Top 10 Web Design & UX Conferences Worldwide

If you’re thinking of launching a design conference or attending one yourself this list should be all you need to get started.

Out of many annual conferences I’ve curated my 10 picks for the top conferences on web and UX design. These each feature something a little different and they all have their appealing specialties. So whether you’re looking to grab a ticket or design a site for your own conference I think you’ll find something in here to grab your attention.

1. Reasons to

Reasons to is very much a creative conference discussing all things design and code. It’s an event for creators whether that means building webapps, mobile apps, websites or anything similar. It’s an international conference giving special attention to people who make things. Coders, animators, filmmakers, artists, you name it.

This may not relate directly to design but it does cover a lot of the design industry. Many speakers come directly from a UI/UX background and many others have worked at big companies like Adobe or Google.

Great atmosphere for the price and a nice conference if you wanna meet face-to-face with more creatives.

2. UX London

As the name suggests, UX London is all UX design without the fuss.

It features plenty of talented speakers along with workshops teaching modern UX design tips. You’ll learn from all kinds of industry experts ranging from brand strategists to technical UX leads on mobile app projects.

This conference runs for 3 days and each day focuses on a specific area. The most recent conference ran topics on product design, service design, and experience design.

If you’re curious to learn more check out the site and try grabbing earlybird tickets if you can.

3. UX Australia

The umbrella of UX Australia houses two different conferences across the country.

The two most recent events include Managing Design for companies & organizations, plus the default UX Australia conference. These ran in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.

UX Australia is typically a 4-day conference and it’s probably the largest gathering for UX information down under. With a huge list of speakers and many workshops covering lots of different topics you’re bound to find something you like here.

Note the workshops typically run for 2 days and the talks/meetups run for another 2 days. So you can buy a ticket for just one part of the conference if you’re hoping to save money.

4. UXDX

Here’s another fantastic UX conf with its home in Dublin, Ireland.

UXDX combines two different areas with content on typical user experience(UX) along with developer experience(DX) for coding webapps or microservices.

Anyone who’s big into the UX or DX industry will find something here. It’s a great resource for anyone getting into DevOps or anyone trying to learn more about either side.

Large brands also frequently take the stage with representatives from companies like Slack, Amazon, and Barclay.

5. Design & Content Conf

Design is just aesthetics without content; writing is just words without design.

These two areas overlap quite a bit so it makes sense for content strategists to care about UX and vice-versa.

The Design & Content Conf is a magical meetup for merging the discussion of content with user experience design. The conference recently hosted in Vancouver and featured a huge lineup of content strategists with practical tips.

It’s a great resource for freelancers and agencies alike who want to plan their content for greater user engagement.

6. An Event Apart

A List Apart first launched in 1999 as a newsletter and has since grown into a massive brand. It features books and many events annually branded under An Event Apart.

These events usually run 2-3 times per year within the continental US.

When it comes to discussion topics the sky’s the limit with speakers covering absolutely everything related to great web design. This includes general user experience along with coding trends, frontend frameworks, content strategies, branding, design tools and so much more.

7. UX Week

The UX Week event is a very pricey conference but if you’re serious about learning it’s worth the entry fee.

It’s a 4-day event where UX professionals from around the world gather together and share tips, inspiration, industry news, and advice for the upcoming year.

As of writing this post UX Week just celebrated its 15th year running which is a huge milestone. Considering the rapidly advancing UX industry I think it’s safe to say this conference will be around for many years to come & it’s one of the more practical UX conferences you can attend.

8. UX Strat

The UX Strat event is all about growth and practical skills. It runs twice a year with one event in the US and another in Europe.

Both events host a number of workshops and teaching sessions with industry leaders to help eager designers catch up with the latest trends. Topics include data-driven UX design, A/B testing, and business-oriented UX strategies.

You can learn more on the main site but also try subscribing to the UX Strat newsletter. It shares relevant tips and upcoming info on the latest industry trends.

9. UX Sofia

UX Sofia runs annually in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria in eastern Europe. It’s quite a flexible conference with an optional timeframe of 5 days hosting speakers, workshops, and networking. The conference technically runs for 3 days but the organizers stick around for 1-2 days afterwards for an optional tour around Sofia.

This is a great way to meet other UX designers and build connections before you head back home.

I can’t say this is the largest UX conference but it’s definitely a big one. Especially if you already live near Bulgaria and could catch a plane ticket for cheap.

10. Push Conference

The vaguely named Push Conference unites creatives from all over the world who share a similar vision of the future.

It’s a tech conference with a focus on people who create apps, websites, and fascinating technology with a compelling user experience.

Push has run for over 5 years with a long list of professional speakers and successful workshops. Most of the speakers come from diverse backgrounds so it’s truly a conference for everyone. If you’re enamoured with building awesome products then Push Conference is worth attending at least once to see what you think.

Jake Rocheleau

Jake is a writer and user experience designer on the web. He publishes articles discussing HTML5/CSS3 and jQuery coding techniques. Find out more on his website or you can follow his updates on Twitter @jakerocheleau