Best Designresearch Podcasts (2025)

1
Building Sustainable Design Research Systems with Sam Zucker — DT101 E143 47:25

2M ago47:25

47:25

The tension between doing good research and delivering on tight timelines is something I've experienced throughout my career in design and innovation. This conversation with Sam Zucker unpacks powerful approaches to making research more sustainable and equitable while building systems that support continuous learning and engagement. What particular…

1
Architecture + Decision Design + Learning Spaces + Strategy with Adam Griff — DT101 E142 45:06

5M ago45:06

45:06

In this episode, I explore how architectural thinking enhances strategic decision-making with Adam Griff. Our conversation reveals how his architectural background shapes his approach to helping higher education institutions navigate complex decisions and create flexible space solutions. We dig into the challenges of designing spaces that can adapt…

1
Joy, Transformation, and Design as Creative Liberation with Sahibzada Mayed — DT101 E141 49:58

6M ago49:58

49:58

Sahibzada Mayed is a creative alchemist who uses design and storytelling to cultivate joy and imagination as tools of liberation. Mayed serves as the Co-Lead for Strategy and Research at Pause and Effect, a liberation-focused imagination and design collective based on Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Beyon…

1
Healthcare Design: Evidence-based, Business Fluent, and Change Prepared with Matt Van Der Tuyn — DT101 E140 42:38

8M ago42:38

42:38

Matthew Van Der Tuyn is a designer and healthcare innovation strategist. Matt is the Senior Director of Design and Strategy at the Center for Health Care Transformation and Innovation at Penn Medicine. The mission at the Center is to serve as a catalyst and accelerator for initiatives that dramatically improve health outcomes, patient and provider …

1
Behavioral Science in Human-centered Design with Christina Hanschke — DT101 E139 1:01:23

8M ago1:01:23

1:01:23

Christina Hanschke's career journey has spanned many diverse roles. She's been a music therapist, nanny, and UX researcher, and she’s currently a Design Lead at Final Mile, where she applies a multidisciplinary approach to address pressing societal changes, drawing from behavioral science, human-centered design, and systems thinking. As an adjunct …

1
Organizational Design + Strategy + Change with Stephanie Gioia — DT101 E138 39:01

11M ago39:01

39:01

Stephanie Gioia is a founder at Future Work Design with a focus on strategic planning and organizational innovation. She also serves as the director of the Either/Org project and teaches human-centered design for organizational innovation at the University of Oregon's Executive MBA program. She’s taught at Stanford’s d.school, University of Michiga…

1
Designing Your Career + UX for Small Business with Sarah Doody — DT101 E137 46:32

11M ago46:32

46:32

Sarah Doody is a user research experience designer and researcher. She's also the founder of Career Strategy Lab, a UX career coaching program. In 2011, she co-created the curriculum and taught for General Assembly's first 11-week UX intensive program in New York City. She has extensive experience doing experience design, product strategy, and user…

1
Design Ethics with George Aye — DT101 E136 56:45

12M ago56:45

56:45

This is the inaugural DT101 Live!, with guest George Aye. George co-founded Greater Good Studio with the belief that design can help advance equity. Previously, he spent seven years at global innovation firm IDEO before being hired as the first human-centered designer at the Chicago Transit Authority. He speaks frequently across the US and internat…

1
Leading Design + Collaboration + Why Design Thinking with Kareem Collie — DT101 E135 56:32

12M ago56:32

56:32

Kareem Collie is an accomplished designer and educator with a rich background in both the corporate and academic worlds. Leading design teams for organizations like Nickelodeon, Coca-Cola, and USA Network, he has driven transformation and engagement through his expertise in visual and user-experience design. As Design Lead at IBM, he was instrument…

1
Instructional Design + Adult Learning Experiences with Holly Owens — DT101 E134 38:16

1y ago38:16

38:16

Holly Owens is an Adjunct Professor at the Touro College Graduate School of Technology, where she teaches in the Instructional Technology program, and works full time as an Instructional Designer with PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy. She has over 15 years of experience in education in various roles, including high school educator, instructional technol…

