It’s time to take a vacation from your latest project and network with other creatives in the UX field. We are all guilty of getting consumed by our work and we may not get out and interact with other UX designers often. But, we miss out when we never stray from our own ideas or team.
UX conferences give us new concepts to think about, showcase incredible accomplishments and make new contacts. With conferences in the US and around the world, there’s no reason not to set aside a little time to fully step into the world of UX design like never before.
iA Summit 2017
The iA Summit is being held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2017. From March 22-26, the summit explores the theme of designing for humans. As we all know, that’s the most important part of successful UX design. The conference is full of workshops and interviews.
An Event Apart
Unlike other conferences on this list, An Event Apart happens in six different US cities throughout the year, so there’s plenty of opportunities to go. Each three day event gives attendees the chance to meet and greet with fellow designers and learn from experts in the field. It’s one of the top UX conferences and must for beginners and professionals alike.
UX Immersions – Interactions
UX Immersions – Interactions is one of the best UX conferences for learning new skills. It’s designed to actually immerse attendees in the design process versus just talking about it. The event happens in Portland, Oregon and lasts from May 1-3.
UX London 2017
May is a busy month of UX conferences. For anyone wanting to travel, UX London 2017 is the perfect conference to attend. The ticket structure lets attendees go to all events or just the ones that are most relevant. The three day conference lasts from May 24-26.
UXLX: User Experience Lisbon
The UXLX: User Experience Lisbon conference is designed for UX professionals. It features four days of talks and workshops. It’s also a great way to meet other designers from around the world, with designers coming from over 40 different countries. The Lisbon, Portugal event lasts from May 23-26.
UX Week 2017
UX Week 2017 is considered one of the top UX conferences. The San Francisco, CA event lasts from August 29 – September 1. The conference celebrates it’s 15th year of bringing together designers from all over the world to meet and discuss different approaches to UX design.
EuroIA 2017
The EuroIA 2017 conference is one of the most popular European UX conferences. It’s focused on both user experience and information architecture. It brings together experts from both fields to show real world results and various design methods. It’s perfect for beginners and professionals. The event is held in a different city each year. Stockholm, Sweden is 2017’s host from September 28-30.
Finding Other UX Conferences
While the above list focuses on some of the biggest UX conferences of 2017, there are still plenty of other conferences to attend. It’s a good idea to check your local area for smaller conferences or even check for online only conferences, which may be more budget friendly, especially when there’s no airfare to worry about.
Find UX Events is a great resource for staying up to date on all the latest conferences. In 2017 alone, there are over 190 events listed from all around the world. They’re divided by month, so it’s easy to find something to fit any schedule.
Whatever you do, take the time this year to treat yourself to at least one UX conference. Simply making new contacts is enough of a reason to attend. If you’re not sure if you’re like it, go to a short one or two day conference or just attend a single workshop. Once you do, you’ll discover that one of the best ways to continue learning UX design is to interact with fellow designers from different fields.
Images: Alexandre Debiève, Peter Hart, André Luís