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AI has made building software easy. Deciding what to build is another story. When founders and product teams can vibe-code a working product in a weekend, where does design add value? In this episode, Therese Fessenden welcomes back design psychologist Thomas Watkins, founder of 3Leaf and NN/G guest instructor, to talk about why the bottleneck in product development has shifted from building to deciding, how specs are becoming the source of truth for AI-built products, and why taste and research matter more than ever. About Thomas & 3Leaf: LinkedIn | 3Leaf The Design Psychologist Podcast: https://designpsychologist.buzzsprout.com/2395044 Thomas's Previous Episode: 57. The Next Decade of UX: Why Psychology Matters More Than Ever Thomas's Course with NN/g: Writing Specs for AI-Built Products Other Related NN/g Articles & Courses: UX-Context Design: Using UX Knowledge to Inform AI-Generated DesignPrompt to Design Interfaces: Why Vague Prompts Fail and How to Fix ThemGenUI vs. Vibe Coding: Who's Designing?Good from Afar, But Far from Good: AI Prototyping in Real Design ContextsContext ArchitectureContext Libraries: How AI Power Users Manage Context Engineering TYXU5WMUAXAS8GTC

If you've ever wrapped up a great research study, delivered the readout, and then watched the insights vanish into a folder no one opens again, this one's for you. Laura Klein talks with Jake Burghardt, author of Stop Wasting Research, about why a repository alone never gets research used, how to treat insights as durable business assets instead of one-time reports, and where generative AI genuinely helps — and where it doesn't — when it comes to getting more value out of research your organization already has. About Jake Burghardt & Integrating Research: LinkedIn | Medium | Integrating Research Jake's book: Stop Wasting Research: Maximize the Product Impact of Your Organization's Customer Insights (Rosenfeld Media) — get 20% off with code: swr-pod Related NN/G Articles & Courses: Why Research Repositories Fail and How to Get Them RightResearch Repositories for Tracking UX Research and Growing Your ResearchOpsResearchOps 101Accelerating Research with AICourse: Usability Testing TYXU5WMUAXAS8GTC

Job searching has always been harder than it looks, and if you've been searching for a while without much traction, there's a good chance your strategy is working against you. Guest host Laura Klein sits down with Sarah Doody, founder of the Career Strategy Lab, to talk about what UX practitioners get wrong when searching for work. They cover: Why the DIY approach tanks your confidence over timeHow to treat yourself as a candidate-product — complete with features, benefits, and a roadmapThe role of community in the job searchwhat your LinkedIn is actually signaling to recruitersWhy some of the best UX opportunities are hiding in industries you've never considered. About Sarah Doody | Bio | LinkedIn Career Strategy Lab (Website)Career Strategy Lab PodcastFollow Sarah on Instagram Related NN/G Articles & Episodes: EP 59 | Getting Hired in UX: What to Do When Apply-and-Wait Isn't Enough (with Evan Sunwall)EP 53 | Why You’re Not Getting Job Interviews (with Hang Xu)Ep 19 | Designing a UX Career (with Sarah Doody)UX Layoff Crisis: A Guide for Resilience and RecoveryTemplates and Tools for UX Job SeekersGrowing in Your UX Career: Study Guide Try One of Our Courses Successful UX Job Searching (Self-Paced)Hiring UX Talent (Self-Paced)Becoming a UX Consultant: Launch Your Practice (Self-Paced)Storytelling to Present UX Work (Live Online) Don’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️ Follow Us On: Newsletter Instagram Linkedin 📹 Post-production by Jackie Jones TYXU5WMUAXAS8GTC

OKRs are a popular choice to communicate team goals… but most teams do them wrong. In this episode, Laura Klein talks with Christina Wodtke, author of Radical Focus, about what actually makes objectives and key results work: the weekly and quarterly rituals that keep goals alive, why psychological safety matters more than making perfect predictions, and how strategy and vision have to exist before you can even set an OKR in the first place. About Christina Wodtke: LinkedIn | Eleganthack (blog) | Books by Christina Wodtke Other Related NN/g Articles & Courses: Aligning UX Metrics with Organizational Goals: A Workshop GuideCrossfunctional Collaboration: Challenges and Strategies for SuccessProject Postmortems for UX Teams: Learning from Success and FailureLean UX & Agile: Study GuidePsychology for UX: Study GuideCourse: Lean UX and AgileCourse: Leading Highly Effective UX Teams

