Best Productdesign Podcasts (2026)

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The Era of the Generalist: Rachel Been, SVP of Design for Expedia Group 43:17

Play Pause

1M ago43:17

43:17

In this episode, Liam speaks with Rachel Been, SVP of Design for Expedia Group, about her journey from photography to design leadership and why she believes this is "the era of the generalist." The conversation unpacks the recent launch of Expedia's new app on ChatGPT and what it means to design for "non-deterministic flows" and "infinite inputs." …

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Other Than Expected: Fabian Bircher on Combining Art, Architecture, and Code 38:19

2M ago38:19

38:19

In this episode, Liam speaks with Zürich-based architect and artist Fabian Bircher, whose work spans buildings, custom lighting, and interactive installations. Fabian discusses his unique creative process, where inspiration flows from both artistic concepts and the discovery of new technological possibilities. The conversation explores the material…

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Design Can't Rely on Logic: Troy Leinster on Type Design and Human Perception 45:07

4M ago45:07

45:07

In this episode, I reconnect with my former instructor, type designer and design coach Troy Leinster. Troy shares his journey from graphic design to type design, and explains why learning to make letters makes you a better designer. We also dig into the importance of trusting the human eye over geometry, the productive friction of sketching by hand…

1
The User Brings the Confetti: Rob Giampietro on Scaling a Human-Centered Brand 43:13

5M ago43:13

43:13

Rob Giampietro, Head of Creative at Notion and former Design Director at MoMA, returns to the show to unpack the story behind Notion Faces, the popular tool that allows users to create their own illustrated avatar. Rob details the project's journey from a beloved internal tradition to a major public launch, including the pivotal decision to scale w…

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True is Better Than New: David Reinfurt on Evolving Graphic Design Education 45:02

6M ago45:02

45:02

In this episode, designer, educator, and author David Reinfurt returns to the show to discuss his latest book, A *Co-* Program for Graphic Design. Born from a series of lectures delivered remotely, online, and together with collaborators and cooperators, the new book builds on his earlier "spoken" book, exploring some unexpected and intuitive overl…

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Material Design Gets Expressive: Inside Google's Emotion-Driven UX Update 55:26

7M ago55:26

55:26

This special episode digs into the latest evolution of Google's design system: Material 3 Expressive. Liam talks with Material Design's Android Product Manager Aneesha Kommineni, UX Researcher Michael Gilbert, and Creative Director Andy Stewart about the team's latest emotion-driven UX update. They reveal how this system is grounded in user researc…

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Beauty Across the Board: Rich Fulcher on Making Beauty a UX Priority at Google 52:07

12M ago52:07

52:07

This season's special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design closes out with Rich Fulcher, former Google UX director and Material design lead. Fulcher remembers the career-defining journey of creating Material, what it was like to make beauty a UX priority, how to pressure test a system, and what he's learned about world-b…

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Breaking Silos (and Metaphors): A 'Roving Engineer' on Design & Engineering Collaboration 53:43

1y ago53:43

53:43

This season's special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design continues with Adrian Secord, who describes himself as a "roving engineer." Adrian has over a decade of experience building systems and tools that transform design into robust product engineering at scale. Plus, a PhD in Computer Graphics. Here, he reflects on th…

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Code, Creativity, Performance: Will Larche on Engineering as 'Creativity with Constraints' 43:57

1y ago43:57

43:57

This season's special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design continues with Software Engineering Manager and Musical Theater Writer Will Larche, who talks about his path to become an engineering manager at Google. Larche, a self-proclaimed "design fan," describes engineering as "creativity with constraints." Here, he expla…

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Fab Components: Bethany Fong on Designing Material's Signature Floating Action Button 45:19

1+ y ago45:19

45:19

This episode is part of a special series celebrating ten years of Material Design. In the episode, Liam speaks with Bethany Fong, a Design Director at Meta who was a pivotal figure in the creation of Material Design. During her time at Google, Fong was responsible for designing the first set of Material components (including Material's signature Fl…

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Facing Our Interfaces: Matías Duarte on the Future of Individualized Design 44:42

1+ y ago44:42

44:42

This season begins with a special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design, which will explore the inception, evolution, and future of Google's design approach. The first episode features the founder of Material Design and Design VP Matías Duarte, whose work on the system has pushed design forward at Google and across device…

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Season 4 | Episode 32 | Nick Olshefski 28:24

2+ y ago28:24

28:24

We've spoken with many designers who pivoted careers and jumped between jobs in their first years after graduation, but what about graduates who find a good fit on their first try? Nick has been with Think Company since he was hired there out of school, and he chalks it up to discovering a passion for UX as Abby's student in his senior year. Join u…

