Best Tech Policy Design Centre Podcasts (2025)

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Amber Vodegel: Designing for 150m global users 52:40

Play Pause

25d ago52:40

52:40

The way we design health apps is shaping who stays healthy and who gets left behind. In this conversation, Amber Vodegel, founder of the world’s largest pregnancy app, Pregnancy Plus, and now CEO of 28x, challenges how women’s health technology is built, funded, and trusted. Amber argues that health knowledge shouldn’t sit behind a paywall or be tr…

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Rachel Hope: Designing for the NHS shift to digital and prevention 59:28

2M ago59:28

59:28

What if the word "solution" is generating more problems than it solves? In this revealing conversation, Rachel Hope, Director of Digital Prevention Services for the NHS, challenges our fundamental thinking about technology and transformation in healthcare. Rachel is building the architecture for a new kind of health service - one that's digital-fir…

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Season 3 update from James and Per 2:03

3M ago2:03

2:03

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 tim…

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Dr Malte Gerhold: What does it really take to deliver transformation? 53:42

3M ago53:42

53:42

Transformation is pervasive but we rarely discuss implementation - the secret sauce of successful change. In this episode, we explore one of the most persistent challenges: how to turn promising ideas into real, lasting impact. Malte Gerhold, Director of Innovation and Improvement at the Health Foundation — and trustee of the Alzheimer’s Society — …

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Charlotte Newman: Lean tech transforming respite for 35k carers 43:05

4M ago43:05

43:05

At some point in your life, the chances are that you'll either become a carer or be cared for. For Charlotte Newman, this reality became the foundation for groundbreaking social innovation. With 5.7 million unpaid carers in Britain saving the public purse £183 billion annually—more than the entire NHS budget—Charlotte saw an overlooked crisis. Her …

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Accessible design systems with Karen Hawkins 36:40

4M ago36:40

36:40

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 …

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Prof. Rachel Dunscombe: Your data could save lives 52:22

4M ago52:22

52:22

Imagine passing your health data down like a family heirloom. Not just a list of conditions, but a rich personal history — something that could help your children and grandchildren live longer, healthier lives. But that future depends on what we do now. Right now, governments are pouring billions into electronic health records. But if the data insi…

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Designer burnout with Katrina Alcorn 40:12

5M ago40:12

40:12

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…

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Headspace with Cal Thompson 48:44

5M ago48:44

48:44

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. W…

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Dr. Katharine Halliday: Collaboration, leadership, AI and clinical judgment 44:36

6M ago44:36

44:36

Dr Katharine Halliday, President of the Royal College of Radiologists and a leading voice in UK radiology, joins host Sam Menter to discuss how collaboration, authentic leadership, and ground-up innovation drive meaningful change in complex healthcare systems. In this episode, they explore: Balancing AI with human expertise: Exploring how artificia…

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UX for business with Joel Marsh 44:24

6M ago44:24

44:24

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, e…

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Service literacy with Lou Downe 41:29

6M ago41:29

41:29

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, a…

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Dr. Jonathan Gregory: Part 2, AI and groundbreaking research 43:17

6M ago43:17

43:17

In this two part episode, we talk to Dr. Jonathan Gregory, a former NHS cancer surgeon turned healthcare innovator, to explore the intersection of data, digital tools, AI, and patient-centred design in transforming cancer pathways. With over 20 years in frontline surgery and leadership roles, Jonathan now works. as clinical advisor for Macmillan Ca…

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Defending against evil with Aarathi Krishnan 40:39

7M ago40:39

40:39

S03E06 (#334). Aarathi Krishnan is an international aid expert, specialising in humanitarian futures and strategic foresight. In a world where the sets of rules that have governed us as humanity are rapidly changing, how will we know if the solutions that we are designing now are going to be fit for purpose? Aarathi pushes the importance of account…

1
Dr. Jonathan Gregory: Part 1, transforming cancer pathways 49:53

7M ago49:53

49:53

In this two part episode, we talk to Dr. Jonathan Gregory, a former NHS cancer surgeon turned healthcare innovator, to explore the intersection of data, digital tools, AI, and patient-centred design in transforming cancer pathways. With over 20 years in frontline surgery and leadership roles, Jonathan now works. as clinical advisor for Macmillan Ca…

