In this tech and AI-driven era, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) designers are in high demand across industries. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 15% rise in the employment of digital interface and web design professionals between 2022 and 2032. This is huge compared to other occupations, which average only 3%!
However, UX/UI design themes are constantly evolving, whether it’s user research on human-computer interaction or information architecture (IA) blueprints. That’s why both product managers and UX professionals keep an eye out for the most prominent UX design conferences every year.
These events allow UX designers to keep track of the latest UX research and trends, discover emerging tools and cutting-edge technology, and learn from prominent industry leaders. 💡
Check out our list of the top 10 UX design conferences in 2024 and capitalize on your favorite options. We’ll also present:
- Benefits to expect from these hands-on workshops and conferences
- Tips and tools to help you get ready for one
10 Best UX Design Conferences You Don’t Want to Miss [2024 Edition]
Summarize this article for me pleaseBenefits of Attending UX Conferences
Is attending a UX conference worth it, especially after considering pricing and scheduling factors? The following benefits will help you make your decision: 👇
Keeping up with the latest trends
The UX research and design landscape is constantly evolving. The knowledge you gathered months ago may not be relevant today.
While UX practitioners should read up on trends and design research year-round, the available content is pretty theoretical. Conferences are a great way to acquire actionable knowledge directly from thought leaders and their experiences and case studies.
Finding inspiration
Even if you find UX design rewarding and exciting, you have to admit that the daily grind can dull your spark over time. Hearing about success stories at these conferences and engaging with peers is a nice break, reigniting your passion and boosting your creativity.
Networking opportunities
UX design conferences can be a great way to connect with experienced UX designers, researchers, and product managers. These connections are especially valuable if you’re looking for collaborators for new projects.
Most conferences have unwinding sessions after a long day of careful listening and note-taking. You can share insights, vent about common challenges, and combine brainpower to come up with innovative solutions.
Meeting your role models
If your favorite UX designers are speaking at a conference, don’t miss the opportunity to hear about their first-hand experiences and winning secrets. At times, you can also meet and interact with them. 🤝
Don’t know any of the speakers? It’s still worth going as you may discover diverse perspectives you didn’t know existed. These insights can be transformative to your design thinking and work style.
Industry upskilling
Virtual and in-person workshops at UX and design conferences are guided by global thought leaders. They focus on practical knowledge you often can’t derive from courses and books. You can dive deeper into research methods, interaction techniques, and other niches that interest you.
This experience can be a significant step forward in your career. You can even show off your attendance and get noticed—and maybe even become a speaker someday! 🎤
Summarize this article for me pleaseDeciding Which UX Conference to Attend
There are dozens of UX conferences organized every year, and it’s impossible to attend each one. Do thorough research to figure out which ones are worth your time and money. Consider the factors below to decide:
- Location: Opt for events close to you to ensure the travel isn’t overwhelming. While most conferences are hybrid and provide recordings or allow virtual participation, you need to attend in person to milk the event’s interactive and networking aspects
- Speakers: While any knowledge is valuable, you should prioritize events that feature UX professionals from prominent industries
- Topics: Choose conferences that deal with topics in the niche you’re interested in. They’ll be more engaging and can reshape your career to attract better opportunities
- Cost: UX conferences can be expensive, so look for discounted early-bird tickets or group bookings. You can even convince your employer to cover your fee if the event serves as an upskilling opportunity. For international conferences, account for the cost of transportation, accommodation, and food
If you’re conflicted, use the ClickUp Comparison Matrix Template to lay out your options and evaluation criteria in a single window and process everything faster.
Summarize this article for me pleaseTop UX Conferences for UX Practitioners to Attend in 2024
Here are the most buzzworthy UX events that have designers interested in 2024—we have options for both novice and seasoned UX designers 🌹
1. ConveyUX
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has paved the way for new UX insights. ConveyUX has centered its next three-day event around emerging AI concepts in UX design, research, and strategy.
You’ll be able to hear from 30+ industry experts and how they adapt their UX processes in the new AI-driven era. Expect to hear from the best global thought leaders, including:
- Dona Sarkar, Chief Troublemaker for the Microsoft AI and Copilot Extensibility Program
- Dr. Natalie Petouhoff, CEO of Competitive Consulting Advantage
- Luke Wroblewski, Managing Director at Sutter Hill Ventures
- Andrew Hogan, Head of Insights at Figma
- Elizabeth Churchill, Director of User Experience at Google
Can’t attend in person? Luckily, you can access the lecture and workshop recordings, slides, and other content from your home in real time.
| Dates | February 27–29 |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, U.S. (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Artificial intelligence |
| Website | https://conveyux.com/ |
Bonus read: The best AI tools for presentations!
