So many podcasts, too little time… So we’ve selected 10 podcasts that we believe will inform and inspire the way you approach experience design.
1. Immersive Experiences
Join UX designer Priya Saraswat as she takes us through all aspects of “human-centred design”. Expect discussion of inclusive design, the importance of practicing empathy, and looking at design through the lens of our own deep history as human beings.
2. For Arts’ Sake
Aimed at anyone working in the museum or curatorial sectors, this podcast is also for anyone who wants a cerebral look at creating spaces for contemplation and viewership. Episodes cover topics as diverse as curatorial story-telling, mindful looking, and how provisions for kids benefit adults, too. Available here.
3. Life is a Festival
Host Eamon Armstrong is a citizen of both San Francisco and Black Rock City. The Burner wants to bring the spirit of festivals to all of life, all the time. His show has been going since 2018, so there’s a wealth of material to listen to. Expect freewheeling discussions with a vast range of individuals. Topics include the healing power of myth – which will interest anyone who loves the Hero’s Journey or the works of Joseph Campbell – and opens up important discussions about the delicate politics of intentional communities and transformational practices.
4. Experience by Design
Experience By Design is exactly the kind of content that the WXO is all about: holistic, systems thinking about the design of experiences, everything from healthcare to higher education, membership experience and criminal justice design. Hosts Gary David and Adam Gamwell come from the fields of ethnography and anthropology respectively, so expect inspiring big-picture thinking and the transferability of what they discover across all sectors.
5. Remake
Another holistic look at design’s implementation across all aspects of life and work, host Eran Dror interviews people “trying to change our lives for the better in some meaningful way, whether through a new product, new venture, or new way of looking at the world”. If we may, we’d like to recommend the episode with the WXO Founding Circle’s Joe Macleod, talking about “Designing the End”.
6. Skip the Queue
Specifically about visitor attractions, and targeted at their owners, Skip the Queue is one for the true insiders. It shows great range, from Harry Potter to Norfolk’s Holkham Estaste and its groundbreaking sustainability plans. You’ll get insight on the politics of pre-booking, how to grow your reach, and why you attraction really needs a podcast.
7. The Experiential Table
Worried we’d forgotten about F&B? Not to worry – Cynthia Samanian is at the truly cutting edge of food-based experiences, whether that’s interactive dinners, cooking classes, or cocktail parties. She is doing really exciting things with brand collaborations. We think she’s definitely one to watch.
7. The Intuitive Customer
The Intuitive Customer is co-hosted by another of our own, CX pioneer Colin Shaw, and Emory University Professor Ryan Hamilton. The show is a deep dive into customer behaviour, and will win you over to the paramount importance of good customer experience design. A few of our favourites: the one with WXO Founder James Wallman on why he founded the WXO, and the one with CX pioneers Joe Pine and Lewis Carbone on the past, present, and future of Customer Experience.
9. Adventure Options
This podcast covers everything adventure travel. Once more, we’d highly recommend the episode with another Co-Founder of the WXO, Jake Haupert, explaining the principles of transformational travel.
10. Experiences that Matter
To conclude, a look at the people across the world and across the sector working to bring the best, most meaningful experiences to us all. Topics include “Designing for Kinds” and “Designing for Justice”. This is a show with great intent, and a great place to start if you want to hear from people working in many different fields.
