Things are changing in UX research, all the time.
How do you keep up with all of it? Along with doing your job, eating thrice a day, walking your dog and drinking enough water?
It’s a lot.
So we decided to make it a little easier for you.
In this article, we have curated the best online resources according to UX researchers, to learn and stay updated on the latest in UX research—industry trends, research methodologies, hiring practices, and career advice.
We have a giant assortment of content goodies to pick from— UX research blogs, podcasts, newsletters, UX research events and Slack communities!
Let’s get into it! 🦘
Where are UXRs hanging out?
We asked this question too! This article compiled the best resources based on input from the UXR community.
Yes, the sampling is biased (via our co-founder Kritika’s linkedin), but the suggestions are A+ (we checked them ourselves!)
Best UX Research Blogs & Newsletters
Ever since Substack got popular, newsletters have completely revolutionized how we consume and find information.
They’ve also made email inboxes more fun.
If you want to read the best content on UX research, but don’t want to trawl the internet and spend hours on a thousand websites, we got some great newsletters for you.
1. Looppanel’s UX Research Newsletter
That’s us! Not to brag, but all the cool kids in UXR follow us.
The Looppanel blog is an ongoing labor of love, to share the best possible resources and guides for UX researchers at any stage of their career.
We also interview the top minds in UX and UX research, and share the learnings in our blog’s Conversations section. Previous issues featured UXR greats like Jared Spool, Joe Natoli, Teresa Torres and Steve Portigal.
We pride ourselves on having the funniest article thumbnail images and entertaining writing in the biz.
Looppanel’s UX research newsletter shares the best of our blog content every fortnight, along with the Looppanel job board listings for the week.
Here are a few of our most popular Looppanel blog/newsletter pieces:
- Strategic UX Research is the Future with Jared Spool
- How to Talk about the Business Value of UX with Dan Winer
- The Looppanel Design Leaders Report
- Why Repositories Fail
- Storytelling Essentials with Jeff White
2. UserWeekly
UserWeekly is a great weekly UX research newsletter that tells you what happened in UX Research this week.
It’s great if you feel overwhelmed by the multitude of UX research blogs and online, and just want someone to tell you what to read.
It’s compiled by Jan Ahrend, UX Research Lead at Youtube.
Every week, Jan puts together the stories and media that matter most, along with what research themes, methods, and opportunities are top of your peers' minds.
If you want a one-stop shop of some of the best content on a weekly basis, sign up here:
3. UX Collective
If you read UX content on Medium regularly, you might have come across UX Collective articles.
The UX Collective is an independent design publication and blog, curating the best UX research blogs in user experience, visual and product design.
You can subscribe to the UX collective newsletter here (it has over 100,000 subscribers!).
The articles feature a mix of commentaries and think pieces on the state of UX, industry topics and observations on the latest trends and tools. Some pieces will be focused on UXR, while others may be about UX in general.
4. ¼ hole (quarter inch hole)
You’ll have to visit the About page to understand the name 👀
Quarter inch hole is a bi-monthly free newsletter on everything user research. Issues come out on alternate Sundays, featuring original essays on UXR written by Lawton Pybus.
Lawton brings a thoughtful yet pragmatic approach to the most talked-bout issues in the industry today, including UX research portfolios, sharing UX insights and industry shifts, and AI tools.
Lawton’s done some really cool write ups, looking at actual data on how the industry has (and is) evolving. Check our his piece on market changes (from 2022)
You can subscribe to Lawton Pybus’s newsletter on Substack.
5. Nielsen Norman Group blog
This one’s a no-brainer. NN group is a UX research and consulting firm established by two of the most famous pioneers in the industry - Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman.
Their free library has over 1500 articles, ranging from simple guides to research methodologies, to think pieces from Nielsen himself about the future of AI, upcoming trends etc..
They also have videos and seminars that sum up basic UXR concepts for beginners.
Jakob Nielsen ALSO just launched his personal Substack, and it has a lot of great essays, predictions on the future of UXR, and AI for research. Check it out here.
Best UX Research Podcasts
Podcasts have made washing dishes fun again.
Not all humans are fans of digesting content through their ears, we know.