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Season 4 | Episode 31 | Dylan Ball 27:59

2+ y ago27:59

27:59

This season is all about designers' transitions from school to the working world – but what about graduates who went on to give back and become educators? In this episode, we chatted with Dylan Ball about his journey from school to work… and back to school again, this time as a Computer Technology teacher. In the process, Dylan shares what he learn…

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Season 4 | Episode 30 | Vash Persaud 33:05

2+ y ago33:05

33:05

From LinkedIn networking to rejections in the interview stage, job hunting isn't easy – take it from Vash Persaud, who sat down with us to talk about her transition from school to her fellowship at AdFellows. In this episode, Vash breaks down how her support network at school led to opportunities in the professional world, her experience working at…

1
Season 4 | Episode 29 | Madison Phillips 17:22

2+ y ago17:22

17:22

"The path to your career is not exactly straight." These are Madison's words as she describes the process of getting her job at Merje, from sending out countless applications to getting her position and diving into the world of environmental design. In this episode, Madison offers advice on pursuing mission-driven work, negotiating salaries, naviga…

1
Season 4 | Episode 28 | Frank White 29:50

2+ y ago29:50

29:50

What happens if you land your dream job fresh out of college… but you're already working somewhere else? We spoke with Frank White, Graphic Designer at Comcast Spectator, about his work designing for the Philadelphia Flyers and the process of transitioning between jobs after school. Leaving a job just a few months after your hire date is widely acc…

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Season 4 | Episode 27 | Anmol Dhamrait 29:12

2+ y ago29:12

29:12

Join us for a conversation with Anmol Dhamrait as she recounts her career adventure from undergraduate and graduate school to internships, project management and more. In this episode Anmol offers advice on balancing work and education, staying open minded in your career path, and the value of bringing a design background to the business world. Asp…

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Season 4 | Episode 26 | Sam Cush 33:12

2+ y ago33:12

33:12

Starting out as a designer can mean constantly moving between jobs, working styles, and design specialties – and Sam Cush is exemplary of this shifting landscape, with a laundry list of experience in everything from printmaking to biotech. We sat down with Sam to talk about the journey to their current role at J2, from internships to freelancing to…

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Season 4 | Episode 25 | Allie Osipov 28:29

2+ y ago28:29

28:29

The new season of Design Together is geared toward designers in the early stages of their careers. The topics covered include the shift from academic life to the workforce and the various challenges and triumphs accompanying this transition. We've coined this season "Starting Out." Our first guest is Allie Osipov, a Senior Designer from WebMechanix…

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Designing Better Code: How Google Engineers Make Coding a Creative Practice 42:08

3y ago42:08

42:08

Liam speaks with Googlers Connie Shi, a software engineer on Material Design, and Matvei Malkov, a software engineer on Jetpack Compose, and the trio unpack what makes coding a creative practice, and which creative choices are required when you build a design system for other developers around the world. The wide-ranging conversation turns from com…

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How Fonts Change the World: Dave Crossland on Digital Type and Emotional Expression 36:57

3y ago36:57

36:57

Liam and Google Fonts Specialist Dave Crossland explore what digital type can teach us about digital production, emotional expression, and where we fit in the world as designers; and how – with a little imagination – we might unlock new possibilities. 📑 Read a full transcript 📻 Subscribe to Design Notes…

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Coding (and Decoding) Social Spaces: Judith Donath on the Future of Life Online 36:46

3y ago36:46

36:46

In this episode, Liam speaks with Judith Donath, the founder of MIT's Sociable Media Lab, inventor of e-cards, and author of The Social Machine: Designs for Living Online. Donath's work offers crucial insights into the sociality of digital products and platforms, and the opportunities we have as digital producers to make things that truly meet soci…

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Fearless Design: Aline Borges on Composition and Creative Career Changes 28:36

3y ago28:36

28:36

Liam speaks with Aline Borges, a Zürich-based floral designer who's made the leap from fashion coordination for magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar to independent floral design and installations. The conversation covers what it's like to move between different creative fields (and countries), how to think about composition to tackle almost any…

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⏮️ How Machines Help Us See Ourselves: Harvey Moon on Art Made Through Machine Collaboration 30:59

3y ago30:59

30:59

In this episode, we revisit a conversation from Season 1 with new media artist Harvey Moon, recorded in his San Francisco studio. Liam and Harvey discuss how Moon's work reveals unseen properties of the world around us, the process of creating one's own creative tools, and the kind of art that's only made possible through collaboration with machine…

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The Impact of Shared Space: Ignacio Ciocchini on Designing NYC's Public Furniture 44:44

