Best Ixd Podcasts (2025)

1
Service literacy with Lou Downe 41:29

10d ago41:29

41:29

S03E07 (#335). Lou Downe, author of Good Services and former director of design for the UK government joins us in this episode. We sat down with Lou and asked—Where is service design going wrong, and are we even doing service design? Among the topics we discussed were: The complexity of modern services and the complete reliance on infrastructure, a…

1
Defending against evil with Aarathi Krishnan 40:39

24d ago40:39

40:39

S03E06 (#334). Aarathi Krishnan is an international aid expert, specialising in humanitarian futures and strategic foresight. In a world where the sets of rules that have governed us as humanity are rapidly changing, how will we know if the solutions that we are designing now are going to be fit for purpose? Aarathi pushes the importance of account…

1
Fail early 42:42

1M ago42:42

42:42

S03E05 (#333). A linkshow. James and Per discuss two articles they’ve stumbled on. This time we feature articles about things that slow down your website’s experience and why you can’t do anything about it plus the concept of “failing early” but not in a “failing fast” startup way. Article one is Six things that slow down your site’s UX (and why yo…

1
More systems thinking with Sheryl Cababa 48:47

2M ago48:47

48:47

S03E04 (#332). Two years on from when Sheryl Cababa released Closing The Loop, her book about systems thinking for designers, we hear Sheryls reflections and insights about what she’s learnt during that time and we grapple with the challenge of applying system thinking as designers “out of the box”. We work in a complex space, with many complex as …

1
Murky middle with Christina Joy Whittaker 38:29

2M ago38:29

38:29

S03E03 (#331). Your destiny isn’t tied to a role. You were a person before your role. Leadership expert and strategist Christina Joy Whittaker talks to us about the murky middle, a phenomenon rooted in misalignment and purpose and quite distinct from imposter syndrome which is rooted in confidence. Christina shares her personal journey from corpora…

1
The Great Amazon Heist with Oobah Butler 41:39

3M ago41:39

41:39

S03E02 (#330). Oobah Butler, journalist and filmmaker known for his prankster antics, joined us to discuss his work, including “The Great Amazon Heist” and “The Shed at Dulwich”. Oobah highlights the relative ease of manipulating algorithms, such as TripAdvisor and Amazon, to boost fake products’ rankings. We also discussed the broader implications…

1
Dark mode 36:06

3M ago36:06

36:06

S03E01 (#329). In the first episode of Season Three, James Royal-Lawson and Per Axbom discuss the concept of dark mode, its benefits, and its implications for UX design, user experience and accessibility. We delve into the European accessibility directive, and the EN 301 549 European standard which includes a section on user preferences, requiring …

1
Epilogue 41:54

3M ago41:54

41:54

In this final episode, I reflect on things I learned by producing the show. See full show notes at: https://theinformed.life/2024/12/29/episode-156-epilogue/ Photo by Diego Jimenez on Unsplash.By Jorge Arango

1
Peter Morville on Exit Interview, part 2 32:37

4M ago32:37

32:37

Peter Morville is a pioneer of information architecture. He co-authored Information Architecture for the World-Wide Web, the classic O’Reilly “polar bear” book on the subject. In our previous conversation, I interviewed Peter about a big change in his life. In this interview, we turn the tables: he interviews me about a big change to this show. See…

1
Peter Morville on Exit Interview, part 1 51:03

4M ago51:03

51:03

Peter Morville is a pioneer of information architecture. He co-authored Information Architecture for the World-Wide Web, the classic O’Reilly “polar bear” book on the subject. This is Peter’s third appearance on the show. I asked him back because I wanted to learn about his decision to retire from IA consulting. This is the first of two conversatio…

1
Joe Natoli on The UX Team of One 37:57

5M ago37:57

37:57

Joe Natoli is a renowned UX design consultant, advisor, and educator. Now, he’s collaborated with Leah Buley on a new edition of her classic book, The User Experience Team of One. That is the subject of our conversation. See full show notes at: https://theinformed.life/2024/11/17/episode-153-joe-natoli/…

