NN/G UX Podcast

Navigating the UX job market has always had its ups and downs, especially with AI reshaping the industry. In this episode, host Laura Klein sits down with Evan Sunwall, NN/G's Director of Self-Paced Training, to share candid advice for UX practitioners trying to actively job search or level up in today's competitive market. With nearly 19 years in the field as both a designer and a hiring manager, he has a lot to say about where the field is headed — no matter what stage you're at in your career.
That experience is also what shaped Evan's self-paced course on getting a job in UX, part of NN/G's new and growing library of practical, pre-recorded courses built around real skill gaps. Evan was one of the first to help develop the format — running experiments and prototypes to figure out what actually works for self-directed learners.
Evan also previews a companion course aimed at hiring managers and shares that he's looking for sharp instructors to help expand the library into new topics across research, design, and AI.
Check out our NEW Self-Paced Courses!

About Evan Sunwall | Bio | Linkedin
Successful UX Job Searching (Course)
Hiring UX Talent (Course)

Free NN/G Articles:
How to Apply and Secure a UX Job
Advice for Approaching a UX Job Search
Templates and Tools for UX Job Seekers
Preparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job Market
Growing in Your UX Career: Study Guide

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📹 Post-production by
Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant)
Megan Brown (Social Media Lead)

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If you work in UX, you’ve probably heard the terms lean, Agile, and MVP more times than you can count. But knowing the terms doesn’t mean knowing how to make them work.

In this episode, Laura Klein, Principal Experience Specialist at NN/G, joins Therese Fessenden to talk about what Lean UX was really meant to accomplish — and how teams today can apply its principles without falling into common traps.

Listen as they discuss how Lean UX came about, the skill of zooming between product vision and interaction details, and why growing companies struggle to balance speed and consistency. Whether you’re working at a startup or inside a large enterprise, this episode offers a grounded look at how to design thoughtfully in fast-moving environments.

We’re also excited to have Laura join as the newest co-host of the NN/G UX Podcast. And many congratulations to the Fessenden family as they welcome a new addition to their family.

About Laura Klein | Bio | Linkedin | Bluesky | Usersknow.com
What is Wrong With UX (Podcast)
Build Better Products (Book)
UX for Lean Startups (Book)

NN/G Live Online Courses Taught by Laura
Lean UX and Agile
Product & UX: Building Partnerships for Better Outcomes
All Our Live Courses

Free NN/G Articles & Videos
Lean UX & Agile: Study Guide
Lean UX & Agile Glossary
What is Lean UX?
Accounting for User Research in Agile
Why Organizations Don’t Do User Research and How to Change That
Why Most Product Teams Aren't Really Empowered

Don’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️

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📹 Post-production by
Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant)
Megan Brown (Social Media Lead)

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Therese Fessenden talks with design psychologist and product strategist Thomas Watkins (host of The Design Psychologist and Product-Led Growth Leaders) about why understanding the human mind is still a true superpower for designers, researchers, and product teams. They explore how products subtly shape our behavior and identity, why over-relying on templates and patterns can flatten experiences instead of differentiating them, the risks of personifying AI tools, and the practical ways practitioners can use psychology and AI together to automate the tedious parts of work while staying human-centered and creating products that truly fit into people’s lives.
About Thomas Watkins: Bio | LinkedIn
The Design Psychologist Podcast
Product-Led Growth Leaders Podcast
3Leaf Consulting (Thomas’ Design Team)
Related Live Online Training: The Human Mind & Usability
Free NN/g Study Guides & Articles:
Psychology Study Guide
Humanizing AI Is a Trap
The ELIZA Effect: Why We Love AI
The 4 Degrees of Anthropomorphism of Generative AI

As AI-powered tools flood the market promising quick evaluations and audits, the conversation zeroes in on a critical issue: the reliability of these tools. In this episode, co-hosts Therese Fessenden and NN/G VP Kate Moran sit down with Jamie Holst and Christian Holst, the co-founders of Baymard Institute, to examine the growing role of AI in UX analysis. The group discusses the risks of over-relying on AI—particularly for junior UX practitioners—and the deeper implications for professionalism in the field.
About the speakers:
Christian Holst (Co-founder & Research Director, Baymard Institute)
Jamie Holst (Co-founder & CTO, Baymard Institute)
Kate Moran (VP, NN/G)
Links Referenced in the Episode:
Try UX Ray for Free: https://baymard.com/product/ux-ray
Read their article on AI accuracy: https://baymard.com/blog/ai-heuristic-evaluations
Related NN/G Courses:
Accelerating Research with AI
AI for Design Workflows
Designing AI Experiences
AI Product Strategy
Check out ALL of our courses at nngroup.com/learning
Related NN/G Articles:
AI Hallucinations: What Designers Need to Know
AI-Powered Tools for UX Research: Issues and Limitations
AI as a UX Assistant
AI Chatbots Discourage Error Checking

The interest in “customer insights” is higher than ever, and more people are interested in both research insights and carrying out research on their own. But, who’s making sure research is done well? Therese sits down with Ned Dwyer, CEO and co-founder of Great Question, to talk about the balance between access and rigor in UX research. They discuss the need for democratization charters, how AI is reshaping research roles, and why enabling good research at scale is as much a cultural challenge as it is a technical one.
Connect with Ned Dwyer: LinkedIn
Learn more about Great Question
Subscribe to Great Question’s Newsletter
Learn about UX: nngroup.com/learning
Related NN/g Courses & Articles:
ResearchOps: Scaling User Research (UX Certification course)
Democratize Research in 5 Steps (free article)
Democratization of UX (13-min video)