2. UXTH Conference
The UXTH Conference Thailand 2024 promises a great lineup of activities. This hybrid event is set to take place over two weekends and will consist of three parts:
- Two-day virtual conference (suitable for young designers with little industry experience)
- One-day in-person conference
- One-day workshop
Some of the featured industry leaders speaking at the event are:
- Christopher Noessel, Design Principle for Applied AI at IBM
- Jonny Schneider, Owner and Principal of Humble Ventures
- Pete Chemsripong, Product Strategy Advisor at ThoughtWorks
The event also hosts numerous pre-conference community activities, such as the weekly live podcast, LabMeet, and monthly meetups. 😍
The events will be conducted in English, and a translator will be available for the workshop. Video replays of the conference will be available for three months.
| Dates | March 16–24 |
| Location | Bangkok, Thailand (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Go Global With the Flow |
| Website | https://uxth.co/ |
3. UX Copenhagen
The 10th edition of the Copenhagen Human Experience international conference will have panel discussions around degrowth and consumerism in the UX space. Expect diverse UX professionals discussing overconsumption, climate change, waste, and the much-needed unlearning of harmful production processes. 🍃
The speakers will present the work they’ve already done to combat these issues and discuss what young designers can do to ensure a more sustainable future.
The UX Copenhagen has prepared various activities for its attendees, such as hands-on workshops, live Q&A sessions, feature raffles, and book signings.
You can look forward to the event’s Round Table sessions, where speakers will interact with professional designers in small attendee groups.
| Dates | March 20–21 |
| Location | Copenhagen, Denmark (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Degrowth and Consumerism |
| Website | https://uxcopenhagen.com/ |
4. UXDX
UXDX is a conference dedicated to bringing emerging UX practices and challenges into conversations. It focuses on optimizing the development and design process for the modern era.
The May event will be held in New York and features various types of content, including talks, interactive panel discussions, forums, and workshops.
You’ll be able to listen to experts from well-known companies such as Google, Glovo, Shopify, Figma, Asana, and NASA. Crucial discussions for product managers and UX research teams include:
- Team downsizing
- Prioritization
- Service design
- Embracing uncertainty
- Sustainable user experience practices
You’ll also hear from the founder of UXDX himself, Rory Madden, discussing AI, (de)centralization, and Way of Working visions.
If you can’t make it to the event, check out UXDX’s other 2024 events: UXDX APAC August (virtual) and the Dublin UXDX EMEA October (hybrid event).
| Dates | May 15–17 |
| Location | New York, U.S. (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Shift from Projects to Product Teams |
| Website | https://www.uxdx.com/ |
5. UX360 Research Summit 2024, Europe
Although this May event is only its fourth edition, the UX360 Research Summit is one of the best-known UX conferences in the world. The upcoming event is its first in-person gathering, though, so you wouldn’t want to miss it.
It’s a conference dedicated to the latest user evaluation and research methods, as well as the implementation of UX insights through planning and analysis. Backed by Merlien Institute, the notable B2B events organizer, you can expect ample networking opportunities with the 1,000+ UX researchers and practitioners expected to attend this conference.
The UX360 Research Summit 2024 boasts case studies and discussions presented by UX researchers from thriving companies, such as:
- Meta
- Dropbox
- Indeed
- Salesforce
- Skyscanner
Other proposed activities include interactive panel discussions, 1-2-1 meetings, and social networking sessions. 👥
| Dates | May 16–17 |
| Location | Berlin, Germany |
| Main Theme | Research in UX design |
| Website | https://www.ux360summit.com/ |
6. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) International
HCI International isn’t just one conference. It’s a suite of over 21 academic conferences you can attend with a single registration!
This year’s edition will take place in Washington D.C. And brace yourself for it’s going to be a big one—HCI is celebrating 40 years of existence.