1
Andy Budd on The Growth Equation 41:32

5M ago41:32

41:32

Andy Budd co-founded pioneering UX design agency Clearleft. After leading and growing that company, he became an advisor, VC, and coach. He’s now written a book on how early stage startups can benefit from good design. That is the focus of our conversation. See full show notes: https://theinformed.life/2024/11/03/episode-152-andy-budd/…

1
Karen McGrane on Content Management 41:09

6M ago41:09

41:09

Karen McGrane describes herself as a “UX multi-hyphenate”: information architect, content strategist, technical communicator, accessibility advocate, and more. She’s co-founder of Autogram, a content management and design system consultancy, and author of two classic books on content strategy. In this conversation, we focus on how AI might affect c…

1
Scott Berkun on Why Design is Hard 36:03

6M ago36:03

36:03

Scott Berkun is the bestselling author of nine books on design, innovation, remote work, and more. His most recent book, Why Design Is Hard, is the second of a pair on why design makes a difference and how designers can best go about it. That is the focus of today’s conversation. See full show notes at: https://theinformed.life/2024/10/06/episode-1…

1
Tamsen Webster on Communicating Change 39:52

7M ago39:52

39:52

Tamsen Webster describes herself as “part message designer, part English-to-English translator, and part magpie.” She is also a consultant and author who helps leaders enact large-scale change. Her latest book, Say What They Can’t Unhear, explains how to drive lasting change through effective communication. That is the focus of our conversation. Se…

1
Luc Beaudoin on Hookmark 40:56

7M ago40:56

40:56

Dr. Luc Beaudoin is the co-founder and CEO of CogSci Apps, the developers of a brilliant Mac productivity tool called Hookmark. He is also an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University and author of two books on using cognitive science to improve productivity. In this conversation, we discuss the origins and philosophy of Hookmark, the concept of…

1
Chris Risdon on Service Design 43:02

8M ago43:02

43:02

Chris Risdon is a Senior Staff Designer at eBay. Chris describes himself as an interaction designer that tends to look through a service design lens. Alongside his co-author Patrick Quattlebaum, Chris wrote Orchestrating Experiences, which is an excellent guide to the practice of service design. In this conversation, we unpack service design: what …

1
Jodi Forlizzi on Designing With AI 46:00

8M ago46:00

46:00

Jodi Forlizzi is the Herbert A. Simon Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Forlizzi has a distinguished career as a service designer, researcher, design leader, and academic. In this conversation, we discuss the changing role of design in the face of disruptive new technologies…

1
A heartfelt update from James and Per ❤️ 2:29

8M ago2:29

2:29

This is an update to let you know that we are delaying the start of season 3 as Per is soon to have a heart operation. We’re aiming now to start Season 3 in the new year, once Per has recovered. Per is currently in preparations to undergo open-heart surgery in about a month’s time, which will also require a few months of rehabilitation. The operati…

1
Greg Petroff on the State of Design 41:35

8M ago41:35

41:35

Greg Petroff is a renowned executive design leader. He’s built and led design teams for companies like GE, Google, Compass, and Cisco. In this conversation, we discuss the state of design and how designers can have more relevance in today’s changing environment. See full show notes at: https://theinformed.life/2024/07/28/episode-145-greg-petroff/…

1
Colin Eagan and Jeffrey MacIntyre on Personalization 43:38

9M ago43:38

43:38

My guests today are Colin Eagan and Jeffrey MacIntyre. Although they work for different companies, Colin and Jeffrey share a common focus: how information technologies might offer more personalized experiences. They co-authored an article on the subject for A List Apart and Jeffrey gave an excellent presentation based on that material at this year’…

1
Harry Max on Prioritization 46:13

9M ago46:13

46:13

Harry Max is an executive player coach with a long trajectory in Silicon Valley. Through his consultancy, he helps senior leaders and their teams realize their visions by zeroing in on pragmatic solutions to complex challenges. And on that note, Harry’s written a new book, called Managing Priorities, that teaches leaders how to do just that. You ca…

1
Stéphanie Walter on Neurospicy 39:43

10M ago39:43

39:43

Stéphanie Walter is a UX researcher and designer based in Luxembourg. She’s prolific in sharing useful information via social media and her newsletter. Recently, she co-founded a new project, called Neurospicy, to bring more awareness to issues of neurodiversity in design. Neurospicy has evolved since we recorded this conversation, but as you’ll he…

