UX Podcast

This is an update to let you know that we have reached the end of Season 3. Have a great summer, and perhaps Per will see you at Camp Digital in Manchester, England, and perhaps James will see you at Web Summer Camp in Opatija, Croatia. References: Our Backstage mailing list get a heads up about the new season: Sign up here Contribute with your time as a volunteer: Support UX Podcast <– Always appreciated! Per Axbom speaking about the spectacular lies of maps at Camp Digital James Royal-Lawso

S03E11 (#339). Karen Hawkins, accessible design practice lead at Level access and chair of the W3C ARRM group joins us to discuss accessibility and design systems. Design systems can really help improve accessibility, but in reality design teams often don’t know their exact responsibilities, leading to accessibility gaps in implementation. We talk about considering accessibility from the start, and in the fundamentals of design systems as well as the need for a culture of inclusivity where acc

S03E10 (#338). About 15 years ago Katrina Alcorn suffered from burnout while managing a team of designers and raising a family. Drawing from her own experience, Katrina highlights during our conversation the importance of autonomy, connection, as well as purpose in the workplace. We discuss the ways in which burnout can be avoided and how to create a supportive workplace. Katrina emphasised the need for clear communication, flexible work policies, and healthy team dynamics. “We spend a lot of

S03E09 (#337). Cal Thompson, VP of Product Design and Research at Headspace, joins us to talk about the evolution of Headspace from a pure mindfulness app to a comprehensive mental health platform, including health coaches and therapists. We chat about Headspace’s internal culture and how they manage being a healthy workplace as a health company. We also discussed the importance of measuring success by using human outcomes metrics, such as stress reduction and improved sleep, rather than tradit

S03E08 (#336). Inspired by feedback from his booked UX for beginners, Joel Marsh has written UX for business. A comprehensive guide for designers navigating real-world challenges. We talk to him about his own journey from design principles to practical business applications. We chat about Joel’s VDP methodology: Value, Diagnosis, and Probability, emphasizing the importance of understanding user needs and business goals. Joel stresses the need for designers to communicate effectively with stakeh

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, as well as the importance of service literacy for leaders. “Sometimes it’s the first time that [managers] have seen or experienced the service that t