Discussing Stupid: A byte-sized podcast on stupid UX cover art

Discussing Stupid: A byte-sized podcast on stupid UX

Discussing Stupid: A byte-sized podcast on stupid UX

By: High Monkey
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About this listen

Discussing Stupid returns to the airwaves to transform digital facepalms into teachable moments—all in the time it takes to enjoy your coffee break! Sponsored by High Monkey, this podcast dives into ‘stupid’ practices across websites and Microsoft collaboration tools, among other digital realms. Our "byte-sized" bi-weekly episodes are packed with expert insights and a healthy dose of humor. Discussions focus on five key areas: Business Process & Collaboration, UX/IA, Inclusive Design, Content & Search, and Performance & SEO. Join us and let’s start making the digital world a bit less stupid, one episode at a time. Visit our website at https://www.discussingstupid.com© 2025 Discussing Stupid: A byte-sized podcast on stupid UX Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • S3E1 - Intentional AI: Applying AI across the content lifecycle
    Sep 30 2025

    In the Season 3 premiere of Discussing Stupid, Cole and Virgil kick off the new series Intentional AI: a season-long dive into how AI fits (and sometimes doesn’t even fit) into the stages of the content lifecycle.

    Organizations are rushing to hand entire workflows over to AI… but without a clear plan, the results are messy at best and risky at worst. Instead of asking “what can AI do?”, this episode flips the question to “where does AI actually help?” by breaking down the real process first.

    This first episode sets the foundation for the whole series. In the weeks ahead, each stage of the content lifecycle gets its own dedicated episode with real examples of where AI shines, where it fails, and how to use it responsibly. By following the series, you’ll walk away with a complete picture of how to maximize AI in your digital workflows without falling into the common traps.


    In this episode, they explore:

    • Why you should map your workflow without AI before adding automation
    • The 5 stages of the content lifecycle where AI could be useful (research & analysis, content creation, content management & accessibility, SEO/GEO/AEO, & content personalization)
    • How to spot which stages AI supports well and which it doesn’t
    • Why teaching AI and understanding your process are inseparable
    • The dangers of unchecked automation, from bad content to legal risk


    Upcoming episodes in the Intentional AI series:

    • Oct 14, 2025 — Research & Analysis
    • Oct 28, 2025 — Content Creation
    • Nov 11, 2025 — Content Management & Accessibility
    • Dec 2, 2025 — SEO / AEO / GEO
    • Dec 16, 2025 — Content Personalization
    • Jan 6, 2026 — Front End Development & Wireframing
    • Jan 20, 2026— Design & Media
    • Feb 3, 2026 — Back End Development
    • Feb 17, 2026 — Conversational Search (with special guest!)
    • Mar 3, 2026 — Chatbots & Agentic AI
    • Mar 17, 2026 — Series Finale & Tool Review

    Whether you’re a marketer, strategist, or developer, this conversation is about making AI adoption practical, intentional, and less stupid.


    Season 3 of Discussing Stupid is here! New episodes every other Tuesday starting now.


    For more conversations about AI, digital strategy, and all the ways we get it wrong (and how to get it right), visit www.discussingstupid.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.


    (0:00) - Intro

    (1:17) - Organizations are rushing into AI without strategy

    (3:25) - Effective AI requires training & process clarity

    (4:37) - Series focus: Maximizing AI in your content process

    (5:50) - Stage 1: Research & Analysis

    (8:27) - Stage 2: Content Creation

    (11:05) - Stage 3: Content Management & Accessibility

    (13:10) - Stage 4: SEO, AEO, GEO

    (16:10) - Stage 5: Content Personalization

    (17:20) - Closing takeaways

    (17:58) - Outro


    Subscribe for email updates on our website:

    https://www.discussingstupid.com/

    Watch us on YouTube:

    https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid

    Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:

    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discussing-stupid-a-byte-sized-podcast-on-stupid-ux/id1428145024

    https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0

    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • Season 3: The Teaser
    Sep 9 2025

    “Stupid is as stupid does.” Forrest Gump said it best... and you don't have to look far in the digital world to see just how much stupid is out there.

    Whether you're lost in the layers of a bloated website, juggling 5 different collaboration tools just to get ONE project done, or searching for a document you know exists but still can't find... we've all been there.