1
Season 3 update from James and Per 2:23

10M ago2:23

2:23

This is an update to let you know that we have reached the end of Season 2, a sensible 10-month season this time rather than more than 10 years! It’s time for us to take a short break before we kick off Season 3 on August 9th. We are already busy with planning the episodes for the next season – which includes content recorded at From Business To Bu…

1
Rachel Price on Responsible AI 41:56

10M ago41:56

41:56

Rachel Price is a Principal Information Architect at Microsoft and teaches Information Architecture at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle. She was a guest on The Informed Life in 2019, discussing the role of structure in improvisation. Today’s conversation focuses on a subject that’s on a lot of information architects’ minds: how to responsib…

1
Interviewing users with Steve Portigal 39:25

10M ago39:25

39:25

S02E18 (#328). Over ten years have passed since the first edition of Steve Portigal’s legendary book Interviewing Users was released. Together with Steve, we reflect on how user research has evolved during the past decade, and how the importance of user research in order to understand people and their needs is still crucial. We discuss in-house vs …

1
Emily Campbell on The Shape of AI 38:05

11M ago38:05

38:05

Emily Campbell is a design leader and advisor. She brings thoughtfulness and depth to producing business results through design and helping designers develop their careers as they fulfill that mission. Like me, Emily is deeply interested in AI. She’s developing an emergent pattern language for working with AI, and that is the subject of our convers…

1
The President of Iceland 40:15

11M ago40:15

40:15

S02E17 (#327). A linkshow. James and Per discuss two articles they’ve stumbled on. This time we feature articles about how certain features of e-commerce sites have to go, and how a design mistake impacted civic engagement in Iceland. Article one is The lazy load, endless scroll, and color slicing have to go by Bethany Sadler-Jasmin. “UX... The pos…

1
Chris Aldrich on Cybernetic Communications 48:22

11M ago48:22

48:22

Chris Aldrich has the most multi-disciplinary resume I’ve ever seen, with a background that includes biomedics, electrical engineering, entertainment, genetics, theoretical mathematics, and more. Chris describes himself as a modern-day cybernetician, and in this conversation we discuss cybernetics and communications, differences between oral and li…

1
Strategic impact with Nathan Shedroff 33:28

11M ago33:28

33:28

S02E16 (#326). Nathan Shedroff, author of A Whole New Strategy, talks to us about how we as designers can have strategic impact. Through an expanded understanding of the context you are working within, and building both situational and operational awareness, we can bridge the gap between design and business. We look at how some of... The post Strat…

1
Dave Gray on Possibilities 42:35

12M ago42:35

42:35

Dave Gray describes himself as a possibilitarian. He focuses on helping people and teams realize their creative potential. Dave the author of several influential books, including Liminal Thinking and Gamestorming, which he co-authored with Sunni Brown and James Macanudo. He also founded the pioneering visual thinking company XPLANE. In this convers…

1
The rule of three with Ellen Lupton 31:22

12M ago31:22

31:22

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. Will we follow the rule of three and have a third topic? We talk about... The post The rule of th…

1
Nikki Anderson on Research Impact 31:51

1y ago31:51

31:51

Nikki Anderson is an independent user research consultant, instructor, author, and speaker. Nikki uses her background in education and psychology to mentor people and organizations on the value of user research. And now, she’s written a book to help them build up their research operations. That’s the focus of our conversation today. See full show n…

1
Sketching workshop with Eva-Lotta Lamm 58:39

1y ago58:39

58:39

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 creativity, team-building, visual thinking and much more. Grab some pens, and perhaps even a couple... The…

1
Michael Anton Dila on Oslo for AI 48:55

1y ago48:55

48:55

Michael Anton Dila describes himself as a “designer of conversation” and someone with a passion for starting things. Among the things he’s started are ventures in online learning, co-working, and mobile technology. He’s also held several leadership roles in an elite innovation unit in the U.S. Department of Defense. In this conversation, we discuss…

1
Change leadership with Maria Giudice 42:51

1y ago42:51

42:51

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 how we are now firmly in the age of design-driven change and that requires change... The post Change leadership with Maria Giudic…