1
5.5 Things Everyone Should Know about the Future of Higher Education with David Staley — DT101 E133 1:04:12

1y ago1:04:12

1:04:12

David Staley is an associate professor in the Department of History at Ohio State University. He teaches courses in digital history and historical methods. He also holds courtesy appointments in two departments, the Department of Design, where he has taught courses in digital history and design futures, and the Department of Educational Studies, wh…

1
5 Ways Nobody Cares About You and How They Make You a Better Designer // ALD 014 — DT101 E132 4:09

1y ago4:09

4:09

This is a Design Thinking 101 episode in the Ask Like a Designer series. Ask Like a Designer helps people explore creating services and solutions by thinking and solving like a designer. You’ll learn about design thinking, service design, learning design, leading and building high-performing teams, and ways to achieve better outcomes. This episode …

1
Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change with Julie Dirksen — DT101 E131 1:05:58

1y ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Julie Dirksen is the author of the books Design for How People Learn and Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change. She is a learning strategy consultant with a focus on incorporating behavioral science into learning interventions. Julie was my guest for episode 42 of the show. In this episode, we talk about her latest book, ways to…

1
Learning Design Thinking + Shifting Mindsets + Facilitation with David Lemus — DT101 E130 40:53

1y ago40:53

40:53

David Lemus is an independent design strategist with engineering roots working with organizations to empower teams to be customer obsessed and have a culture of iterative learning. He has designed and facilitated dozens of design thinking workshops across Fortune 500 companies, non-profit and government organizations. David is also currently an adj…

1
Teaching and Applying Design Thinking in Higher Ed + The Experimentation Fieldbook with Liz Chen — E129 51:21

1y ago51:21

51:21

Liz Chen is Design Thinking Lead at Innovate Carolina, the unit dedicated to innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Liz is also a co-author of The Experimentation Field Book, a practical how-to guide on rigorously testing assumptions and concepts. We talk about teaching and applyin…

1
Design Social Change with Lesley-Ann Noel — DT101 E128 37:49

1+ y ago37:49

37:49

Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel is an Afro-Trinidadian design educator and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design Studies at North Carolina State University. Lesley promotes greater critical awareness among designers and design students by introducing critical theory concepts and vocabulary into the design studio. We talk about questioning design p…

1
Radical Participatory Design + Relationships in Complex Systems Inclusive Design with Victor Udoewa — DT101 E127 59:58

1+ y ago59:58

59:58

Victor Udoewa works in the Office of Public Health Data Surveillance and Technology at the CDC. Previously, he worked at the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs at NASA, as well as at 18F and Google. We talk about his journey into design and leadership, the role of design in the civic space, radical pa…

1
Making Collaboration Mean Something + Inclusive Design with Pinar Guvenc — DT101 E126 34:43

1+ y ago34:43

34:43

Pinar Guvenc is a partner at the award-winning global design studio SOUR, where she leads design innovation strategy. Pinar is also a member of the faculty at Parsons School of Design, and she serves on the Board of Directors at Open Style Lab, a National Design Award-winning nonprofit organization initiated at MIT, with the purpose of making style…

1
Fulfilling Design Careers + Crafting Teams with Justin Dauer — DT101 E125 49:28

1+ y ago49:28

49:28

Justin is an internationally-renowned design leader, author and speaker from Chicago. You'll often find him at AIGA's speaking events, he’s been interviewed in Forbes magazine and Medium's "Forge" publication, and he writes articles for Aquent, CEO World Magazine, and A List Apart. He speaks internationally on culture and design, and today on the s…

1
Relentless Curiosity, a Necessary Delight with Scott Shigeoka — DT101 E124 56:21

1+ y ago56:21

56:21

Scott Shigeoka is an internationally-recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and the author of SEEK: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. He is known for translating research into strategies that promote wellbeing and connected relationships around the globe, including at the University of California Berkeley's Greater Good Sci…

