The Web Usability Podcast

Lucy Collins from Web Usability
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Join Lucy Collins, Director of Web Usability, as we explore what it takes to make the web a more accessible and enjoyable place for everyone. Whether you're a website owner, developer, or just a curious mind, we're here to share insights, tips, and stories that can help you improve the user experience of your digital world. Web Usability is an established User Experience (UX) agency. We are UX specialists. We provide inclusive UX research and advice to optimise your digital services. If you need a transcript of our podcasts, just visit our website at www.webusability.co.uk.

  1. Sep 24

    Ep45. Accessibility is more than disability: designing for outcome not diagnosis

    SummaryLucy Collins speaks with inclusive design advocate Matt Roberts about the relationship between accessibility, disability, and inclusive design. Matt shares how arthritis, colourblindness, and hearing loss have shaped his personal and professional perspective. The conversation explores why access needs can be permanent, temporary, situational, or invisible. Lucy and Matt discuss moving beyond diagnosis labels and designing around real human circumstances and outcomes. TakeawaysAsk what someone is trying to do and what is stopping them, rather than focusing only on diagnosis. Design for shared states such as fatigue, low energy, limited attention, or reduced dexterity. Consider a range of inputs and outputs, including keyboard, touch, voice, screen readers, captions, and adjustable text. Treat accessibility as a continuous learning process, not a one-time checklist. Observe how people interact with the world and use those observations to create more inclusive experiences. Sound bites“Accessibility is about designing so that more people in more circumstances can achieve what they came to do.” “I can’t switch on and off being colourblind. I can’t switch off having good and bad arthritis days. It’s just who I am.” “It’s everybody. It’s everybody in some sort of way and it will impact you differently at different times.” “Accessibility is good for all, but accessibility is essential for people with disabilities.” “Don’t think that you’re done. Don’t think you’ve completed it.” Find out more about Matt here... mattroberts.me / Linkedin

    Ep45. Accessibility is more than disability: designing for outcome not diagnosis

  2. Sep 10

    Minisode insight to action in one week: The UX research sprint

    Summary Lucy Collins speaks with Hannah Knowles about using a weekly research sprint to turn complex product challenges into focused, actionable insights. Hannah explains how her research sprint approach is inspired by design sprints, but adapted specifically for research questions. By breaking large, vague problems into smaller questions, teams can reach useful conclusions in five days without undermining the robustness of the research. The conversation covers the importance of setting clear assumptions, working closely with product teams and clients, and using a Lean UX Canvas to create a strong foundation for the research process. TakeawaysA weekly research sprint can help teams generate useful insights in just five days.Large research problems are easier to manage when they are divided into smaller, focused questions.Shorter research cycles help teams maintain momentum and avoid losing interest.Research findings can become less valuable when projects take so long that the product or problem changes.The Monday setup session creates alignment between the researcher, product team, or client.A Lean UX Canvas can help define the research goal, user problem, and key assumptions in around 60 to 90 minutes. Sound Bites“Why can’t I just break that big problem down into little sets of questions?”“Each week deliver something to them.”“It wants to take a big thing, make it into cute little chunks that I can deal with.”“Coming with a question at the start and delivering something in eight weeks’ time just isn’t feasible.”“The insights at the other end become a bit devalued.”“I’m a massive lover of a Lean UX Canvas.”

    Minisode insight to action in one week: The UX research sprint

  3. Aug 27

    Ep44. The AI agent: Your new user and how to optimise their experience

    Summary In this episode, Lucy Collins interviews Ed Whicher about the impact of AI on web design, SEO, and user experience. They explore how AI agents work, their current capabilities, and practical steps for website owners to prepare for an AI-driven future. Takeaways AI bots now make up more than half of web trafficAI agents can perform structured, repetitive tasks efficientlyTrust and context are critical when deploying AI agentsWebsites need to focus on accessibility and SEO for AI compatibilityRushing AI integration can lead to costly mistakes Sound bites “The traffic to websites is now more bots than it is humans.” “For every one human, there’ll be a thousand agents on your site.” “An agent takes the same brain and applies it to lots of different things.” “Agents are really good at the heavy lifting work.” Find out more about Ed here... Bouncing Bean: https://bouncingbean.uk/ Sort my site: https://sortmy.site LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bouncingbean https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwhicher/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-whicher-grant-6353b634/

    Ep44. The AI agent: Your new user and how to optimise their experience

  4. Aug 13

    Minisode how UX drives digital transformation at the IPO with Gill Richardson

    Summary Lucy Collins sits down with Gill from the IPO to discuss how user research can drive meaningful change inside a government organisation. They explore the balance between staying independent and working closely with design, analysis, and delivery teams to make research more actionable. Takeaways Independence can improve research qualityResearch works best when it’s embedded in teamsShared ownership creates better outcomesCo-design helps teams challenge assumptions earlyAccountability keeps user needs visible Soundbites “User research is a team sport.”“Everybody needs to get involved.”“We’re all part of that UCD community.”“Question how this design decision meets a user need.”