1
Fail early 42:42

7M ago42:42

42:42

S03E05 (#333). A linkshow. James and Per discuss two articles they’ve stumbled on. This time we feature articles about things that slow down your website’s experience and why you can’t do anything about it plus the concept of “failing early” but not in a “failing fast” startup way. Article one is Six things that slow down your site’s UX (and why yo…

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More systems thinking with Sheryl Cababa 48:47

8M ago48:47

48:47

S03E04 (#332). Two years on from when Sheryl Cababa released Closing The Loop, her book about systems thinking for designers, we hear Sheryls reflections and insights about what she’s learnt during that time and we grapple with the challenge of applying system thinking as designers “out of the box”. We work in a complex space, with many complex as …

1
Murky middle with Christina Joy Whittaker 38:29

8M ago38:29

38:29

S03E03 (#331). Your destiny isn’t tied to a role. You were a person before your role. Leadership expert and strategist Christina Joy Whittaker talks to us about the murky middle, a phenomenon rooted in misalignment and purpose and quite distinct from imposter syndrome which is rooted in confidence. Christina shares her personal journey from corpora…

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The Great Amazon Heist with Oobah Butler 41:39

9M ago41:39

41:39

S03E02 (#330). Oobah Butler, journalist and filmmaker known for his prankster antics, joined us to discuss his work, including “The Great Amazon Heist” and “The Shed at Dulwich”. Oobah highlights the relative ease of manipulating algorithms, such as TripAdvisor and Amazon, to boost fake products’ rankings. We also discussed the broader implications…

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Dr. Videha Sharma: designing for prevention through genetic testing 1:03:29

9M ago1:03:29

1:03:29

Dr. Videha Sharma—NHS doctor, clinical innovation lead at the University of Manchester, and co-founder of Fava Health—joins host, Sam Menter from Healthia®, to explore how prevention-focused care, human-centered design, and genomic insights can reshape healthcare. Dr. Sharma offers a unique perspective on the power of tailoring treatments to an ind…

1
Dark mode 36:06

9M ago36:06

36:06

S03E01 (#329). In the first episode of Season Three, James Royal-Lawson and Per Axbom discuss the concept of dark mode, its benefits, and its implications for UX design, user experience and accessibility. We delve into the European accessibility directive, and the EN 301 549 European standard which includes a section on user preferences, requiring …

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Liability Is Not A Dirty Word, with Casey Mock from the Centre for Human Technology 1:00:18

10M ago1:00:18

1:00:18

Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the Center for Humane Technology, Casey Mock joins Johanna for a discussion on incentives for building safer and more humane technology. Casey and Johanna discuss designing platforms for people and not just profit, how to realign incentives in tech using the well-established concept of legal liability, wha…

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Rochelle Gold: NHS user research, AI, collaboration and vampires 44:31

10M ago44:31

44:31

Rochelle Gold—Head of User Research and User-Centred Design at NHS England—joins host, Sam Menter from Healthia®, to explore the challenge of making digital services more human. They discuss how actionable insights from user research are delivering better outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals. From pioneering an AI-powered tool to mana…

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Dr. Lia Ali: the intersection of design and healthcare 42:33

12M ago42:33

42:33

Dr. Lia Ali—consultant psychiatrist and clinical advisor at NHS England’s Transformation Directorate—joins host, Sam Menter from Healthia®, to explore the intersection of healthcare, human-centered design, and digital innovation. Dr. Ali shares her unique insights on the bio-psycho-social model and how it aligns with user-centered design to create …

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Country, Kin and Technology 45:52

12M ago45:52

45:52

Angie Abdilla, Professor and the ANU School of Cybernetics, founder of Old Ways, New, and co-author of the Indigenous Protocols for Artificial Intelligence, joins Johanna for an exploration of Indigenous Knowledge and the lessons we can all draw from it. Angie and Johanna talk about the value of viewing technology, science, and engineering through …

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Plurality: A Vision of the Future of Democracy and Society 1:25:52

1y ago1:25:52

1:25:52

Taiwan’s inaugural Digital Minister, Audrey Tang, and author and founder of RadicalxChange Glen Weyl, join Johanna for an in-depth conversation on utilising technology to reduce division,improve governance, and regulate and the speed of innovation Audrey and Glen share their inspiring stories of grass-roots political action turned tech revolution a…

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Cyber Power: Alliances and Accountability 49:55

1y ago49:55

49:55

Brendan Dowling Australia's Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology is Johanna's guest for this episode of Tech Mirror. Join them as they unravel the complexities of cyber diplomacy and Australia’s role in shaping tech policy on the global stage. The pair explore the intricacies of international tech alliances, the challenges, and moti…

