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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 LeadersTry 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)
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📹 Post-production by
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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)
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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 GuideDon’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️
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Bluesky
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📹 Post-production by
Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant)
Megan Brown (Social Media Lead)
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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 CoursesFree 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 EmpoweredDon’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️
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📹 Post-production by
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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 -
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 -
In this episode, Peter Merholz—co-founder of Adaptive Path and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs—joins us to talk about what it really takes to build and scale effective design teams. We explore the systems, structures, and leadership mindsets that shape successful organizations, the relationships between product and design teams, and how design leaders can foster clarity, consistency, and impact as their teams grow. Whether you’re managing a team or aspiring to, this conversation is packed with insights on navigating the evolving role of design in today’s organizations.
Learn More About Peter:
Website: https://petermerholz.com/
Newsletter: https://petermerholz.com/newsletter/
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/petermerholz
Podcast: https://findingourway.design/
Book: https://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com/
Full-Day Courses (also available in half-day formats):
DesignOps: Scaling UX Design: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/scaling-ux-design-and-user-research/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50
Product and UX: Building Partnerships for Better Outcomes: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/product-and-ux/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50
Leading Highly Effective UX Teams: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/leading-ux-teams/?lm=pm-ux-different-views-of-responsibilities&pt=article&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50
UX Leader: Essential Skills for Any UX Practitioner: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/ux-leadership-skills-for-all/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50
New UX Managers: https://www.nngroup.com/courses/new-manager/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50
Related Free NN/g Articles:
DesignOps: Study Guide: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/design-ops-study-guide/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50
Product & UX: Study Guide: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/product-and-ux-study-guide/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50
PM and UX Have Markedly Different Views of Their Job Responsibilities: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/pm-ux-different-views-of-responsibilities/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep50
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UX practitioners often struggle with shifting requirements and increasing product complexity, making it difficult to design intuitive experiences. Object-Oriented UX (OOUX) offers a structured approach to simplify digital products by focusing on core objects rather than pages or screens. Sophia Prater explains how this method improves usability, reduces inconsistencies, and streamlines collaboration across teams.
About Sophia Prater: Bio (via RewiredUX.com) | LinkedIn | Instagram
Learn more about Object-Oriented UX:
Upcoming Free UX Level-Up Training
Sign up for the newsletter
OOUX Podcast
OOUX for AI & AI for OOUX (course)
Related NN/g Courses & Resources:
UX Basic Training (full-day or 2 half-day course)
What is Object-Oriented UX? (3-min video)
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As AI continues to evolve, designers are increasingly finding themselves tasked with creating AI-powered experiences—often without prior experience in the space. In this episode, NN/g UX Specialist Caleb Sponheim discusses the current state of AI tools, what’s working (and what’s not), and how designers can position themselves to navigate this shift. We also explore what it really means to develop AI safely and how designers can play a role in ensuring ethical, user-friendly AI experiences.
About the speaker: Bio | LinkedIn
Full-Day Course: Designing AI Experiences(also available in half-day formats)
Related NN/g Articles:
Artificial Intelligence GlossaryHow Do Generative AI Systems Work?Redefine Your Design Skills to Prepare for AIAI Features Must Solve Real ProblemsMore Free Articles on AI -
As tech layoffs and budget cuts dominate the start of the year, UX teams are navigating a critical challenge: proving the value of research while doing more with less. In this episode, NN/g Director of Research Maria Rosala sits down with ResearchOps pioneer Kate Towsey to explore how ResearchOps can help teams think strategically about the impact and efficiency of their research.
Learn more about Kate TowseyKate’s Book: Research That Scales: The Research Operations HandbookKate's Substack: Scaling and Systematising ResearchKate’s Masterclasses in Australia and Europe: Defining a ResearchOps Strategy, 2025Kate's ChaCha Club - a member's club for ResearchOps professionals: https://chacha.club/
NN/g Courses and Content on ResearchOpsFull-Day Course: ResearchOpsFree Article: Research Ops 1014-min Video: Strategic vs Reactionary Research4-min Video: Research Repositories 1013-min Video: Research Participant Database
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Most experienced professionals in the industry will tell you that the best designs don't operate in a vacuum. Yet, most of our measurement approaches do. How do you know you're actually making a measurable impact toward users' long-term goals? Connor Joyce, author of the book, Bridging Intention to Impact, shares his thoughts on how to create and evaluate products that center on meaningful user outcomes.
Connect with Connor Joyce
Order the book
Free Articles on Analytics & Metrics Report on UX Metrics & ROI Full-Day or 2 Half-Day Course on Measuring UX and ROI
Related NN/g Resources & Courses: -
To explore how is AI shaping UX research and analysis, host Therese Fessenden shares two interviews on the topic; one with Savina Hawkins, Co-founder of Altis, and one with Caleb Sponheim, UX Specialist at NN/g. In this episode we explore the opportunities AI presents for enhancing productivity and innovation in UX work, alongside the risks and challenges it brings. Savina & Caleb offer practical advice on how UX professionals can leverage AI tools effectively and remain competitive in their field.Learn more about AltisLearn more about Caleb Sponheim, PhDGet trained on using AI for UX work: Practical AI for UX Professionals CourseNN/g Articles on Artificial IntelligenceCaleb’s Favorite Resources:Optimistic Perspective: Ethan Mollick’s One Useful Thing. Skeptical Perspective: Ed Zitron’s Where’s Your Ed At. Weekly Newsletter
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Product-centric design can be an efficient way to design interfaces, but it can often lead to disjointed and poorly optimized customer journey experiences. Kim Flaherty shares her recent research into journey-centric design, and insights on how a journey-centric design practice can help organizations overcome product-centric challenges.
Report:Architecting a Journey Management Practice
Learn more about Kim:
Bio | LinkedIn
NN/g Resources about Journey Management:
The 3 Competencies of Journey Management (5-min video)
Journey Management vs. Service Design (4-min video)
The Practice of Customer-Journey Management (free article)
Customer Journeys and Omnichannel UX (free article)
Journey Mapping to Understand Customer Needs (UX Certification course)
Customer-Journey Management (UX Certification course)
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With AI developing rapidly, and AI policy often lagging behind, calls for responsible tech design and development are louder and more public than ever. In this episode, Paige Lord offers some insight into ways UX professionals can play a role in creating ethical AI products and services.
Learn more about Paige Lord:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepaigelord/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiethicswithpaige
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aiethicswithpaige
Substack: https://thepaigelord.substack.com/
Other related content:
Design Risk Assessment (free article) NN/g Articles & Videos about AI Practical AI for UX Professionals Course Emerging Patterns in Interface Design CourseResponsible AI Institute: https://www.responsible.ai/
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