1
Dave Elfving on Gray Area 37:11

1y ago37:11

37:11

Dave Elfving is an experience designer and educator. He spent eleven years at apple, where his last role was as Head of Interactive Strategy. These days, he’s my colleague teaching interaction design at the California College of the Arts. He’s also co-chairperson at Gray Area, a San Francisco-based nonprofit interdisciplinary cultural incubator. Gr…

1
The right question with Meena Kothandaraman 32:50

1y ago32:50

32:50

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 exploratory to validation. We talk as well about being curious and the skill of getting... The post The right qu…

1
Joey deVilla on Layoffs 35:53

1y ago35:53

35:53

Joey deVilla describes himself as an experienced, engaging, accordion-playing, golden-voiced developer advocate looking for a new role. He’s had a long career in the technology space and writes about his experiences in two long-running blogs, The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the Twenty-First Century and Global Nerdy. Recently, Joey became one of …

1
Building trust in AI with Carol Smith 35:26

1y ago35:26

35:26

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 of guardrails and ethical considerations in AI development, as well as to ask the right..…

1
Elizabeth McGuane on Design by Definition 34:14

1y ago34:14

34:14

Elizabeth McGuane is a UX director at Shopify and the author of Design by Definition, a book about the impact of language in user experience. As you might imagine, that’s a subject I’m keenly interested in, so I was excited to speak with Elizabeth about it. See full show notes at: https://theinformed.life/2024/02/11/episode-133-elizabeth-mcguane/…

1
Digital Ownership with David Dylan Thomas 47:53

1y ago47:53

47:53

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 some of the concepts that we have previously relied on. We talk about copyright, creative... The post Digital Ow…

1
Pierluigi Dalla Rosa on Interactive Environments 43:11

1y ago43:11

43:11

Pierluigi Dalla Rosa is an interaction designer at Humane, the makers of the AI Pin. But that isn’t the focus of our conversation today. Instead, we discuss novel computer interfaces in general, and interactive environments in particular. This is a subject that’s near to my heart, as it points to exciting possibilities for future digital experience…

1
Experience strategy 27:23

1y ago27:23

27:23

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 touchpoints, for the users – Experience strategy. Article one is Don’t get stuck in discover…

1
Nathan Shedroff on Strategy 43:19

1y ago43:19

43:19

Nathan Shedroff is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and educator. Like me, he teaches at the graduate interaction design program of the California College of the Arts. This conversation focuses on his new book, A Whole New Strategy, which teaches strategic thinking. See full show notes at: https://theinformed.life/2024/01/14/episode-131-nathan-she…

1
Lost history with Zoë Rose 47:07

1+ y ago47:07

47:07

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. It turns out that the origins, and even the criticisms, of these methodologies go back further... The post Lost …

1
2023 Year in Review 1:10:04

1+ y ago1:10:04

1:10:04

This episode is a compilation of conversations from 2023. It’s not meant as a best-of collection, but an opportunity to highlight some themes that emerged during our conversations throughout the year. The episode is also an experiment, with the themes being curated partly by an AI. Cover photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash. Show notes Episode 107:…

1
Steve Portigal on Writing, part 2 37:07

1+ y ago37:07

37:07

Steve Portigal is an independent user research consultant. He is the author of Interviewing Users and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries. Steve and I both have new books, so we thought it’d be fun to compare notes on writing non-fiction. In this, the second of two episodes on the subject, we focus on the process of writing. If you haven’t done s…

1
Steve Portigal on Writing, part 1 39:03

1+ y ago39:03

39:03

Steve Portigal is an independent user research consultant. He is the author of Interviewing Users and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries. Steve was previously on the show last year, talking about research skills. This conversation is a bit different: both of us have written new books, and we thought it’d be fun to compare notes about the process…

1
Audrey Crane on Shadow Design 36:29

1+ y ago36:29

36:29

Audrey Crane is the Head of Growth at DesignMap, a product and strategy design firm. She’s also the author of What CEOs Need to Know About Design, a book that helps leaders understand and tap into the power of design in their organizations. In this, Audrey’s second appearance on the show, we focused on how organizations can ensure they’re getting t…

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