1
A heartfelt update from James and Per ❤️ 2:29

1y ago2:29

2:29

This is an update to let you know that we are delaying the start of season 3 as Per is soon to have a heart operation. We’re aiming now to start Season 3 in the new year, once Per has recovered. Per is currently in preparations to undergo open-heart surgery in about a month’s time,... The post A heartfelt update from James and Per ❤️ appeared first…

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Privacy: We Can Have Our Cake And Eat It Too 47:27

1y ago47:27

47:27

Carly Kind assumed her role as Privacy Commissioner in February this year. In this episode of Tech Mirror, Commissioner Kind and Johanna traverse: what motivated Carly to accept the role (hint: it’s an exciting time in privacy in Australia) how the reinstated role of Privacy Commissioner works within the broader Office of Australia Information Comm…

1
Season 3 update from James and Per 2:23

1+ y ago2:23

2:23

This is an update to let you know that we have reached the end of Season 2, a sensible 10-month season this time rather than more than 10 years! It’s time for us to take a short break before we kick off Season 3 on August 9th. We are already busy with planning the episodes... The post Season 3 update from James and Per appeared first on UX Podcast.…

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Interviewing users with Steve Portigal 39:25

1+ y ago39:25

39:25

S02E18 (#328). Over ten years have passed since the first edition of Steve Portigal’s legendary book Interviewing Users was released. Together with Steve, we reflect on how user research has evolved during the past decade, and how the importance of user research in order to understand people and their needs is still crucial. We discuss... The post …

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The President of Iceland 40:15

1+ y ago40:15

40:15

S02E17 (#327). A linkshow. James and Per discuss two articles they’ve stumbled on. This time we feature articles about how certain features of e-commerce sites have to go, and how a design mistake impacted civic engagement in Iceland. Article one is The lazy load, endless scroll, and color slicing have to go by Bethany Sadler-Jasmin. “UX... The pos…

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Strategic impact with Nathan Shedroff 33:28

1+ y ago33:28

33:28

S02E16 (#326). Nathan Shedroff, author of A Whole New Strategy, talks to us about how we as designers can have strategic impact. Through an expanded understanding of the context you are working within, and building both situational and operational awareness, we can bridge the gap between design and business. We look at how some of... The post Strat…

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The rule of three with Ellen Lupton 31:22

1+ y ago31:22

31:22

S02E15 (#325). Ellen Lupton, designer, educator and author, helps us stock up our toolbox of design principles and methods, starting off with storytelling in visual design, and the “rule of three” before we move on to linear and non-linear experiences. Will we follow the rule of three and have a third topic? We talk about... The post The rule of th…

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Getting Under the Hood of Social Media with Frances Haugen 47:32

1+ y ago47:32

47:32

Frances Haugen came to the world’s attention in 2021 as a whistle-blower, after filing a series of complaints about Facebook (now Meta) with the U.S. Federal Government about the harms caused by their business practices. She now works to champion accountability, transparency, and driving social media for the common good. In this new episode of Tech…

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Sketching workshop with Eva-Lotta Lamm 58:39

1+ y ago58:39

58:39

S02E14 (#324). A slightly different episode to usual. Eva-Lotta Lamm joins us to hold a visual thinking sketching workshop – Eva-Lotta, James and Per have fun going through three sketching exercises set by Eva-Lotta that can help you with your creativity, team-building, visual thinking and much more. Grab some pens, and perhaps even a couple... The…

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TPDC's Brand New Education Program! 4:53

1+ y ago4:53

4:53

We’re excited to announce that the Tech Mirror Podcast will be returning to its regular scheduling very soon - we’re cooking up a great season with an all-star line-up of guests, so stay tuned! In the interim, here’s a quick update on what TPDC has been doing for the past few months. In particular, we’re especially excited to tell you about our bra…

1
Change leadership with Maria Giudice 42:51

1+ y ago42:51

42:51

S02E13 (#323). We are in the age of design-driven change. Maria Giudice joins us to talk about being changemakers – How we can design change in a complex world. We start by looking at the history of change management and how we are now firmly in the age of design-driven change and that requires change... The post Change leadership with Maria Giudic…

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The right question with Meena Kothandaraman 32:50