3y ago44:44

44:44

Liam speaks with streetscape and public space designer Ignacio Ciocchini, who's created much of the public furniture that New Yorkers encounter every single day – from benches that provide personal space, to entire built landscapes for Bryant Park, to chargers for electric vehicles and more. The conversation ranges from the materiality of the built…

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⏮️ Learning From Your Virtual Twin: Kerry Murphy on Digital Fashion and Virtual Embodiment 23:03

3y ago23:03

23:03

In this episode, we revisit a conversation from Season 1 with Kerry Murphy, co-founder of digital fashion house The Fabricant. We uncover how data are spun into virtual threads, and how virtual embodiment can foster self-actualization. In designing couture that doesn't—or can't—exist in physical space, The Fabricant also explores ideas of embodimen…

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Digital Anthropology: Tom Boellstorff on How Virtual Worlds Shape Our Actual Lives 33:47

3+ y ago33:47

33:47

Liam speaks to Tom Boellstorff, Anthropologist and UCI Professor, whose ethnographic work in Second Life (documented in his book, Coming of Age in Second Life) provides important insights into how virtual space – and our interface with it – informs and interacts with our lives in actual space. In virtual worlds like Second Life, inhabitants exist o…

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Welcome Back to Design Notes: Season 2 Trailer 1:33

3+ y ago1:33

1:33

It's been a while, but Design Notes is coming back for Season 2 uncovering even more of what inspires and unites us in our work. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss new interviews with practitioners working on public furniture, the culture of virtual space, and more. Follow @DesignNotespod on Twitter for updates! Subscribe to Design Notes 👉Goo…

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How Product Marketers Lead As Company Quarterbacks with Kimberly Biddings, BIO-key International 42:36

3+ y ago42:36

42:36

Product marketing is at the intersection of many teams in a product company. The work of a product marketer supports the wider product team, sales, marketing, executive stakeholders, and most of all, buyers. It's for this reason product marketers tend to play a quarterback role, says Kimberly Biddings, VP of Product at BIO-key International. As Kim…

1
Why Your Positioning Should 'Pick a Fight and Take a Stand' with Catherine Spence, Microblink 38:17

3+ y ago38:17

38:17

One of the fundamental strategies product marketers must lead is positioning. It's what determines how you'll talk about your product, your company, and your brand as you scale. So why do so many people get it wrong? Catherine Spence, VP of Global Marketing at Microblink, joins Leanna to share her best lessons on brand and product positioning, from…

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Product Marketing's Essential Purpose with Martina Lauchengco, Author of LOVED 37:22

3+ y ago37:22

37:22

In today's world, building a great product isn't enough. You have to master your go-to-market strategy by telling a story that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Product marketing gets you there, according to long-time product marketer and Costanoa Ventures partner Martina Lauchengco. Martina is the author of the latest book from the…

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Trailer: Unlock Product Marketing 1:27

3+ y ago1:27

1:27

Product marketing is the foundation for better product. It should play a strategic role in your business from day one. It's a product discipline to master and respect—not just a list of jobs to be done. But product marketers continue to struggle with recognition. Because the discipline is still new, the way product leaders think about product marke…

1
The Power of Your Positioning 30:05

3+ y ago30:05

30:05

How you position your product can help you connect with the people who most need it, unlocking rapid growth for your company. But first, you need a solid foundation. Today, Christian and Meghan discuss what product leaders get right vs. wrong when positioning their products. Led by Meghan's insights in product marketing, we'll also walk through a p…

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Elon Musk, Twitter, and Ego in Product 33:35

3+ y ago33:35

33:35

For better and for worse, ego follows us all into our work lives. But leaders must pay special attention to what role ego plays in building a product. Sometimes, ego can be the charisma an early-stage founder needs to get attention for what they're creating. Other times, ego is a roadblock that can lead to ignoring critical perspectives from users …

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When It's Time For A Product Glow-Up 32:28

3+ y ago32:28

32:28

Everything has to start somewhere. But in product and in life, the beginning tends to be awkward. We have room to grow, and glow, up. The real question isn't about whether we'll glow up, but when. Christian & Meghan walk us through their answers from working in UX, product marketing, and brand to help us all find the best moment to embrace the "pro…

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How Product Research Limits Uncertainty and Helps Us Face Our Fears 25:38

3+ y ago25:38

25:38

Product research is a discipline that's transformed in recent years. The days of waterfall testing are over. Today, research is happening at every stage of a product's life cycle, and there are more tools than ever before to help. But how do product teams stay focused on what truly matters? How do we single out real insights from an outpouring of d…

