Podcasts are great way to learn and digest insights from industry leaders and experts on various different design fields, practices, and processes. They're perfect listening for your commute or while you’re cranking out your portfolio. Here are some of our favorites:
99% Invisible
99% Invisible is a fantastic podcast shedding light on the elements of our urban fabric that tend to go unnoticed. Think anything from “how inflatable men came to be regular fixtures at used car lots…[to] the origin of the fortune cookie.” Plus, host Roman Mars is delightful, and actually created this podcast through one of the most successful podcast Kickstarter projects in history!
Favorite Episode: 281- La Sagrada Familia
Design Better Podcast
This one comes from InVision, and has a slew of guests who shed light on the inner workings of the some top product organizations like AirBnB, Google, Apple, Slack, Indeed, Atlassian, and many more. Curious about what it takes to build and scale a design system, or how Apple churned out high quality design during the early iPhone era? Give this a shot.
Favorite Episode: Bob Baxley: What it takes to build a connected workflow
Design Details
Design Details does fantastic job of balancing interviews from experts while also answering questions from listeners. Topics covered in any episode can go from general career path advice to minute visual design best practices and software tips.
Favorite Episode: 302: Designing Dark Patterns
How I Built This
A must listen for any aspiring entrepreneur, hear riveting interviews between host Guy Raz and the founders of all your favorite design companies including Instagram, Away, Bonobos, Kickstarter, Lyft, WeWork, and countless more.
Favorite Episode: Rent The Runway: Jenn Hyman
Design Notes
Design Notes is great podcast about creative work with interviews from experts from different creative fields — anything from designing products to running a record label. The episodes are all 30 minutes, and hosted by the wonderful Liam Spradlin of Google. Check out our interview with him here to learn more about him.
Favorite Episode: Rom Giampietro, Design Director at MoMA
Everything Is Alive
This podcast is a little more surreal and out there, but definitely design adjacent. They are short form interviews between 10–30 minutes long, in which a different host interviews an inanimate object, like a pillow or an elevator. Each thing tells you its life story, and gives you a new perspective on the things we create as designers.
Favorite Episode: Louis, Can of Cola