1
The Experimentation Field Book with Natalie Foley — DT101 E123 48:03

1+ y ago48:03

48:03

Natalie Foley has over 20 years of experience leading teams in designing and launching new products, programs, and strategies across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Recently, she joined Opportunity at Work, where she builds, tests, and launches new services to help rewire the labor market for the 71 million workers in America whose…

1
Healthcare + Systems + Risk + Design with Rob Lister — DT101 E122 44:34

1+ y ago44:34

44:34

Rob Lister is a designer in healthcare, creating meaningful experiences in many arenas, including medical device design, care delivery, service design, and population health strategy. His experience as a design leader at IDEO and AT&T, and his background as a mechanical engineer, inform a strategic and operationally focused approach to innovation i…

1
Facilitation + Remote Teams + Miro with Shipra Kayan — DT101 E121 45:26

1+ y ago45:26

45:26

Shipra Kayan is a product evangelist at Miro, a designer, and a facilitator. She has built inclusive, engaged, and effective distributed teams at companies like Upwork and Miro. Armed with two decades of experience teaching design teams to collaborate across time zones, cultures, and knowledge silos, Shipra is a leading advocate for adopting visual…

1
Nudging Systems + Equity-centered Design + Systems Thinking with Sheryl Cababa — DT101 E120 51:31

1+ y ago51:31

51:31

Sheryl Cababa drives a human-centered design practice focusing on systems thinking and evidence-based design, working on everything from robotic surgery experience design to reimagining K-12 education through service design. In her work with consultancies such as Substantial, Frog, and Adaptive Path, she has worked with a diverse base of clients in…

1
Design and Complex Systems in Healthcare + Design and Management with Kipum Lee — DT101 E119 1:08:01

1+ y ago1:08:01

1:08:01

Kip Lee is a designer and healthcare executive at University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland, OH. As Vice President of UH Ventures, he manages an innovation portfolio that supports University Hospitals’ strategic initiatives and partnerships through product innovation and human-centered design. Outside of work, Kip serves on the editorial boar…

1
Designing Feedback + Design Research and Workshops with Nahal Tavangar — DT101 E118 49:35

1+ y ago49:35

49:35

Nahal Tavangar is a self-professed generalist who has worked in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors across two continents. These roles and experiences have given her valuable insights into design thinking in various industries, work environments, business models, and workplace cultures. Today, we talk about research workshops, metaphors, and…

1
UX + Design Teams with Nick Finck — DT101 E117 54:57

2y ago54:57

54:57

Nick Fink is a design and research leader with over two decades of experience in the industry. Nick currently consults and advises businesses on design and research in Seattle through his company, Craft & Rigor. Listen to learn about: >> Core disciplines of UX design >> What is interaction design? >> What does it mean to be a UX designer today? >> …

1
Operations + Human Centered Design + Art with Alvin Schexnider — DT101 E116 49:48

2y ago49:48

49:48

Alvin Schexnider is an emancipatory designer and a business operations strategist who helps institutions become more effective, just, citizen-centered, and innovative. He has 15 years of experience in leadership across design, strategy, equity, and business operations in the government, nonprofit and for-profit spaces. Currently he is a part of Cap…

1
Design Thinking in Practice: a conversation between Allen Higgins & Dawan Stanford — DT101 E115 1:06:48

2y ago1:06:48

1:06:48

Allen Higgins joins me as we share host and guest roles to talk about design practice systems and creating for and with the people we serve. Alan is a research associate and lecturer in the Center for Innovation Technology and Organization in the School of Business at University College Dublin. Listen to learn about: Design and design thinking proc…

1
Ethics + Education + Power + Design with Mike Monteiro — DT101 E114 49:56

2y ago49:56

49:56

Mike Monteiro is a designer and the author of Ruined By Design, You're My Favorite Client, The Collected Angers, and the newly-revised Design is a Job. Listen to learn about: >> Mike’s book, Design is a Job >> Ethics in design >> Designing society so that ethical behavior becomes the norm Our Guest Mike Monteiro is the co-founder and design directo…