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Experience-Driven Products for Relationship Wellness with the Founders of Ours 37:15

3+ y ago37:15

37:15

Today we're talking about love—but not in the way you think. We're looking at the intersection of product and a timeless human experience: falling in, and out, of love. Forget couples counseling as you know it. Ours co-founders Liz Earnshaw, Jessica Holton, and Adam Putterman are using their relationship wellness platform to reduce stigma and build…

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Messaging Mix-Ups and How to Avoid Them 37:37

3+ y ago37:37

37:37

Messaging is the story we tell about our product. But how do we know if we're telling the right story? To talk about your product, you need to learn from the audience you serve, while never losing sight of the bigger picture your market provides. Christian & Meghan will share their observations on product messaging best practices and red flags to a…

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Harnessing Fast Feedback for Better Product Marketing with Peep Laja, Wynter 37:23

3+ y ago37:23

37:23

Product marketing is an evolving field with much left to define about what product marketers can actually measure and support. Peep Laja founded his company, Wynter, on the belief that product marketers do better work with swift, real-time feedback on their product messaging. In today's conversation, he explains why taking weeks (or even months) to…

1
The Skills You Need To Thrive In Product 39:54

3+ y ago39:54

39:54

Opportunities in product today are seemingly endless. But if you're new to the industry or looking to break in, it can be hard to know what skills you need to succeed. Many roles don't have precise requirements, and product itself is continuously evolving. Today, Christian & Meghan will share their takes on the habits and mindsets that will serve p…

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How Great Food & Personalized Perks Support People Ops with Mel Skochdopole, Parkday 34:25

3+ y ago34:25

34:25

It's the series finale of Power to the People Ops, and today, we've got a real treat. We're speaking with Mel Skochdopole, co-founder of Parkday—a.k.a. "the Tinder of food." Using the power of data, Parkday curates personalized workplace meals that are tailored to everyone's food preferences. As a result, Parkday is saving people ops leaders valuab…

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Designing Work to Fit People with Julie Jeannotte, Officevibe 34:57

4y ago34:57

34:57

Employee engagement is at the core of what keeps people motivated, productive, and happy at work. But unlocking what keeps people engaged is easier said than done. That's why Julie Jeannotte, senior researcher at Officevibe by GSoft, is on a journey to create a product that measures and responds to engagement. Using pulse surveys and curated conver…

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Hitting Pause (2022) 7:01

4y ago7:01

7:01

Life and career (re)focus this year have brought me to a place where I need to hit pause on this show's production... Keep fighting the good fight, dear Defender! 👊 Jason linkedin.com/in/jasonogleBy Jason Ogle

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Productizing Ideas in the Services Industry with Tim Pröhm, VP at the KellyX Digital Innovation Lab 36:16

4y ago36:16

36:16

With an uptick in challenges like the Great Resignation and remote work, companies who are hiring today must understand people—their users—in order to thrive. Tim Pröhm, vice president at the KellyX Digital Innovation Lab, recognizes this opportunity and is using it to introduce agile product thinking and a significant digital transformation to the…

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Season 3 | Episode 24 | Soonduk Krebs and Georgiana Constantinescu 49:39

4y ago49:39

49:39

Ever wonder what it is like to work at an award-winning small design studio? Join us for a chat with the founder of SK Designworks, Soonduk Krebs, and senior designer Georgiana Constantinescu. We discuss their workflows, making deadlines, their favorite projects, and most importantly what not to wear to an interview at SK Designworks.…

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The Future is People Ops with John Wetzel, Gather 27:45

4y ago27:45

27:45

Imagine a world where every person in a company is understood. They have engaging 1:1s with managers where their voices are heard, and consistent opportunities to connect with their peers—whether they work together or not. This is the future people ops products are building; and, it's the same future John Wetzel is defining as CEO & co-founder of G…

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Series Kick-Off: Power To The People Ops 22:17

4y ago22:17

22:17

Many employers are coming to a huge realization: there's power in investing in people. But keeping teams happy, organized, and engaged at work can be easier said than done. That's why in recent years, dozens of digital products have emerged to give rise to the challenge. So-called people operations, or people ops, products exist to give workers bet…

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Season 3 | Episode 23 | Rachel Elnar, David Carr-Berry, Elysia Syriac 1:00:26

4y ago1:00:26

1:00:26

Join us for a chat with Rachel Elnar, David Carr-Berry, and Elysia Syriac, the team behind Adobe Creative Jams. A typical Jam includes training bootcamps, keynote speakers, a design challenge, and judging and feedback. Producing a Creative Jam is a ton of work, but this team makes it look easy. Find out what is in their secret sauce (hint: it's out…