As a UX designer, here are some of the most important conferences in the HCI ecosystem:
- HCI: Human-Computer Interaction Thematic Area (the leading event)
- DUXU: Conference on Design, User Experience, and Usability
- UAHCI: Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction
- MOBILE: Conference on Human-Centered Design, Operation, and Evaluation of Mobile Communications
- HCI-Games: Focus on HCI in Games
If you’re a student, you can submit your design for the Student Design Competition and participate in one of its many learner-oriented activities. That includes mentoring sessions, networking social UX events, and even a BBQ! 🍖
| Dates | June 29–July 4 |
| Location | Washington DC, U.S. (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Various human-computer interaction topics |
| Website | https://www.hci.international/ |
7. UX Nordic
One of Europe’s largest UX conferences, the UX Nordic offers high-quality, easy-to-follow content that you can apply in real life.
This year’s event is no different. It’ll feature international speakers from industry leaders like BMW, Philips, and IKEA.
During the Main Conference Day, you can attend interactive sessions on topics like the future of UX, AI’s influence on research and design systems, and e-commerce UX. The other two days feature more relaxed activities. The last day, Xperience Day, includes workshops on the latest UX research and multisensory design.
While both virtual and on-site tickets are available, if you come in person, you can mingle with like-minded individuals and enjoy an award show, a comedian performance, and even a DJ set. 🎵
| Dates | 28–30 August |
| Location | Aarhus, Denmark (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Various |
| Website | https://www.uxnordic.com/ |
8. UX Conf London
If you’re new to UX design systems, this conference is for you.
The UX Conf London has been organizing fun but educational events since 2017. The 2024 edition will host speakers from Meta, Sony, Microsoft, Tripadvisor, and many other well-known companies.
Instead of bombarding you with theoretical knowledge, this one-day event will focus on the practical side of the industry. Speakers often demonstrate top UI and UX design tools, such as:
Besides lectures, you can attend interviews, live Q&A, and networking sessions on trending aspects of UX psychology and design leadership. To unwind, you can enjoy some yoga, coffee, and an exclusive Designer vs. AI quiz.
| Date | September 13 |
| Location | Southbank Centre in London (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Using popular UX and UI design tools |
| Website | https://theuxconf.com/ |
9. World Usability Congress
The World Usability Congress is a multi-disciplinary UX conference covering various UX and design sub-themes, such as haptic and multimodal interaction and service design.
With an ask-me-anything format, this international conference focuses more on interactions and allows attendees to pick the brains of over 50 expert international speakers.
This October event consists of two parts. The Main Conference features keynotes, talks, and masterclasses, whereas the Focus Days revolve around industrial UX workshops. Expect to go over topics like:
- UX strategy
- UX research operations
- Design leadership
- Enterprise UX
- Accessibility
To strengthen your UX knowledge, make sure to attend the workshops on AI, usability testing and metrics, customer experience mapping, and design thinking and decision-making.
| Dates | 15–17 October |
| Location | Graz, Austria (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Various |
| Website | https://worldusabilitycongress.com/ |
10. PushUX
Active since 2012, the PushUX conference has perfected its format and built an atmosphere that’s both relaxed and professional. The conference gathers 650+ UX design enthusiasts from around the world, allowing them to have friendly discussions while soaking in valuable industry knowledge from peers.
Most conferences require you to choose what you want to see, so you must move around and miss out on some lectures. PushUX is different.
It has a carefully curated single-track program with 18 presentations and a logical narrative. You can still customize it to your liking by choosing which community break-out sessions to attend.
The conference’s program includes several interactive components, including an exhibition with over 20 design projects. Organizers also promise to bring back attendee favorites—Lean Coffee discussions and Failure Slam sessions.
| Dates | 7–8 November |
| Location | Munich, Germany (+Online) |
| Main Theme | Info not available yet |
| Website | https://push-conference.com/ |
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Prep for UX Conferences: 5 Tips
Picking out the UX events you’ll attend this year is an excellent step toward boosting your career—but how do you make the most of these conferences? We got you!
Follow these five tips to prepare for top UX conferences and ensure smooth sailing. We’ll also show you some tools and functionalities within ClickUp, a free visual project management solution that can help maximize your conference experience. ⭐
1. Plan extensively
Most UX professionals have a lot on their plate and end up skipping conferences to honor other work commitments. The only remedy here is to plan way in advance and ensure your schedule has enough wiggle room to accommodate an enriching conference experience.
If the conference venue requires you to travel, start planning your workflows months ahead of time to avoid tackling important tasks during the event.
The first step is to buy the tickets early when the prices are lower. Make travel arrangements and book a hotel room close to the venue to minimize the commute.
The best way to optimize your schedule is through ClickUp Tasks and its native Calendar.