1
Thinking, Solving & Transformative Communication: Design + Visualization with Hazel White — DT101 E113 39:44

2y ago39:44

39:44

Hazel White is a designer and a visualizer. She creates simple visuals to help communicate complex ideas. We talk about how design and visualization combine to facilitate thinking, fuel solving, and create transformative change. Listen to learn about: >> How visualizations can help us communicate ideas >> Examples of what you can use visualizations…

1
Cognitive Bias + Ethics + Dreaming the Future of Design with David Dylan Thomas — DT101 E112 44:45

2y ago44:45

44:45

David Dylan Thomas is the author of Design for Cognitive Bias and the creator and host of the Cognitive Bias podcast. Dave has consulted with major clients in entertainment, healthcare, publishing, finance, and retail. As the founder and CEO of David Dylan Thomas, LLC, he offers workshops and presentations on inclusive design and the role of bias i…

1
5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About Appreciative Inquiry with Joan McArthur-Blair and Jeanie Cockell — DT101 E111 49:48

2y ago49:48

49:48

This episode of the Design Thinking 101 podcast is 5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About: Appreciative Inquiry. Joan McArthur-Blair and Jeanie Cockell are co-presidents of Cockell McArthur-Blair Consulting. Listen to learn about: >> Appreciative inquiry’s ability to generate hope and help people be creative >> Using generative questions to un…

1
5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About Positive Childhood Experiences with Robert Sege — DT101 E110 38:16

2y ago38:16

38:16

This episode of the Design Thinking 101 podcast is 5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About: Positive Childhood Experiences. Dr. Robert Sege, MD PhD is a pediatrician at the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, and a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, where he directs the Center for Community Engaged…

1
Healthcare Innovation + Nursing + Opportunities for Designers — DT101 E109 55:56

2y ago55:56

55:56

Michael Ackerman is currently the director of the Master in Healthcare Innovation Program and Professor of Clinical Nursing and the director of the Center for Healthcare Innovation and Leadership at the Ohio State University College of Nursing. He also maintains a clinical practice as an acute care nurse practitioner at St. Joseph's Neighborhood Ho…

1
Designing a Learning System for the Good Life // ALD 013 — DT101 E108 8:21

2y ago8:21

8:21

This is a Design Thinking 101 episode in the Ask Like a Designer series. Ask Like a Designer helps people explore thinking and solving like a designer. You’ll learn about design thinking, service design, learning design, leading and building high-performing teams, and ways to achieve better outcomes. This episode is based on this article: ALD013 //…

1
Humans + AI + Design with Ruth Kikin-Gil — DT101 E107 40:44

2y ago40:44

40:44

Ruth Kikin-Gil is a design strategist, a digital product designer, and a practical dreamer who focuses on product innovation across devices, input methods, and platforms. At Microsoft, she leads the Responsible AI Practices for Microsoft's security organization. She helps drive responsible AI and Microsoft through serving on multiple AI and ethics …

1
5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About Hacking Bureaucracy with Marina Nitze — DT101 E106 41:07

2+ y ago41:07

41:07

Marina Nitze is co-author of the book Hack Your Bureaucracy and works at Layer Aleph, a crisis response firm that specializes in restoring complex software systems to service. Marina was the Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under President Obama after serving as a Senior Advisor on technology in the Obama White Ho…

1
Learning to See and Respond to Racialized Design with Lisa Elzey Mercer — DT101 E105 48:11

2+ y ago48:11

48:11

Lisa Elzey Mercer is a designer, educator, and researcher. Her interests are in developing and executing design interventions focused on the topics of human trafficking, incarceration, race, and racism. She's an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design and Design for Responsible Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. We talk about …

1
Learning + Teaching + Design Thinking Impact in K-12 with Rich Wiener — DT101 E104 48:10

2+ y ago48:10

48:10

Rich Wiener is an educator and consultant who works to engage K-12 learners at a high level, and has zeroed in on design thinking as a key component. Rich's career has included being a school principal, Director of Curriculum for Ramsey Public School District in New Jersey, and an adjunct professor of education at Columbia University. We talk about…

