The 10 best design podcasts

Podcasts are growing in popularity, and designers are getting on board with the trend. Designcasts are an excellent way for the creative industry to keep up with design trends and current happenings.

There are currently over 2 million podcasts with over 48 million episodes. At this point, the average person has almost certainly heard of podcasts and likely listens to them.

No matter your design niche, we've got a podcast for you on this list. From graphic design to the business of design, there is a massive wealth of knowledge in these designcasts.

Whether you’re just starting your career in design or you’re a business leader in a large design firm, you need to stay up to date with the latest design news. Design industry podcasts can be an easy, fun way to hear advice and news from other designers.

In this article, we’ll talk about why design trends are important, why we enjoy design podcasts, and we’ll give you a list of our 10 favorite design podcasts to listen to.

Why design trends matter

Design trends are constantly changing and evolving. Staying up to date with these trends will ensure your designs are innovative and relevant.

Even if you have honed your design skills with years of design education, you still need to keep up with current trends and new design practices. Hearing fellow designers talk about their projects and bounce ideas off each other can be invaluable.

Design trends pinpoint the current cultural nuances and general sentiments of the collective zeitgeist. One example of this is the emergence of human-centered design in 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting travel bans and lockdown restrictions.

The future of design is digital, and designers have a lot of work to do to stay up to date. Designcasts make this easier; by listening in to other designers, you have a better chance of catching each new trend and software as it emerges.

It’s essential for designers to acknowledge and respond to cultural shifts and design trends. Failing to do so might make your designs appear tone-deaf or outdated.

One of the best ways to stay on top of trends is to work with your design team to research and uncover new trends. We also recommend you listen to podcasts about design, follow designers you admire on social media and pay attention to the blogs of designers or design companies you trust.

At Vectornator, we strive to be a go-to source of inspiration and knowledge for designers. Check out the list of 2021 graphic design trends the Vectornator team created to see what trends we think will be popular in design this year.

What are our favorite design podcasts?

Designcasts are a great place to find new software, tools, and ideas. As a designer who creates digital products, you need to stay updated with the latest tools and technologies as they emerge.

That can be a considerable undertaking, and we know you’re already busy. That’s where design podcasts can come in handy!

You can listen to these podcasts on your daily commute or while you drink your morning coffee. Spend just 30 minutes a day or an hour a week listening to designcasts, and you might be surprised by how much your design skills improve.

So, here is a list to get you started on your journey. We gathered up 10 of our favorite podcasts about design and included information about why we enjoy listening to them.

1. Design Matters with Debbie Millman

The host of the first podcast on our list has been named “one of the most influential designers working today” by Graphic Design USA.

Millman explores the world of creative design and culture through interviews with designers, artists, writers, curators, musicians, and more. She also recently wrote a new book, “Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World’s Most Creative People,” which will be released in October 2021.

What we like about this podcast: Design Matters is the first and longest-running podcast focused on the design industry. Debbie Millman is an expert in her field and continues to demonstrate through this podcast why design matters.

With over 200 episodes, Millman has over a dozen years’ worth of expertise and stories to share. You can listen in on her website, iTunes, or SoundCloud.

2. The Crazy One with Stephen Gates

Stephen Gates is an accomplished speaker on creativity and design. His podcast, The Crazy One, was named Inside Design's #1 favorite design podcast.

What we like about this podcast: Gates has an impressive wealth of knowledge, and he works with leaders at 97% of the world’s Fortune 100 companies, including Apple, Google, and Nike.

You can get his invaluable expertise and knowledge for free by listening to The Crazy One anywhere you listen to your podcasts.

3. The Futur with Chris Do

Chris Do is an Emmy award-winning designer and director. He is also the CEO and Chief strategist of Blind, a brand strategy consulting company.

What we like about this podcast: Do has created aware-winning music videos and commercials and is an expert designer. He shares his expertise in The Futur Podcast in an engaging and interactive way.

You can listen to over 100 episodes of The Futur on his website, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

4. The Honest Designers Show with Tom Ross, Ian Barnard, Dustin Lee and Lisa Glanz

This podcast, run by four design professionals, will give you design tips, advice on landing clients, branding knowledge, and more.

They have a vast wealth of knowledge from their combined years of design practice and the impressive network of designers who they feature on their show.

What we like about this podcast: The Honest Designers Show has an authentic and organic feel to it. They also have fantastic tips for landing more clients, find your style, successfully brand yourself, and find satisfaction in your work.

You can tune in to The Honest Designers anywhere you get your podcasts.

5. Design Better with Aarron Walter and Eli Woolery

This design podcast, created by two experts from the digital product design platform, InVision, focuses on the design process.

What we like about this podcast: These two experts in design and education make exciting and engaging hosts. The conversations they have with their guests are informative and useful for designers.

You can listen to all six seasons of Design Better on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Play.

6. Deeply Graphic with Nick Longo, Mikelle Morrison and Jordan Wilson

Three talented graphic designers created the podcast Deeply Graphic, specifically with graphic designers in mind. Their show is full of incredible design content and tips for graphic designers.

What we like about this podcast: These design professionals seek to bring inspiration and unique perspectives to other graphic designers or creatives in the design industry through interviews and discussions.

You can subscribe and listen to Deeply Graphic on Spotify and iTunes.

7. Clever with Jaime Derringer and Amy Devers

The talented people behind Clever created this podcast to talk about both design and designers.

This female-run podcast was created by the host, designer Amy Deversand, and Design Milk’s Jaime Derringer, who runs their sales and marketing.

What we like about this podcast: This designcast features candid conversations with experts in design and is informative while still being entertaining.

You can listen to Clever anywhere you get your podcasts.

8. UI Breakfast with Jane Portman

In UI Breakfast, UI/UX expert Jane Portman invites industry experts to have exciting conversations about UI/UX design, products, marketing, and so much more.

What we like about this podcast: This podcast focuses on product design and user experience. Jane Portman is an expert in her field and discusses these complex topics in an approachable and easy-to-understand way.

You can tune in to UI Breakfast on your favorite podcast app.

9. Design Your Life with Vince Frost

Design Your Life’s tagline is, "Your life is the biggest design project."

We love the concept and intent behind this podcast. It’s different from the other podcasts on this list and can be a valuable tool for designers to step out of their comfort zone.

What we like about this podcast: Design Your Life stands out on this list and appeals to creatives because it discusses how design principles can be applied to everyday life with a group of leading creative guests.

You can listen in on their website or your podcast app of choice.

10. The Design Of Business | The Business Of Design with Jessica Helfand and Michael Bierut

Jessica Helfand and Michael Bierut created the Design of Business | The Business of Design. They are both designers and co-founders of Design Observer, a website devoted to various design topics.

This podcast focuses on how design works within complex organizations. The hosts Jessica Helfand and Michael Bierut feature guests who are talented professionals across many industries.

What we like about this podcast: This podcast focuses on how design functions in businesses and how good design can impact major companies. In addition, they have a diverse range of guests that are incredibly knowledgeable in their industry.

They are on their ninth season of this podcast and post new episodes once a week. You can catch the latest episodes on your favorite podcast platform.

Wrap up

Your morning commute will never be dull again with these designcasts!

In this article, we talked about why design trends matter, why we like to listen to podcasts about design, and listed our top picks for designcasts.

You can find these podcasts where you usually listen to your podcasts. Make sure to subscribe to your favorites, so you never miss an episode.

And if you're looking for an intuitive vector design platform to apply all the new tips you'll be learning, be sure to check out Vectornator!