One of my favorite things to do is to learn. It’s part of who I am. If you’ve read any of my other articles, then you probably already knew that. One of the ways I expand my brain on a daily basis is through quality podcasts.
Some people have a hard time listening to spoken word while they work. I totally respect that and understand how it can be distracting. And, maybe you just prefer not to listen to podcasts, or you have a hard time with this type of media. However, I want to encourage you to somehow find a way to incorporate these new and different perspectives into your day. Maybe that’s during a commute, over a lunch break with peers, while you exercise or other inventive means. But, please explore how these incorporate these incredibly helpful resources that can broaden your perspective.
These podcasts are directly related to the web industry in a particular way. Whether that’s user experience, responsive design, development or creativity, they all bring a unique and helpful perspective to your ears.
If you like CSS-Tricks, then you’ll love this podcast. Hosted by Chris Coyier and Dave Rupert, Shop Talk Show is all about the web industry. (Not automotive shop talk…)
Chris Coyier brings various guests and employees at Codepen online to talk about what’s going on at Codepen. He often says that these serve as internal meetings for them and we’re lucky to have an inside look at how Codepen operates.
This podcast has topics that reach beyond just the ‘developer’. Hosted by Jonathan Cutrell, this podcast have informative and useful information for your career. It’s an encouraging podcast where Jonathan does a great job explaining and communicating the various topics of discussion and invites interesting guests that can help you level-up your career.
Host Andy J. Miller is a graphic illustrator who loves to interview designers in the industry. Listening to this podcast will help foster your creative spark into a full-fledged inferno. Andy and his guests are passionate about great, unique design!
Brandon Rike interviewing guests in the design industry. If you love music, you’ll love his extremely polished podcasting style. He incorporates fabulous and inspiring music into his in-depth interviews with other talented designers.
If you love ExpressionEngine or Craft, you might already be familiar with this one. Hosts Lea Alcantara and Emily Lewis host a great podcast with guests that drop some serious knowledge on it’s listeners. This podcast will often make you think further about what you do and how you can do it better.
A Responsive Web Design Podcast
Ethan Marcotte and Karen McGrane host this podcast where they invite guests to talk about their responsive web design process. These projects are typically higher-profile projects that include great lessons and suggestions to inform your RWD process.
These podcasts aren’t directly related to the web or creative industry. However, they are often enlightening and an extremely helpful resource for getting me out of my ‘designer/developer’ box. They serve to help me think in new ways and be a better web creator.
The official podcast of Tested.com covers a variety of topics from virtual-reality, politics in the tech industry, technical advancements, making, and so much more. Listening to this podcast will keep you up to speed on what’s going on in the tech and maker worlds.
Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project
Mythbusters star Adam Savage hosts a podcast as a part of the crew from Tested.com. They discuss movies, making, props, tech, current events and so much more. They even have guests appear from time-to-time.
It’s exactly as it sounds, only with tons of laughing. Three guys + One Question Each = 9 Hilarious Answers. If you like to laugh, you should definitely check this one out. A good chuckle keeps that ‘bad day’ mentality away.
It’s always a great debate with this one. They come up with a topic to debate ranging from who is the better super-hero to which Girl Scout cookie is best. These guys know how to solidify relative truth!
Even if you don’t like cooking, the process is so intricate and interesting. If you’re a maker and haven’t tried cooking, then give this podcast a try. It might inspire you to pick up the food craft!
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some of my go-to audio bytes that I take in on a weekly basis. I hope you find some items in this list that inspire you! If you have suggestions that I need to listen to, please tweet at me about them!
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