In the constantly evolving user experience design field, keeping up with the latest practices and innovations is a must. However, with the coronavirus forcing many of us to stay at home, we can’t go to conferences or talk to our fellow designers in person. Even when we can Zoom them, they might not be able to Zoom us.
You could read a book, but you might have kids, pets, or other responsibilities that make it hard to have dedicated reading time. With Podcasts, we can learn from skilled designers while at home while doing other things at the same time. Here are three of the best:
User Defenders
In his super-hero themed podcast, Jason Ogle interviews people from all sorts of positions to teach UX designers how to create products that benefit the users. As this podcast is super-hero themed, he says on the podcast that he talks to UX “heroes” to learn about their “superpowers”.
The episode where he talks to his dad who worked as a NASA rocket scientist for 51 years would be an incredible place to start, but all of the episodes are very informative, motivating, and entertaining.
As Ogle says, empathy is the greatest superpower we have. This is especially true in these uncertain times.
The Futur
You may finally be starting that side-hustle you’ve been dreaming of now that remote work has given you more time. This podcast, hosted by the legendary Chris Do, talks about how business works in different design and technology fields.
If you like this podcast, Chris Do has also has made YouTube videos on how to work on your creative business during COVID-19.
The UX Hustle
In the newest podcast on this list, Sophia V. Prater focuses on how we as designers can improve our workflow and forge the career paths that we want. Akin to The Futur, this podcast can also help you start your creative freelance work, but this podcast centers on UX.
This podcast could also help with your job hunt if you are about to graduate. Even in this uncertain economy, Prater’s advice is timeless.
If you already listen to User Defenders, the episode where Sophia V. Prater interviews Ogle is a great place to start.
What else are you listening to?
These three UX design podcasts are my personal favorites, but there’s no shortage of great podcasts out there. Tell me your favorite podcasts in the comments and wash your hands!