With ClickUp Tasks, you can design future workflows with adjustable dependencies, tags, and priority labels. Visualize all your tasks and events using the Calendar view—its drag-and-drop interface allows you to adjust time slots seamlessly and keep your schedule flexible.
ClickUp syncs with your Google Calendar, so it’s easy to keep track of your meetings, tasks, and event commitments in one place. Plus, with Custom Fields, you can add important details to your conference slot, such as:
- Conference theme
- Speakers
- Workshop mentors
2. Pack for success
You should prepare comfy but professional-looking clothes for the event. Most conferences require a business or academic-casual dress code, preferably in muted or conservative colors. Choose breathable fabrics for longer events.
Don’t forget all your tech and chargers. If you have business cards, take them with you to facilitate networking.
Pro tip: For in-person events, add the addresses of your hotel, venue, and other sites you want to visit to ClickUp. Thanks to the interactive ClickUp Map view, you can add locations to tasks and events to make navigation easier and even share them using secure links. 💚
3. Set priorities within your conference schedule
Conferences can often be long, fast-paced, and exhausting. It’s important to sleep well, eat, and drink enough water so you have the energy to endure the conference. 🔋
Most organizers release the complete conference timeline beforehand, giving you an hour-to-hour snapshot of presentations and workshops. Many of these sub-events are optional, so you have to study the schedule carefully to prioritize your must-see events and plan around them.
To visualize your final schedule, you can use the ClickUp Gantt Chart or Timeline view. Both options allow you to define your day by the hour. You can include color-coded sections for each sub-event and add priority flags to anything you don’t want to miss.
4. Up your note-taking game
Don’t be afraid to ask questions at Q&A sessions and round tables, and listen closely when others share business-specific problems and hunt for solutions. Be diligent about the notes you keep during conferences to ensure your newfound UX insights stay with you for a long time.
The problem here is that these events are visually and mentally stimulating, so it’s easy to get behind on note-taking. It’s wise to make a habit of using the ClickUp Notepad to quickly jot down important ideas and talking points. It’s available across desktop and mobile devices.
You can also use the AI-enabled ClickUp Docs to organize your notes from the different conferences you attend. Create Folders for each conference and keep your notes, schedules, and knowledge documents neatly sorted. You’ll love the option to Summarize with AI whenever you want to review your notes quickly.
You can also use the tool’s Translate features to localize your notes, presentations, and discussions at international conferences. All you have to do is select the chunk of text you want to translate, open the Translate drop-down menu, and select the desired language.
5. Make templates your workshop friend
Workshops within conferences are a super productive way to learn about new UX/UI concepts and best practices. But these sessions require active involvement, and it’s often difficult to give 100% in a limited timeframe.
That’s where UX templates come in. They are pre-structured documents optimized to make you perform faster in tight situations.
ClickUp has 1,000+ templates to support you during various workshop tasks. For example, if the workshop conductor asks you to prepare a sample user experience roadmap, you can quickly jump on the ClickUp UX Roadmap Template and use its colorful map to set up your example quickly.
You may also be interested in templates for creating marketing calendars, heuristic evaluation, and usability testing if your conference is themed around these concepts.
Summarize this article for me pleaseApply Newfound UX Knowledge on Future Projects with ClickUp
Implementing the insights you gain at any event is easier with ClickUp. For starters, you have ClickUp Docs to organize new UX research and streamline your design process in a single space. Other benefits of the platform include:
- Collecting design requests with ClickUp Forms
- Assessing team capacity in the Workload view
- Tracking progress on custom Dashboards
Thanks to ClickUp AI, you can generate user personas, user journeys, and creative briefs in no time!
Besides helping you plan your work, ClickUp can be a powerful design tool. You and your team can use ClickUp Whiteboards to brainstorm and craft wireframes together in real time.
Once the mockups are ready, send them for approval by tagging the desired collaborator, who can proof them, add annotations, and comment to give feedback.
ClickUp integrates with over 1,000+ tools, including designer favorites like Figma, user research software such as Hotjar, and even content calendars and marketing tools like Hootsuite and Hubspot.
Summarize this article for me pleaseElevate Your Skills with UX Design Conferences and ClickUp
UX design conferences are an excellent way to keep up with new developments, expand your skills with multi-disciplinary workshops, and connect with other user experience professionals.
With our thoughtful preparation tips and ClickUp tools and templates, you can make the most of the UX conferences you attend.
Sign up for ClickUp today and customize it to serve as your trusted sidekick for conferences and everyday work. 🍀
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