah

#309 Container queries and design thinking

#308 Systems thinking with Sheryl Cababa

#307 Policy and design with Alexandra Schmidt

#306 Human centred design with Alastair Somerville (UXP Classic)

#305 Dyscalculia and ChatGPT

#304 Building a content strategy practice with Natalie Marie Dunbar

#303 Metacognition with Steve Fleming

#302 Articulating design decisions with Tom Greever (UXP Classic)

#301 Informed consent with Kim Foulds and Joyce Rafla

#300 Jokes and humour with Delia Chiaro

#299 Best practice with Rich Brophy

#298 Colonised Thinking and Figma

#297 Complexity with Jonas Söder­ström (UXP Classic)

#296 Introvert designers with Tim Yeo

#295 Discovery with Dan Brown (UXP Classic)

#294 Sitemaps

#293 Designing for stress with Katie Swindler

#292 Product management with Christian Crumlish

#291 Designing elevators with Reetta Ranne and Jussi Hiltunen (UXP Classic)

#290 Web3 with Laura Kalbag

#289 Diagramming with Abby Covert

#288 Native emojis

#287 Endineering with Joe MacLeod

#286 Reintroduction to Information Architecture with Donna Spencer (UXP Classic)

#285 Brainstorming with Christopher McCann

#284 Additive bias

#283 Core web vitals with Katie Hempenius

#282 Older adults and tech with Carolyn Wilson-Nash

#281 Organisational trauma with Vivianne Castillo

#280 Ethical experimentation with Craig Sullivan

#279 War Stories with Steve Portigal (UXP Classic)

#278 No, seriously, it’s been a year

#297 Complexity with Jonas Söderström (UXP Classic)