1
UX + Into, Through, and (Almost) Out of Design with Kara DeFrias — DT101 E103 48:38

2+ y ago48:38

48:38

Kara DeFrias is the current Chief of Staff for the Intuit QuickBooks Platform, with a background rich in both private and public sector experience. Previous work includes serving as senior advisor to the leadership team of the technology and design consultancy 18F in the Obama Administration, founding TEDxIntuit, and being part of the Emmy Award-wi…

1
5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About: The Opioid Overdose Epidemic (Part 1) with Stacy Stanford — DT101 E102 20:31

2+ y ago20:31

20:31

This episode of the Design Thinking 101 podcast is 5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About: the Opioid Overdose Epidemic. Our guest today is Stacy Stanford, the Senior Director of Overdose Injury and Violence Prevention at the National Association of County and City Health Officials in Washington DC (NACCHO). At NACCHO, she leads the overdose i…

1
Human-Centered Design + Designing Exceptional Customer Experiences with Lis Hubert and Diana Sonis — DT101 E101 47:13

2+ y ago47:13

47:13

Diana Sonis is a passionate believer in holistic 360 strategy and design, with extensive expertise in UX and CX design, service design, and design thinking. Lis Hubert is an acclaimed design and strategy thought leader, writer, and speaker with extensive experience in digital strategy, customer experience, information architecture, and design. Toge…

1
Design for Good + Ethics + Social Impact with Sara Cantor — DT101 E100 39:58

2+ y ago39:58

39:58

Sara Cantor is a co-founder and the executive director of Greater Good Studio, where she and her team think of themselves as pissed-off optimists. We talk about design for good, ethics in design practice, and creating social impact. Listen to learn about: >> Human-centered design>> Greater Good Studio’s project “gut check”>> The power designers wie…

1
Want Better Outcomes? Find Better Problems. // ALD 012 — DT101 E99 9:04

2+ y ago9:04

9:04

This is a Design Thinking 101 episode in the Ask Like a Designer series. Ask Like a Designer helps people explore thinking and solving like a designer. You’ll learn about design thinking, service design, learning design, leading and building high-performing teams, and ways to achieve better outcomes. This episode is based on this article: ALD012 //…

1
Designing with Government Partners + Hidden Design Phases with Chelsea Mauldin — DT101 E98 45:19

2+ y ago45:19

45:19

Chelsea Mauldin is the Executive Director of the Public Policy Lab and an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Listen to learn about: >> The work of the Public Policy Lab>> How design and design thinking can help governments make better public policy>> Human-centered design in public policy>> The pr…

1
5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About: The Future of Higher Education with Bryan Alexander — DT101 E97 51:57

2+ y ago51:57

51:57

This episode of the Design Thinking 101 podcast is 5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About: the Future of Higher Education. Our guest today is Bryan Alexander. Bryan is a senior scholar at Georgetown University and runs a consultancy focused on the future of higher education. Listen to learn about: >> The current state of higher education>> Stu…

1
Language + Design Research + Researcher Self-Care with Abby Bajuniemi — DT101 E96 46:04

3y ago46:04

46:04

Dr. Abby Bajuniemi holds a PhD in applied linguistics from the University of Minnesota and is currently a user researcher in industry. We talk about language, design research and researcher self-care. Listen to learn about: >> How language and linguistics affect design>> The interaction of society and language>> Trauma-informed user research>> Rese…

1
5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About Strategic Foresight with Bart Édes — DT101 E95 38:56

3y ago38:56

38:56

This episode of the Design Thinking 101 podcast is 5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About: Strategic Foresight. Our guest today is Bart Édes. Bart is a professor at McGill University in International Development. Listen to learn about: >> Future thinking and strategic foresight>> The benefits of using of foresight>> How to start using foresigh…

1
Designing Brand Experience + Commercial Design for Good with Jos Harrison — DT101 E94 44:13

3y ago44:13

44:13

Jos Harrison is the global head of brand experience and design at Reckitt. We talk about brand experience design and commercial design for good. Listen to learn about: >> Brand building>> Finding ways for companies to do good in a way that builds brand>> Learning design>> Omnichannel communication and its effect on brand building>> Design’s role in…

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