    That’s why we started Discussing Stupid. This podcast is our way of calling out the bad digital practices we see every day - and giving you practical advice to fix them.

    We are BACK for Season 3, building on the foundation we set last season. In Season 2, we tackled search, UX, accessibility, websites, and collaboration systems. This time around, we’re taking those same topics further - unpacking the details, workflows, and decisions that can make or break your digital experiences.

    We’re kicking things off with a series called Intentional AI, and it is all about using artificial intelligence (AI) more purposefully in your workflow. Too many orgs are throwing it into their workflows without a plan - wasting money, tanking productivity, and getting frustrated when the tech doesn’t deliver.


    To flip that script, we’re using the content lifecycle as our case study. It’s a process every digital team touches, from research and analysis, to content creation, to management, SEO, accessibility, and personalization - and it’s a perfect way to show how AI can actually work for you instead of against you.


    In Episode 1, we’ll zoom out with a quick look at how AI could play a role in each stage, then go deep into the first part of the cycle: research and analysis. We’ll break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI in that stage, and how to avoid the traps we see so many orgs falling into.


    If you work in digital experiences, this podcast will put you ahead of the curve - whether that's making smarter use of AI, cleaning up your search strategy, or building digital spaces that actually make sense for people.


    Season 3 drops September 30th. Subscribe, share this with your team, and let’s make the digital world a little less stupid, one episode at a time.


    Subscribe for email updates on our website:

    https://www.discussingstupid.com/

    Watch us on YouTube:

    https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid

    Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:

    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discussing-stupid-a-byte-sized-podcast-on-stupid-ux/id1428145024

    https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0

    https://soundcloud.com/discussing-stupid

    Check Us Out on Socials:

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/discussing-stupid

    https://www.instagram.com/discussingstupid/

    https://www.facebook.com/discussingstupid

    https://x.com/DiscussStupid

    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • S2E18: What it really takes to build accessible forms
    Jun 24 2025

    In the Season 2 finale of Discussing Stupid, Virgil and Cole are joined by Ali Gillberg, a senior developer at High Monkey, to talk about one of the most broken (and misunderstood) parts of UX: form accessibility.

    Using a real-world PowerApps project for the Minnesota Office of Accessibility, the team breaks down the invisible complexity of building forms that actually work for all users, including those using screen readers or assistive tech. Spoiler: most “accessible” forms aren’t.

    In this episode, they dig into:

    • The most common accessibility fails in forms (labeling, tab order, cryptic errors)
    • Why Microsoft tools like PowerApps and SharePoint often work against accessibility
    • How poor form validation breaks user experience and trust
    • What it really takes to make dynamic forms work properly
    • The tedious but necessary work behind making forms usable for everyone

    Whether you’re designing a public-facing form or managing internal workflows, this episode will change how you think about accessibility, and show why most tools still fall short.

    This wraps up Season 2 of Discussing Stupid. We’ll be back in September with new episodes, fresh rants, and more stupid digital decisions to unpack. Thanks for listening!


    For more conversations about digital strategy, UX, accessibility, and all the ways we get it wrong (and how to get it right), visit www.discussingstupid.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.


    (0:00) - Intro

    (3:13) - The form looks fine… but is it usable?

    (4:57) - The false promise of built in accessibility

    (6:08) - Inside a real accessible PowerApps build

    (10:15) - What screen readers see (that you don't)

    (12:12) - The workarounds nobody talks about

    (16:33) - Why this problem isn't just Microsoft's fault

    (17:38) - Outro


    Subscribe for email updates on our website:

    https://www.discussingstupid.com/

    Watch us on YouTube:

    https://www.youtube.com/@discussingstupid

    Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Soundcloud:

    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/discussing-stupid-a-byte-sized-podcast-on-stupid-ux/id1428145024

    https://open.spotify.com/show/0c47grVFmXk1cco63QioHp?si=87dbb37a4ca441c0

    https://soundcloud.com/discussing-stupid

    Check Us Out on Socials:

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/discussing-stupid

    https://www.instagram.com/discussingstupid/

    https://www.facebook.com/discussingstupid

    https://x.com/DiscussStupid

    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
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