But for the growing majority that think of podcast hosts as their best friends who have one-way conversations, we got some recommendations for you.
These UX research podcasts (we’ve left out the inactive ones) are a great way of having a finger on the pulse of the industry while multitasking on everyday tasks.
BONUS: We’ve created a Spotify playlist of our favorite episodes from UX Research podcasts! Listen to these nuggets of wisdom, and tell us your favorites.
1. Awkward Silences
Best podcast name of the lot!
The Awkward Silences podcast by User Interviews has been around since 2018. It’s hosted by Erin May (VP of Marketing, UI) and Carol Guest (Director of Product, UI).
The two host interview leaders, doers, and curious minds shaping User Research, Ops, Product, Design, and Customer Experience. Past episodes have featured UXR leaders from Amazon, Braze, Capital One, Condé Nast, DoorDash, and Google.
Each episode is around 40 minutes long, and covers topics like UX research careers, ethical design, growth research and the opportunities of AI in UX research.
Where to Listen: On their website, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2. Dear Nikki - User Research Advice Podcast
We’re big fans of Nikki Anderson around in these parts 🪭
Dear Nikki is one of the most popular UX research podcasts out there, and has been running since 2019.
It’s hosted by Nikki Anderson, founder of User Research Academy.
If you want to ask experts questions about your struggles at work, this is the podcast for you.
Dear Nikki is an advice podcast where listeners can send in anonymous questions about their UXR problems, which Nikki will try to answer, often with another industry expert guest.
You can either purchase a UXR membership to access all the episodes or just wait for the public episodes on Spotify and other platforms.
Nikki also sends out a Substack UX research newsletter regularly with articles and updates on the latest podcast episode.
Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or other streaming platforms
3. UI Breakfast
Host Jane Portman (co-founder of Userlist) has been running UI Breakfast since 2015, for a wide listenership of UX/UI designers, developers and UX researchers.
The conversations also offer a lot of learnings on building products and SaaS strategy, if that’s your cup of tea.
Each episode features a UX industry expert as guest, with past episodes featuring UXR authors like Debbie Levitt and Steve Portigal, and Design leaders from Loom, Databricks and Balsamiq.
Where to listen: On their website, Spotify, Apple podcasts, iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts
4. Scaling Research
Scaling Research, as the name suggests, is a great podcast on how to do UX Research at scale.
Host Roy Opata Olende (Head of Research, Zapier) talks to a fellow UXR leader about research ops, best practices, strategies and case studies.
It’s especially recommended for senior UXRs and team leads, as it talks about cross-functional partnerships, career growth and research democratization.
The last episode was published in November 2023, but there is still a valuable archive of two seasons worth of content to listen and learn from.
Where to listen: On their website, Apple podcasts, Spotify or other streaming platforms
5. Honest UX Talks
This podcast leans a leetle bit into UX design territory, but it still is a valuable resource for UXRs.
The hosts Ioana and Anfisa together have 20 years of experience in the UX field. In each episode, they share their main lessons to help anyone transitioning to design overcome the fears. It’s like listening to two really smart friends who’re giving you UX advice.
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or other streaming platforms
Best UX Leaders to follow on Linkedin
If you are a UX researcher who sees Linkedin as an immensely valuable source of learning (as you should), make sure to follow the profiles below. They’re the best in the industry, and quite generous about sharing their learnings online.
Jared Spool
Jared is the founder of Center Centre, and quite the UXR veteran. You might have seen his viral story about the million dollar button. Follow him for great essays on the state of user research, strategic, long-term thinking in UXR, and the value of UX.
Dan Winer
Dan is Head of Design at PandaDoc, and one of the best internet gurus out there on everything UX design. He posts extremely to-the-point career advice for UX and product designers, helpful templates and techniques to design better. Must-follow for UX designers.
Joe Natoli
Joe Natoli is an acclaimed UX consultant and the founder of UX365 academy. He has spent over 30 years working in UX, and has helped over 280,000 UXers through his courses and mentorship. Follow him for practical UX advice and hot takes on industry developments.
Jakob Nielsen
If UXR had a granddaddy, that would be Jakob Nielsen. Follow him for insightful (sometimes provocative) commentary on the latest developments in UXR and AI. The comments section is also always fun.