Most UX practitioners have spent their careers fighting for the user — pushing back against dark patterns, advocating for quality, and insisting that making things better for people is also better for the business. Eric Ries would say that instinct is exactly right. And that it's not enough. In this episode, host Laura Klein talks with Eric Ries — New York Times Best Selling Author of The Lean Startup and founder of the Long Term Stock Exchange — about his new book, Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad...and How Great Companies Stay Great. Eric makes the case that most of today's business best practices are actively value-destroying, and that the builders, designers, and makers who already believe product quality matters are more revolutionary than they realize — they just lack the tools to protect that belief inside their organizations. They dig into the history of shareholder primacy, why corporate governance is something every practitioner should understand, and the very specific questions you can ask in a job interview to find out whether a company is genuinely mission-driven or just mission-hopeful. About Eric Ries | Linkedin The Eric Ries ShowIncorruptible (New Book) - Available Now!The Lean Start Up (Book) Related NN/G Articles & Videos UX Stakeholder Engagement 101Deceptive Patterns in UX: How to Recognize and Avoid ThemFour Factors in UX MaturityUX Maturity Is a Living System, Not a LadderUXers Need to Think Like Product Leaders Try One of Our Courses → Becoming a UX Strategist (Live Online)→ Successful Stakeholder Relationships (Live Online)→ Lean UX and Agile (Live Online)→ Demonstrating UX Value (Self-Paced)→ UX Maturity: Elevating Organizational UX Practices (Self-Paced) Don’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️ Follow Us On: Newsletter Instagram Threads Linkedin Bluesky X 📹 Post-production by Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant) Megan Brown (Social Media Lead)

What does it actually mean to design conversationally? Not "add a chatbot" — but genuinely apply the principles of human conversation to the systems we build? In this episode, host Laura Klein sits down with Erika Hall, author of Conversational Design and Just Enough Research, to re-visit a topic that's only gotten more relevant since her book came out in 2018. They dig into why language has always been an important part of any interface, what the cooperative principle of conversation can teach us about interaction design, and how the current AI moment is muddying what "conversational" even means. Erika also makes a sharp distinction between AI that solves real problems and AI that performs work — and offers a theory about why so many people are reaching for answer machines right now. Plus: why the best consulting advice is often just "you have to talk to each other," the role of domain expertise in getting anything useful out of an LLM, and what painting chickens has to do with learning to see. About Erika Hall | LinkedIn | Bluesky Her Studio - Mule DesignConversational DesignJust Enough ResearchRelated NN/G Articles: AI Chatbots Discourage Error CheckingDesigning AI Products and Features: Study GuideSycophancy in Generative-AI ChatbotsAI Features Must Solve Real User ProblemsTry One of Our Courses → Designing AI Experiences (Live Online) → The Human Mind and Usability (Live Online) → Understanding LLMs (Self-Paced) → Informative Microcopy (Self-Paced) Don’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️ Follow Us On: Newsletter Instagram Threads Linkedin 📹 Post-production by Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant) Megan Brown (Social Media Lead) TYXU5WMUAXAS8GTC

Navigating the UX job market has always had its ups and downs, especially with AI reshaping the industry. In this episode, host Laura Klein sits down with Evan Sunwall, NN/G's Director of Self-Paced Training, to share candid advice for UX practitioners trying to actively job search or level up in today's competitive market. With nearly 19 years in the field as both a designer and a hiring manager, he has a lot to say about where the field is headed — no matter what stage you're at in your career. That experience is also what shaped Evan's self-paced course on getting a job in UX, part of NN/G's new and growing library of practical, pre-recorded courses built around real skill gaps. Evan was one of the first to help develop the format — running experiments and prototypes to figure out what actually works for self-directed learners. Evan also previews a companion course aimed at hiring managers and shares that he's looking for sharp instructors to help expand the library into new topics across research, design, and AI. Check out our NEW Self-Paced Courses! About Evan Sunwall | Bio | Linkedin Successful UX Job Searching (Course)Hiring UX Talent (Course) Free NN/G Articles: How to Apply and Secure a UX JobAdvice for Approaching a UX Job SearchTemplates and Tools for UX Job SeekersPreparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job MarketGrowing in Your UX Career: Study Guide Don’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️ Follow Us On: Newsletter Instagram Threads Linkedin Bluesky X 📹 Post-production by Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant) Megan Brown (Social Media Lead) TYXU5WMUAXAS8GTC

If you work in UX, you’ve probably heard the terms lean, Agile, and MVP more times than you can count. But knowing the terms doesn’t mean knowing how to make them work. In this episode, Laura Klein, Principal Experience Specialist at NN/G, joins Therese Fessenden to talk about what Lean UX was really meant to accomplish — and how teams today can apply its principles without falling into common traps. Listen as they discuss how Lean UX came about, the skill of zooming between product vision and interaction details, and why growing companies struggle to balance speed and consistency. Whether you’re working at a startup or inside a large enterprise, this episode offers a grounded look at how to design thoughtfully in fast-moving environments. We’re also excited to have Laura join as the newest co-host of the NN/G UX Podcast. And many congratulations to the Fessenden family as they welcome a new addition to their family. About Laura Klein | Bio | Linkedin | Bluesky | Usersknow.com What is Wrong With UX (Podcast)Build Better Products (Book)UX for Lean Startups (Book) NN/G Live Online Courses Taught by Laura Lean UX and AgileProduct & UX: Building Partnerships for Better OutcomesAll Our Live Courses Free NN/G Articles & Videos Lean UX & Agile: Study GuideLean UX & Agile GlossaryWhat is Lean UX?Accounting for User Research in AgileWhy Organizations Don’t Do User Research and How to Change ThatWhy Most Product Teams Aren't Really Empowered Don’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️ Follow Us On: Newsletter Instagram Threads Linkedin Bluesky X 📹 Post-production by Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant) Megan Brown (Social Media Lead) TYXU5WMUAXAS8GTC

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

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

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)

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)

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

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)

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