Podcasting is an engaging medium that is available in both audio and video formats. Podcasts often refer to audiocasts, but now with iPods and other media players being able to play video, videocasts are just as popular. A handful of web design podcasters deliver both audio and video formats. Some do so through the same subscription, others separate the two.
Audio podcasts are a great way to stay informed about web design news, learn about emerging technologies, listen to discussions, and continuously learn about the ever-changing landscape of web design — on your way to work or before you go to bed. Videocasts are great at showing step by step tutorials, or delivering visually rich presentations. Many of the long running successful podcasts have communities built around the show. Forums and detailed show notes are usual for a podcast that regularly serves its community. The time span of how long a podcast exists often indicates its level of quality and professionalism.
We've amassed a collection of podcasts that are either directly about web design, or would be helpful to a web designer. If you're interested in more podcasts try searching through Odeo or iTunes. There are quite a few web development podcasts, and a few niche topic web design podcasts, not covered in this roundup. Following is a list of useful podcasts for web design professionals.
You may want to take a look at the article
- Professional Web Design Forums which covers forums dedicated to web designers and developers.
Web Design Podcasts
Boagworld
Boagworld is a long running web design podcast. There are over 100 podcasts Paul Boag & Co. have put out. They have been covering standards based design from the beginning of the show. They do a lot of great interviews with experts from the field of web design. There is always web design-related news, a special theme of the show, and some fresh content covered. The content is well organized, nicely presented and it is funny, too. The banter between Paul and Marcus is often the best part; the podcast has a large community built around the show.
The Rissington Podcast
This web design podcast takes the format of answering questions from its fan base. Each subject that comes up is discussed. This show is informal and loaded with fun British humor. The fans tend to send in as many humorous questions as they send in questions asking for web design advice. The podcast is still young, with less than ten released so far. The hosts John Oxton and Jon Hicks are well versed in web design techniques and technologies. They are also well-known in the design community.
Web Axe
This podcast is focused on web accessibility. Hosts Dennis Lembree and Ross Johnson are passionate about this topic. They cover web accessibility issues in detail. They review technology solutions in regards to accessibility, how WCAG guidelines can be practically applied in web design, and they present numerous interviews of working professionals that work with accessibility issues daily. The podcast has been regularly broadcasted over the last 2 years. Over 60 issues are available for free download.
Rookie Designer
The host of the podcast, Adam Hay, covers a variety of web design-related topics — colors, freelance, interviews, technical design and customer service — which are useful for both beginners and professionals. The podcast is updated weekly every Wednesday. One episode is 45-50 minutes long. Until now 98 episodes have been aired.
Web Design Conference Podcasts
South by Southwest Podcast
These podcast have been recorded at the SXSW Interactive Festival Panels. These are professional presentations put together by this festival that is held annually in Austin, Texas. There are some interesting issues discussed. SXSW has released a handful of 2008 podcasts. For some topics, it may be worthwhile to review previous years podcast materials as well. Podcasts from 2007.
d.Construct Conference Podcast
This conference is held each year in September, and is located in Brighton, UK. The podcasts are recorded presentations from the conference. They have multiple podcasts of presentations on topics such as: experience design, graphic design, web design, microformats, and mobile design. The last conference was in 2007. Clear Left presents this conference.
Content Management System Podcasts
Lullabot Podcast
Lullabot releases a fairly regular podcast on the Drupal content management system. A variety of Drupal-related topics is covered in more than 50 podcasts. Hosts often discuss the significance of technological changes within Drupal: system release issues, new significant modules and documentation projects. Both subjects for beginners and advanced users are covered. In each episode usually 3-5 people participate, discussing Drupal and related topics. There is a videocast as well. Lullabot is an agency that is known for teaching Drupal and building large Drupal projects.
Joomla Juice Podcast
This podcast is focused on the Joomla content managment system. It doesn’t come out regularly, but it has been produced since 2006. The format for the show is an audiocast, though they mix in videocasts occasionally as well. The audiocast has a multi-media element that allows you to see what they are talking about. The links are embedded in the visuals. Pete Russell is the host. He interviews key influencers from the Joomla core team and Joomla community.
Web Design Videocasts
Adobe Creative Suite Video Videocast
Terry White is the host of this videocast. Terry and guests follow a tutorial format. They teach you tools and features within each of the Adobe Creative Suite software products; some of them are used in web design. Flash, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and other applications are covered. The videos range from short 5 minute tutorials, all the way up to more than an hour long sessions. It’s a weekly series you can subscribe to in your favorite media player.
Photoshop User TV
This show is hosted by Dave Cross, Matt Kloskowski, and Scott Kelby from the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). They cover shortcuts, tips and tricks, timesaving techniques, interviews, and tutorials related to Adobe Photoshop. The quality of the show is very professional. If you use Photoshop regularly, this is a very useful videocast to learn from experts and professionals.
Layers TV
Layers TV is produced by Layers Magazine, “the how-to magazine for everything Adobe”. The show is focused on step-by-step video tutorials and tips on how to work with Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Dreamweaver, AfterEffects and Flash. The show is released every week and is 20 minutes long. So far 34 episodes have been aired. For all tutorials source code as well as further examples are provided for free download.
PixelPerfect
The host of this podcast, a professional digital artist Bert Monroy. presents tips and tricks you need to whip those digital pictures into shape with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. The episodes are presented weekly and are often step-by-step-tutorials, each 15 minutes long.
Photoshop Killer Tips
This podcast presents Adobe Photoshop tips, timesaving shortcuts, workarounds, and undocumented tricks. The host is Matt Kloskowski, one of “The Photoshop Guys” from Photoshop User TV. New shows are posted almost each weekday.
You Suck at Photoshop
Of course, this list would be incomplete without narrator Donnie Hoyle and his dramatic, hilarious and always excellent podcast about professional Photoshop techniques. Unfortunately, the series has ended after the 10th episode. Hopefully, the show will come back. The podcast gained eight million page views and two Webby Award 2008 nominations (Best Comedy and Best How-To Series). For further Adobe Photoshop video tutorials check our recent post Adobe Photoshop Video Tutorials: Best Of.
Further podcasts
The Web 2.0 Show
This podcast has released more than 40 episodes. It comes out sometimes weekly and sometimes monthly. The show centers around interviewing developers and entrepreneurs who create web projects and are invovled in interesting web ventures. This show provides you with a view behind the scenes of some of these innovative companies that are using and defining the “Web 2.0” technology.
Geeks and God Podcast
Bob Christenson (Rob Feature on the podcast) and Matt Farina are the hosts of the show. These guys are both upbeat. They plan the show well, and it moves along at a quick pace. There is a community built around the forum of the site as well. The show is aimed at church ministries, but the information covered is often applicable to any website. Rob and Matt are well versed in website design and development. They give practical advice on the nuances of web design, building websites, and running web communities.
You Suck at Web Design Podcast
This is a comedic podcast put out by freelance web designer Matthew D. Jordan. He creates fictional stories related to web design. He describes the podcast as an attempt to deal with web acronyms, such as Web 2.0, WYSIWYG, and Ajax. His “disdain for the corporate world,” as well as “micro management,” permeates through his stories. You’ll likely either love this podcast, laughing uncontrollably, or you’ll hate it, and end up breaking iTunes. Mathew describes his humor as, “juvenile” and “not-baddish.”
