

NN/g UX Podcast
Nielsen Norman Group
The Nielsen Norman Group (NNg) UX Podcast is a podcast on user experience research, design, strategy, and professions, hosted by Senior User Experience Specialist Therese Fessenden. Join us every month as she interviews industry experts, covering common questions, hot takes on pressing UX topics, and tips for building truly great user experiences. For free UX resources, references, and information on UX Certification opportunities, go to: www.nngroup.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 4, 2020 • 27min
5. ROI: The Business Value of UX (feat. Kate Moran, Sr. UX Specialist at NN/g)
How do you evaluate the impact of UX work? As the world faces another bout of pandemic lockdowns, UX teams are finding themselves in a tough position of justifying their work to business decision-makers. Kate Moran, Senior UX Specialist at NN/g, shares insights from her recently published report on UX Metrics and ROI (return on investment) and offers advice on how to prove your worth. In this episode, we cover: what ROI is and why it matters, avoiding common pitfalls when calculating ROI, and how to stay growth-oriented without harming long-term business strategy.
Resources cited in this episode:
UX Metrics and ROI report (297-page report)
Measuring UX and ROI (full-day course)
Myths of Calculating ROI (free article)
Don't Shame Your Users Into Converting (4-min video)
Stop Shaming Your Users for Micro Conversions (free article)
Kate's NN/g Articles and Videos (bio page)

Nov 6, 2020 • 30min
4. Creativity During a Crisis (feat. Aurora Harley, Sr. UX Specialist at NN/g)
"Diamonds are made under pressure," but what does that mean for creativity and productivity? Aurora Harley, Senior UX Specialist, shares some advice on staying creative and productive during times of stress, thoughts on reframing constraints as opportunities, and tips for nurturing an environment that fosters innovative thought regardless of distance.
Resources Cited in this Episode
Effective Ideation Techniques for UX Design (full-day course)
Changing Role of the Designer (Don Norman) (5 min video)
Ideation Techniques for a One-Person UX Team (2 min video)
Remote Ideation - Synchronous or Asynchronous Techniques (4 min video)
Troubleshooting Group Ideation: 10 Fixes for More and Better UX Ideas (free article)

Oct 9, 2020 • 25min
3. UX Careers: Growing in (and out of) Your Current Role (feat. Rachel Krause, UX Specialist at NN/g)
What does a typical UX career path look like? Are there even typical career paths in UX? How can you become a UX leader? What should new and seasoned UX professionals keep in mind as they move through their careers? Rachel Krause, a UX Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, shares her insights from her research on the UX profession, and perspectives from her own journey into the field of user experience.
Resources Cited in this Episode:
What a UX Career Looks Like Today (free article)
User Experience Careers (90-page report)
Management vs. Specialization as UX Career Growth (3 min video)
The State of UX Job Descriptions (3 min video)
Being a UX Leader: Essential Skills for Any UX Practitioner (full-day course)

7 snips
Sep 4, 2020 • 30min
2. Empathy, Adaptability, and Design (feat. Sarah Gibbons, Chief Designer at NN/g)
Sarah Gibbons & Therese Fessenden discuss empathy and adaptability as critical design skills (perhaps now more than ever) and share thoughts on how design plays a bigger role than meets the eye.
Resources cited in this episode:
NN/g Instagram: @nngux
Service Blueprinting (full-day course)
Design Thinking is Like Cooking (2 min video)
UX Roadmaps (full-day course)
UX Roadmaps: Definition and Components (free article)
Sarah's NN/g Articles and Videos (bio page)
Also related: Brené on Comparative Suffering, the 50/50 Myth, and Settling the Ball (Unlocking Us with Brené Brown podcast episode)

20 snips
Aug 10, 2020 • 17min
1. What is UX, anyway? (feat. Dr. Jakob Nielsen, the usability guru)
Nielsen Norman Group is celebrating its 22nd anniversary by launching our very own NN/g UX Podcast. Join host Therese Fessenden as she interviews NN/g co-founder Dr. Jakob Nielsen on the most important questions about our industry: What really is "user experience," anyway? And what is the state of UX now, compared to when NN/g started 22 years ago?
Resources Cited in this Episode:
The Definition of User Experience (article)
WAP Mobile Phones Field Study Findings (article)
Describing UX to Family and Friends (3-min video)
Usability 101: Introduction to Usability (article)
User Experience vs. Customer Experience (article)
Jakob Nielsen's Profile, Articles, and Videos