
User Defenders – UX Design & Personal Growth
Being a great UX designer begins and ends with being a great human. We can't pour an empty cup into another. We can’t lead others where we are not.
This UX podcast helps UX’ers become the best, most powerful designers (and humans) they can be. Yes, you'll discover how-to’s, but much more importantly you'll discover why-to’s.
Every episode is sure to inspire and equip you on how to better fight for your users and business, and dare I say change the world (even if only for one human at a time) in a much deeper and more tangible way than you ever thought possible.
Latest episodes

Jul 18, 2016 • 55min
024: Seeing the Invisible with Francisco Inchauste
Francisco Inchauste teaches us that the best design is invisible. He enlightens us to how we can learn something from anyone, and to appreciate the people who surround us. He reminds us of the importance of validating our work. He also inspires us to always add value to even the smallest things and to not […]

Jul 4, 2016 • 1h 6min
023: Good Design is Humble with Austin Knight
Austin Knight motivates us to just start making things. He encourages us to keep designing, even if it isn’t our job yet. He teaches us how the future of UX is all about expansion and that there’s never been a better time to be a designer. He also inspires us to not only fight for […]

Jun 20, 2016 • 1h 9min
022: The Little Details can Make a Big Difference with Jordan Dobson
Jordan Dobson inspires us to never stop learning and be generous in sharing knowledge with others. He encourages us to craft prototypes in order to gain valuable insight early and often. He challenges designers to gain empathy for their developers by learning a bit about code. He also shows us how the little details can make […]

Jun 6, 2016 • 1h 21min
021: Designing for Happiness with Drew Lepp
Drew Lepp encourages us to learn the business side of technology in order to achieve greater success with our designs. She encourages us to always know why we’re doing what we’re doing, and to be able to clearly articulate why every element on the page is there. She inspires us to fight on in our […]

May 23, 2016 • 59min
020-2: Stay Enchanted with Jeffrey Zeldman (Part II)
Don’t miss Part I of this unforgettable interview. Jeffrey Zeldman inspires us to not underestimate our users by always testing our assumptions–because we’re often wrong. He reminds us of the tremendous value of writing and synthesizing our thoughts. He teaches us to never underrate our gut instincts. He also encourages us to stay enchanted in […]

May 9, 2016 • 42min
020-1: Stay Enchanted with Jeffrey Zeldman (Part I)
Don’t miss Part II of this unforgettable interview. Jeffrey Zeldman dives deep into his origin story to enlighten us on how he got started on the Web. He inspires us to not get caught up in the buzzwords, but to keep it simple and clear. He also gets vulnerable to reveal how overcoming his biggest […]

May 3, 2016 • 1h 4min
Design for Real Life with Eric Meyer & Sara Wachter-Boettcher
Design for Real Life is a profound and inspiring book. The more things become automated and robotic, the more evident the need to remain human becomes. This book compels us to strive to stay human especially in our approach to how we design for other humans. It deeply challenges the long-held status-quo of resistance to […]

Apr 25, 2016 • 44min
019: The Power of Design Patterns with Pek Pongpaet
Pek Pongpaet teaches us that the key to successful UX is in pattern recognition and application. He reminds us of the power of visual hierarchy in that if something’s important, it should never be buried. He reminds us of the power of observation and in testing our product with users. He also inspires us to […]

Apr 11, 2016 • 58min
018: The Beauty of Simplicity with David Demaree
David Demaree reminds us of the value of simplicity, brevity, and editing. He encourages us to know who are users are and where they’re coming from. He inspires us not to get too wrapped up into the closeness of our own material and not take the criticism of our work too personally. He also teaches […]

Mar 28, 2016 • 1h 10min
017: The Value of the Theory is in the Application with Victor Yocco
Victor Yocco teaches us that standing out in our work involves identifying human needs, and always being willing to address them. He enlightens us that failure leads to greater things, but our motivation should be not to fail. He shows us how practicing perseverance is a great habit to get into because it always pays […]