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The Design Psychologist | Psychology for UX, Product, Service, Instructional, Interior, and Game Designers

Thomas Watkins
Design Psychology
Psychology
User Experience
User Experience Design
Social Proof
Behavioral Science
Design
Indi Young
Cognitive Load Theory
Mental Models
User Experience (UX)
UX Design
Qualitative Research
Performance Load
Deep Listening
Thinking Styles
Peak-End Rule
Hick's Law
Social Psychology
Decision Making

Welcome to The Design Psychologist, a podcast where we explore the intersection of psychology and design. The show is hosted by Thomas Watkins, a design psychologist who has spent years applying behavioral science principles to the creation of digital products.

We sit down with a variety of experts who apply psychology in different ways to the design of the world around us. Thomas uses his expert... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes32Founded2 years ago
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Artwork for The Design Psychologist

Latest Episodes

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What makes a product feel not just usable, but desirable?

In this episode of The Design Psychologist, Thomas Watkins talks with Marty Gage, co-author of User Experience Research: Discover What Customers Really Want, about how teams... more

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How many users do you actually need for a usability study?

In this episode of The Design Psychologist, Thomas Watkins talks with Laura Faulkner about one of the most repeated ideas in UX research: that five users are enough. Laura ... more

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What does it actually mean to say a product is usable?

In this episode of The Design Psychologist, Thomas Watkins talks with Phil Kortum about the System Usability Scale, or SUS: one of the most widely used tools for measuring usab... more

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How do you know whether a product idea is worth building before you spend months designing and developing it?

In this episode of The Design Psychologist, Thomas Watkins talks with Jaime Levy, author of UX Strategy, about how design... more

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Recent Guests

Laura Faulkner
UX researcher and design thinker with two decades at intersections of psychology, technology, business, and human-centered design
Former roles at Backspace, AWS; UX researcher and leader
Episode: The Question You Should Ask Before 'How Many Users?' (w/ Laura Faulkner) | S2 E3
Philip Kortum
Professor of Psychological Sciences at Rice University; usability researcher
Rice University
Episode: Well-Tested, Easy to Use: How to Measure Any Product's Usability (w/ Philip Kortum) | S2 E2
Jamie Levy
UX strategist and author of UX Strategy and related works
Cisco, Citigroup, NYU/UCLA/USC teaching roles (adjunct); author of UX Strategy
Episode: Season 2 Premiere: Should This Exist? UX Strategy in Uncertain Times (w/ Jaime Levy) S2 E1
Don Norman
Design psychologist, educator, and author, known for his work in usability and design thinking.
Episode: Season 1 Finale: Design for a Better World (w/ Don Norman)
Tamara Adlin
Expert mentor and advisor to startup founders and large companies with a significant history in UX strategy.
Formerly at Amazon
Episode: Align Before Design: The Psychology of Strategic Alignment (with Tamara Adlin)
Jesse Schell
CEO of Schell Games, Professor at Carnegie Mellon, and author of The Art of Game Design
Schell Games
Episode: Why Games Work: Emotional Arcs, Flow States, and Meaningful Play (with Jesse Schell)
Marc Stickdorn
Award-winning author, keynote speaker, and expert in service design
More Than Metrics
Episode: Frontstage, Backstage: How Service Design Really Works (with Marc Stickdorn)
John Sweller
Cognitive scientist and creator of Cognitive Load Theory.
University of New South Wales
Episode: Less Load, More Learning: First Principles of Cognitive Load Theory (with John Sweller)
Stephen P. Anderson
Design leader focused on workforce learning and organizational development, author of 'Figure It Out' and 'Seductive Interaction Design'.
Episode: How to Visualize the Invisible: Metaphors, Models, and Meaning (with Stephen P. Anderson)

Host

Thomas Watkins
Design psychologist hosting authoritative discussions on psychology-informed design across UX, product, and services, with a focus on practical takeaways.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 4 ratings
  • A must-listen for anyone designing for humans

    Everything is “AI, AI, AI…” today, but really, humans are still at the core of every decision. We feel, we change, and influencing behavior isn’t easy. That’s why psychology is more important than ever, and I love how The Design Psychology brings that focus through the lens of both design and psychology.

    Whether you’re in business, service design, or product development, Thomas covers all the essential aspects—with thoughtful insights and wonderful guests. I highly recommend this podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Amélie U
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Accessible explanations that bridge theory and real-world design work.
Guests are diverse and well-chosen, delivering actionable insights.
Strong focus on human-centered approaches over purely flashy tech.
Thoughtful exploration of how psychology informs design decisions.
Hosts bring practical, actionable guidance backed by theory.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#134
United States/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#163
United Kingdom/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#247
Canada/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#239
Australia/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#7
India/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#15
Ukraine/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Question You Should Ask Before 'How Many Users?' (w/ Laura Faulkner) | S2 E3
Q: How should researchers share findings with stakeholders to build trust?
Share early and often, make research a community property, invite stakeholders to sessions, and tailor presentations to different audiences to ensure action-oriented outcomes.
The Question You Should Ask Before 'How Many Users?' (w/ Laura Faulkner) | S2 E3
Q: What is the question of sample size really about beyond it being a magical number?
It's about understanding what you need to solve and the risk of missing important problems, not simply hitting a target like five or twelve; the goal is to evaluate risk and cover critical issues that affect users.
Frontstage, Backstage: How Service Design Really Works (with Marc Stickdorn)
Q: How do we implement service design in a real organization?
It involves examining both frontstage customer experiences and backstage operations to streamline processes and enhance service delivery.
Frontstage, Backstage: How Service Design Really Works (with Marc Stickdorn)
Q: What are some of the big problems and tiny problems that would be solved by service design?
Service design addresses both minor UX issues that may appear across various channels and major systemic service challenges, ensuring a coherent and customer-centric experience.
Less Load, More Learning: First Principles of Cognitive Load Theory (with John Sweller)
Q: What is the expertise reversal effect, and why do experienced learners need the exact opposite of what beginners need?
As learners become more knowledgeable, they benefit less from worked examples and need to engage in problem-solving to enhance their skills.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Design Psychologist

What is The Design Psychologist about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A design-psychology focused show that explores how behavioral science informs user experience, product, service, and related design fields. Conversations with experts illuminate practical approaches for building intuitive, effective, and engaging experiences, grounded in psychological theory. Notable through-lines include human-centric and humanity-centered design, collaborative methods, and a consistent emphasis on applying research to real-world design challenges. The format tends to blend actionable tactics with foundational theory, often highlighting design decisions that influence behavior and adoption across digital and physical products.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Design Psychologist?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Design Psychologist:

1. The Every Podcast
2. The AI Daily Brief: Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis
3. Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth
4. Planet Money
5. Up First from NPR

How many episodes of The Design Psychologist are there?

The Design Psychologist launched 2 years ago and published 32 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Design Psychologist?

Recent guests on The Design Psychologist include:

1. Laura Faulkner
2. Philip Kortum
3. Jamie Levy
4. Don Norman
5. Tamara Adlin
6. Jesse Schell
7. Marc Stickdorn
8. John Sweller

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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