NN/G UX Podcast

Nielsen Norman Group

The Nielsen Norman Group (NN/G) UX Podcast is a podcast on user experience research, design, strategy, and professions, hosted by Senior User Experience Specialist Therese Fessenden. Join us every month as she interviews industry experts, covering common questions, hot takes on pressing UX topics, and tips for building truly great user experiences. For free UX resources, references, and information on UX Certification opportunities, go to: www.nngroup.com

  1. JAN 28

    57. The Next Decade of UX: Why Psychology Matters More Than Ever (Feat. Thomas Watkins, Founder & Principal UX Architect at 3Leaf)

    Therese Fessenden talks with design psychologist and product strategist Thomas Watkins (host of The Design Psychologist and Product-Led Growth Leaders) about why understanding the human mind is still a true superpower for designers, researchers, and product teams. They explore how products subtly shape our behavior and identity, why over-relying on templates and patterns can flatten experiences instead of differentiating them, the risks of personifying AI tools, and the practical ways practitioners can use psychology and AI together to automate the tedious parts of work while staying human-centered and creating products that truly fit into people’s lives. About Thomas Watkins: Bio | LinkedIn The Design Psychologist PodcastProduct-Led Growth Leaders Podcast3Leaf Consulting (Thomas’ Design Team)Related Live Online Training: The Human Mind & Usability Free NN/g Study Guides & Articles: Psychology Study GuideHumanizing AI Is a TrapThe ELIZA Effect: Why We Love AIThe 4 Degrees of Anthropomorphism of Generative AI

    50 min

  2. 12/19/2025

    56. AI for UX Analysis: How Accurate Is It? (feat. Christian Holst & Jamie Holst, Baymard Institute)

    As AI-powered tools flood the market promising quick evaluations and audits, the conversation zeroes in on a critical issue: the reliability of these tools. In this episode, co-hosts Therese Fessenden and NN/G VP Kate Moran sit down with Jamie Holst and Christian Holst, the co-founders of Baymard Institute, to examine the growing role of AI in UX analysis. The group discusses the risks of over-relying on AI—particularly for junior UX practitioners—and the deeper implications for professionalism in the field. About the speakers: Christian Holst (Co-founder & Research Director, Baymard Institute)Jamie Holst (Co-founder & CTO, Baymard Institute)Kate Moran (VP, NN/G)Links Referenced in the Episode: Try UX Ray for Free: https://baymard.com/product/ux-rayRead their article on AI accuracy: https://baymard.com/blog/ai-heuristic-evaluationsRelated NN/G Courses: Accelerating Research with AIAI for Design WorkflowsDesigning AI ExperiencesAI Product StrategyCheck out ALL of our courses at nngroup.com/learning Related NN/G Articles: AI Hallucinations: What Designers Need to KnowAI-Powered Tools for UX Research: Issues and LimitationsAI as a UX AssistantAI Chatbots Discourage Error Checking

    1h 6m

  3. 12/01/2025

    55. Democratizing Research in the Age of AI (feat. Ned Dwyer, CEO & Co-founder of Great Question)

    The interest in “customer insights” is higher than ever, and more people are interested in both research insights and carrying out research on their own. But, who’s making sure research is done well? Therese sits down with Ned Dwyer, CEO and co-founder of Great Question, to talk about the balance between access and rigor in UX research. They discuss the need for democratization charters, how AI is reshaping research roles, and why enabling good research at scale is as much a cultural challenge as it is a technical one. Connect with Ned Dwyer: LinkedIn Learn more about Great QuestionSubscribe to Great Question’s NewsletterLearn about UX: nngroup.com/learning Related NN/g Courses & Articles: ResearchOps: Scaling User Research (UX Certification course)Democratize Research in 5 Steps (free article)Democratization of UX (13-min video)

    38 min

  4. 10/24/2025

    54. Designing for Millions of Users (feat. Jay Dutta, Global Head of UX, Deutsche Bank)

    In this episode, Therese interviews Jay Dutta—Global Head of UX at Deutsche Bank about how designing at scale isn’t just about reaching millions, but about preserving depth: of empathy, culture, and context. With a career spanning Adobe, Flipkart, and MakeMyTrip, Jay reflects on why he’s drawn to complex, broken systems and how those environments offer the richest opportunities for impact. He discusses the importance of designing for the individual within vast systems, and how storytelling, risk-taking, and honoring human experiences can lead to more meaningful and scalable design solutions. About the speaker: JayDutta.com | LinkedIn DesignUp Conference (Bangalore, India - Nov 3-5, 2025 ): https://designup.io/ Related NN/G Course: Global UX: Designing and Leading Across Cultures (full-day & half-day courses) Related Free NN/G Articles: ‘Our Users Are Everyone’: Designing Mass-Market Products for Large User Audiences (free article)Modify Your Design for Global Audiences: Crosscultural UX Design (free article)Imagery Helps International Shoppers Navigate Ecommerce Sites (free article)