    Minisode how UX drives digital transformation at the IPO with Gill Richardson

  5. Jul 16

    Ep43. Building a humane web: how digital can work for people and planet

    Summary Lucy Collins is joined by Chris Lewis, Managing Director of Wholegrain Digital, to explore the idea of the Humane Web and why good digital experiences should respect both the people using them and the planet we all share. The conversation explores why accessibility, sustainability and human-centred design are inseparable, and why creating better digital experiences often requires organisations to be brave enough to trust real user insight. Sound Bites “Humane web principles that matter” “Design for people and planet” “Accessibility, trust, and empowerment” “AI should serve users first” Takeaways Humane web design is built on trust, empowerment, and human-centered thinking.Accessibility and sustainability are core parts of ethical digital design.AI can support humane web goals, but only when it serves real user needs.Success should be measured beyond traditional business metrics.

    Ep43. Building a humane web: how digital can work for people and planet

  6. Jul 9

    Minisode I bet your website isn’t accessible!

    SummaryThe Web Usability team explores why web accessibility still matters, what WCAG compliance means, and why many websites continue to fall short. She also highlights the business value of accessibility and the barriers disabled users still face online. Sound Bites“Why accessibility is still a challenge”“Most websites still miss the mark”“Accessibility is good business”“Inclusion starts with better design” TakeawaysWCAG compliance is still difficult for many websites.Accessibility improves both user experience and business reach.Inaccessible websites can cause disabled users to give up.Legal and ethical pressure around accessibility keeps growing.

    Minisode I bet your website isn’t accessible!

  7. Jun 17

    Ep42. Accessible video is better video

    SummaryIn this episode, Lucy Collins interviews Ross Exton, a video and multimedia producer with a focus on accessibility and visual storytelling. They explore what makes a good video, the impact of AI on video production, and how inclusive communication enhances engagement. Sound Bites"Your job is to convince the audience, not me""My hearing loss has made me a better communicator""Trust is key in AI-generated content" TakeawaysAudience-Centric Content: Understand your audience to create engaging and trust-building content.Accessibility by Design: Integrate accessibility from the start to enhance clarity and reach..Authenticity and Human Touch: Emphasise genuine human stories to build trust.Iterative Creation: Frequent content creation builds skills and confidence. Find out more about Ross here... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossexton/ Watch and Learn Productions: Watch & Learn Productions

    Ep42. Accessible video is better video

  8. May 15

    Ep41. The role of AI in UXR

    Summary In this episode, Lucy Collins chats with user research expert Nikki Anderson about the rapid evolution of AI in user research. They explore how AI tools are shaping research processes, their benefits, limitations, and the responsible ways to integrate AI without losing human nuance. Sound Bites "AI is transforming user research by accelerating processes and refining analysis." "Maintaining human strategic thinking is crucial despite AI advancements." "AI moderation has potential but cannot replace deep, nuanced conversations." "Ethical use of AI requires practical guardrails and human oversight." Takeaways AI enhances desk research and scenario planning, offering significant time savings.Over-reliance on AI can lead to a loss of critical thinking and depth.Practical guardrails are essential for ethical and effective AI use in research.AI-moderated interviews and synthetic personas have potential but also limitations.Human-AI collaboration is key to understanding diverse user groups.

    Ep41. The role of AI in UXR
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About

Join Lucy Collins, Director of Web Usability, as we explore what it takes to make the web a more accessible and enjoyable place for everyone. Whether you're a website owner, developer, or just a curious mind, we're here to share insights, tips, and stories that can help you improve the user experience of your digital world. Web Usability is an established User Experience (UX) agency. We are UX specialists. We provide inclusive UX research and advice to optimise your digital services. If you need a transcript of our podcasts, just visit our website at www.webusability.co.uk.

Information

  • Creator
    Lucy Collins from Web Usability
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Lucy Collins from Web Usability
  • Show Website
    The Web Usability Podcast