12 Best Web Design Podcasts

The best way to keep up with industry news is through podcasts. So much happens on a monthly basis and keeping a list of the best podcasts can help you stay on top of major industry changes.

We’ve curated some of our top picks here with a nice variety of topics. These podcasts offer a mix between frontend web development topics along with more UI/UX design topics for visual designers.

1. Developer Tea

If you’re big into development then you’ll want to bookmark Developer Tea. Episodes can vary in length from 15-20 minutes up to an hour but the content is always superb.

New episodes come out every couple days so it’s one of the most up-to-date podcasts you’ll find. Developer Tea follows ideas in web development beyond just coding such as web optimization and security.

But even newbie developers can find a lot of great tips in here with advice for coding bootcamps and handy learning resources. Well worth checking out especially due to the volume of content.

2. Front End Happy Hour

The world of frontend development is always expanding with new libraries and hot new tools. Front End Happy Hour is a weekly podcast updating listeners on the happenings in the web dev world.

Anyone who builds websites should really study frontend development first. It’s the gateway to building great websites and it’s much simpler than backend development which has so many different languages to pick from.

And if you’re just getting into frontend dev work then Front End Happy Hour is sure to entertain.

This podcast is very laid-back so it feels like a friendly conversation rather than business talk. Certainly a more appealing style for devs who enjoy ramblings and opinions along with dev convos.

3. ShopTalk

The ShopTalk Show is a wildly popular podcast hosted by web legends Dave Rupert and Chris Coyier. It’s also a weekly podcast with some really interesting topics that delve pretty deep into modern techniques.

Chris actually founded the well-known CSS Tricks website and he also helped create the online IDE CodePen. You’re in good hands with these two hosts as they wax on about browser quirks, new W3C changes, and the future of the web.

I recommend this for pretty much anyone who runs or manages websites.

It does have a technical barrier to entry so if you aren’t a developer many of these episodes will go right over your head. But the topics are super insightful so you’re bound to learn something along the way.

4. Style Guides Podcast

Corporate brands and company websites all need style guides. These are essential for keeping the same look and feel over many pages and building a consistent design across many mediums (ads, landing pages, mobile apps).

The Style Guides Podcast is actually hosted on the awesome StyleGuides.io website. This site curates a bunch of style guides along with design assets, tips, tutorials, and books covering the process of designing great style guides.

Naturally the podcast is just one more amazing resource for anyone who wants to learn about this process.

Currently in season 2 this podcast offers close to 20 episodes (and counting) with a bunch of talented designers. It’s a niche resource but incredibly valuable for anyone studying style guide design work.

5. Responsive Web Design Podcast

Here’s another niche podcast focusing on responsive web design and how it’s changing each year.

If you do any frontend dev work I highly recommend the Responsive Web Design Podcast. It’s hosted by two industry pros Karen McGrane and Ethan Marcotte, both of whom have extensive knowledge in this area.

Ethan literally wrote the book on responsive web design so you know this is a podcast you can trust. Some episodes talk about trends in the industry, others bring on guests like this episode with the Salesforce team.

Either way this is the de-facto resource for RWD and modern web design in general. It’s great for designers but especially valuable for developers.

6. CodeNewbie

Looking to get into the web dev scene but unsure of where to start? There are tons of free resources to help you learn but it also helps listening to others’ paths breaking into this space.

CodeNewbie is a podcast dedicated to interviewing coders and talking about their journey into the field. It updates roughly once a week with interviews from programmers, frontend developers, and other tech-oriented folks who’ve made coding a career.

Some episodes offer more advice for beginners while others talk about specific subjects like website load time and web accessibility. Each episode is a goldmine for newbies just getting into web development.

7. Motion And Meaning

Val Head and Cennydd Bowles host the fast-growing web UX animation podcast Motion And Meaning.

Both Val and Cennydd have a long track record of incredible design work and they’re experts on the topics of animation, microinteractions, and how these tie into the user experience.

Each episode usually has a special guest who joins to discuss a specific topic in detail. This topic can be general motion graphics or specific techniques like mobile UX prototyping.

If you have any interest in motion design or animation for the web then you’ll find a lot of value in this podcast.

8. CTRL+Click Cast

For something a little more general check out the CTRL+Click Cast. Lea Alcantara and Emily Lewis host each episode with special guests and tips for everything web-related.

Most episodes follow trends in web development with topics on workflow tools like npm and tech stacks. But you can find plenty of episodes on more general web concepts like the mobile web and more design-oriented trends.

This podcast dates back to 2009 so it’s been online for almost a decade. It’s gotta be one of the oldest web-related podcasts and each new episodes delivers even more value.

9. Let’s Make Mistakes

Let’s Make Mistakes is a general design podcast covering ideas beyond just the web. Although it does focus a lot on web design it’s also a podcast for anyone who loves digital design work.

This is another very casual show and it’s not 100% business all the time. You’ll certainly learn a lot but it’s also a podcast for listening to personalities and soaking up design culture.

Totally worth checking out if you’re into digital design or looking to get into it.

10. Non Breaking Space Show

The Non Breaking Space Show brings on a new guest every week related to web design.

It’s been running since 2012 so there’s a long list of episodes to go through. But since the web advances so fast it’s best to stick with episodes from the past 1-2 years (unless you find a guest you love!)

Most topics revolve around web development which can include SVG work, accessibility, APIs, and JavaScript advancements. If you’re into coding then you’ll dig these incredible guests but this may not be as useful to non-techie listeners.

11. Design Life

On the flip side Design Life is very much a designer’s podcast. It’s hosted by two digital designers Charli Marie and Femke who share their thoughts on design industry news, landing jobs, creating portfolios and other related tips.

This is a true design podcast so it’s absolutely stellar for anyone who loves the design side of things.

New episodes come out on a weekly basis and they date back to 2016 so there’s a sizable archive to go through.

12. JavaScript Jabber

JavaScript Jabber is the best resource for picking up tips on JS coding and related libraries.

Each episode brings on a new guest and topics range from Node to Vue.js and even lesser-known JS APIs.

In case you couldn’t tell by the title, this is pretty much 100% JavaScript focused. You should already have experience with JavaScript before listening to these episodes or you’ll wind up lost and confused.

But for developers who can’t get enough JS highlights the JavaScript Jabber podcast is always a great listen. They even have a suggestion page if you wanna toss out topic ideas for future episodes.

Jake Rocheleau

Jake is a writer and user experience designer on the web. He publishes articles discussing HTML5/CSS3 and jQuery coding techniques. Find out more on his website or you can follow his updates on Twitter @jakerocheleau