    34 min

  5. 09/26/2025

    53. Why You're Not Getting Job Interviews (feat. Hang Xu, Design Recruiter)

    What does it really take to get hired in design today? In this episode, design recruiter and former product designer Hang Xu shares hard truths about what’s changed in hiring, why portfolios miss the mark, and how candidates can better align with what employers actually want. He also talks about his bold new project, OnlyFAANGs.design, where he documents his journey back into design from the recruiter’s seat. About Hang Xu: LinkedIn | OnlyFAANGs.design Level Up Your UX Career with UX Certification: nngroup.com/learning Related Free NN/G Resources: Templates and Tools for UX Job Seekers (article)How to Apply & Secure a UX Job (article)The Return of the UX Generalist (article)How to Get UX Experience Without a Job (video)User Experience Careers Report (free report)More articles & videos about UX careers

    50 min

  6. 07/18/2025

    52. Rethinking Users as Ecosystems (feat. authors Mike Youngblood and Ben Chesluk)

    Who do we really mean when we say “the user”? And who gets left out? In this episode, Therese Fessenden chats with cultural anthropologists Mike Youngblood and Ben Chesluk, who are challenging overly narrow definitions of users in UX. They explore how systems thinking and anthropology can deepen our understanding of complex user ecosystems — and why rethinking “the user” is more important than ever. About the speakers: Mike Youngblood (LinkedIn)Ben Chesluk (LinkedIn)About Rethinking Users, including some helpful resources and a link to purchase the book: https://www.rethinkingusers.com Article about User Ecosystem Thinking: https://www.epicpeople.org/toward-ethnography-of-friction-and-ease-in-complex-systems Mike & Ben’s other books: The Routledge Companion to Practicing Anthropology and Design, which includes Mike & Ben’s chapter on systems thinking in design anthropology, as well as many other chapters/contributors exploring the role of anthropology in design:Ben’s book Money Jungle is an anthropological study of the redevelopment of New York City’s Times Square.Mike’s book Cultivating Community is an ethnographic study of a massive, grassroots social movement in rural India.Related NN/g Articles & Videos: Personas vs. Archetypes (article)Why Personas Fail (article)Ethnography in UX (3-min video)Contextual Inquiry: Inspire Design by Observing and Interviewing Users in Their Context (article)

    47 min

  7. 06/20/2025

    51. The Future of Service Design in the Age of AI (featuring Erika Flowers, author of Practical Service Blueprinting)

    What does it mean to design experiences in a world where pixels are no longer the focus? In this episode, service design thought-leader and author Erika Flowers shares her thoughts on how designers must evolve as AI transforms the tools, processes, and expectations of our work. Erika shares lessons from her journey—spanning early web design, pioneering service blueprinting at Intuit, and orchestrating experiences at NASA—and offers a forward-looking take on why skills like facilitation, systems thinking, and storytelling will define the future of design. About Erika Flowers: helloerikaflowers.com | LinkedIn Related NN/g Courses Service Blueprinting Accelerating Research with AI AI for Design Workflows Related Free NN/g Articles: How Service Design Will Evolve with AI AgentsThe Future-Proof DesignerWhy I’m Not Worried About My UX Job in the Era of AIMore Free Articles on AI

    44 min

  8. 05/23/2025

    50. Responsible AI Use for Research Analysis (feat. Alexander Knoll, Co-Founder of Condens.io)

    AI can do more than it’s ever done… but there’s a lot of unfounded hype, especially when it comes to user research. When should you delegate tasks to AI? And when should you insist on keeping the human in the loop? In this episode, Therese Fessenden sits down with Alexander Knoll, co-founder of Condens, to discuss the strengths and limitations of AI tools for research, and the evolving role of the user researcher. About Alexander & Condens: LinkedIn | Condens.io Research Repository Guide: https://condens.io/guides/research-repository-guide/ On-Demand Recording of Condens Event: Making an Impact with User Research: How to Drive Change and Get Noticed Alex’s Article with NN/g: Common-Sense AI Integration: Lessons from the Cofounder of Condens Other Related NN/g Articles & Courses: Free Articles about AI & UXCourse: UX Basic TrainingCourse: Accelerating Research with AICourse: AI for Design WorkflowsCourse: Designing AI Experiences

    41 min
See All (60)

4.7
out of 5
105 Ratings

About

The Nielsen Norman Group (NN/G) UX Podcast is a podcast on user experience research, design, strategy, and professions, hosted by Senior User Experience Specialist Therese Fessenden. Join us every month as she interviews industry experts, covering common questions, hot takes on pressing UX topics, and tips for building truly great user experiences. For free UX resources, references, and information on UX Certification opportunities, go to: www.nngroup.com

Information

  • Creator
    Nielsen Norman Group
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 467016
  • Show Website
    NN/G UX Podcast

You Might Also Like