1+ y ago32:50

32:50

S02E12 (#322). Asking the right question and wanting to get a good response. How do we handle that as researchers? Meena Kothandaraman joins us to talk about our curiosity as researchers, the different lenses of inquiry we can apply from exploratory to validation. We talk as well about being curious and the skill of getting... The post The right qu…

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Building trust in AI with Carol Smith 35:26

1+ y ago35:26

35:26

S02E11 (#321). How do we know when to trust a system? Carol Smith leads the Trust Lab team at Carnagie Mellon Universty, where they conduct research into making trustworthy, human centered, and responsible AI systems. Our conversation highlights the importance of guardrails and ethical considerations in AI development, as well as to ask the right..…

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Digital Ownership with David Dylan Thomas 47:53

1+ y ago47:53

47:53

S02E10 (#320). What does it mean to own something? We talk with David about the concept of ownership, going beyond the legal definition and into the wider concept of ownership and how digital artefacts lead us to re-think and re-evaluate some of the concepts that we have previously relied on. We talk about copyright, creative... The post Digital Ow…

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Experience strategy 27:23

1+ y ago27:23

27:23

S02E09 (#319). A linkshow. James and Per discuss two articles that have caught their attention. The articles in this episode are about pragmatic discovery; delivering value to projects, and how UX Strategy should focus on, understand, and design, across all touchpoints, for the users – Experience strategy. Article one is Don’t get stuck in discover…

1
Lost history with Zoë Rose 47:07

1+ y ago47:07

47:07

S02E08 (#318). Zoë has been researching the history of some of the creative thinking methodologies we use as designers. In this episode she takes on a journey back to the origins of brainstorming, the double diamond, and design thinking. It turns out that the origins, and even the criticisms, of these methodologies go back further... The post Lost …

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War Has Rules (yes, even in cyberspace) 58:32

2y ago58:32

58:32

This is a special episode of Tech Mirror on the imperative to protect civilians from digital threats during war. Johanna is in conversation with Dr. Cordula Droege, Chief Legal Officer and Head of the legal division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Dr. Tilman Rodenhäuser, Thematic Legal Adviser at the ICRC. The trio discu…

1
Privacy: Move Fast and Regulate It 55:05

2y ago55:05

55:05

Curious about the future of privacy in Australia? Join us as we delve into the world of privacy regulation in Australia. Our expert panel shares their thoughts on the Government’s response to the Privacy Act Review Report. It’s a follow-up to episode #22 ‘Privacy is Not Dead’. Returning guest Anna Johnston, founder and Principal of Salinger Privacy…

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Hidden dilemmas 31:05

2y ago31:05

31:05

S02E07 (#317). A slightly different linkshow featuring two articles, one by James and one by Per. The articles in this episode are about how the experience of a delayed flight highlights the wider impact of poor service design, and how the way in which you type can reveal who you are. Article one is Final... The post Hidden dilemmas appeared first …

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Designer accountability with Kim Goodwin 39:29

2y ago39:29

39:29

S02E06 (#316). Reflections and Lessons from heathcare design. Kim Goodwin has spent many years working within the healthcare industry. We discuss design principles used in healthcare and how they are transferrable across industries, as well as how designers should be more accountable. We also talk about enterprise design, traceability, accountabili…

1
Beyond the Pause: Australia’s AI Opportunity – Part 1 51:40

2y ago51:40

51:40

Ever wish you could sit down with a real-deal AI technologist and ask them what’s on earth is going on? In this double-episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna chats with Bill Simpson Young and Tiberio Cataneo, CEO and Chief Scientist at Gradient Institute. This independent, non-profit research institute works to build safety, ethics, accountability and tra…

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Beyond the Pause: Australia’s AI Opportunity – Part 2 39:37

2y ago39:37

39:37

Ever wish you could sit down with a real-deal AI technologist and ask them what’s on earth is going on? In this double-episode of Tech Mirror, Johanna chats with Bill Simpson Young and Tiberio Cataneo, CEO and Chief Scientist at Gradient Institute. This independent, non-profit research institute works to build safety, ethics, accountability and tra…

1
Regulating Digital Empires 1:04:16

2y ago1:04:16

1:04:16

In this joint episode of Tech Mirror and the National Security Podcast, Anu Bradford and Johanna Weaver join Jennifer Jackett to discuss the global impact of technological advances, the challenges and opportunities they bring, and the evolving landscape of tech regulation. Anu Bradford is a Henry L. Moses Professor of Law and International Organiza…