Greg Bernstein
Greg is the Director of User Research at Hearst Magazines, and the author of Research Practice. Follow him to stay tuned on the work he’s doing and the conversations he’s having in UXR.
Amy Santee
Amy is a Career Strategist & Coach for UX Professionals, and frequently posts about building a UXR career, the job market and hiring practices in the industry.
Nikki Anderson
We talked about Nikki’s podcast above, her Linkedin profile is also worth a follow! She frequently posts UX research tips, career advice for UX professionals and updates about her podcast.
Kritika Oberoi
Even though she’s our co-founder, this is a completely unbiased recommendation 🐝 Kritika frequently shares tips and best practices for UX researchers, along with useful reads and book recommendations.
Best UX Research Communities
Most social media platforms are basically marketplaces now, and sadly not ideal for community and interaction.
LinkedIn remains, but it can be hard to sift through all the content and have meaningful conversations (not including strangers fighting in the comments).
If you’re a UX Researcher looking to talk to peers about work, share new opportunities, industry gossip or just rant about stakeholders, look no further.
We have plenty of dedicated Slack and Facebook communities for that.
1. Research Ops
ReOps is considered by many to be the leading online community for UX researchers.
The 16,000+ Slack community has over 12 channels, each dedicated to networking, job boards, new UX content, meetups, podcasts and mentoring.
It’s a great place to ask other kindly UXRs for advice on a project you’re stuck on, or gather thoughts on some interesting UX reading you came across.
You can also subscribe to the Research Ops official podcast, for interviews with industry leaders.
To join the community, you have to apply and be added to the waiting list. Blessings on getting in quickly.
2. UX Research & Strategy
Yet another small but mighty UXR community. UXR&S was founded by Jennifer Blatz, Lorie Whitaker and Lauren Singer who wanted to bridge the gap in local UX communities.
It currently has over 6000 members. The Slack channel also has sub-channels for sharing resources, organizing events, jobs and chatting with everyone.
You can sign up to receive a special invitation to join, or get someone who’s in the group already to add you.
3. User Research Collective (FB)
Facebook is not just for your aunts and uncles sharing vacation photos!
The User Research Collective is a private Facebook group for UX researchers with over 21,000 members.
To join the group, send a request to be added (they respond quickly in my experience). You can also be invited to join by a current group member, which will be reviewed by the moderator after.
URC is for researchers to discuss problems, ask questions, find a job and bounce ideas around. There’s a strict ban on surveys, self-promotion and recruiting participants, btw.
The group also has regular chats running on designing on accessibility, and general UXR updates.
4. Women in UX
This one’s special, and all about empowering women in UXR 🥰.
Women in UX is a Facebook private group that was founded in 2019, and has built up a thriving community of 40,100 members since.
To join the group, answer the questions on the form, and wait for approval. Warning, the vetting process is quite rigorous.
Despite the waiting list and the approval process, Women in UX is a one-of-a-kind space for women in UXR to talk about the unique challenges they face, as well as everything UX.
Best UX Research Events in 2024
Going to a conference can be like condensing 6 months worth of learning and networking into 2 extremely productive days.
You hear the smartest people in UXR talk about how they build products.
You get to network with UX-ers from across the world and learn from them.
If you’re between jobs, it’s also a great place to scout for your next opportunity.
We’ve put together an extensive list of the top upcoming UX events in 2024 for researchers. Take a look, mark the dates.
Here are some of the best UX research events to bookmark this year.
1. UXInsight Festival 2024
When: April 15-17, 2024
Where: Virtual | Breda, The Netherlands
Tickets: $166 onwards
UXInsight 2024 is the 8th edition of one of the largest UX events in Europe.
According to the agenda, Day 1 of the 3-day conference will host sessions on Creative Interviewing, Stakeholder Management and setting UXR Goals for the new year. Day 2 and 3 will have single-track sessions on leading industry concerns, with networking events and demos by sponsors.
They also offer an option for virtual attendance, if you don’t want to go all the way to Breda.
The virtual attendee passes start at $166 (€150), while full conference access in-person currently costs $1051 (€950).
2. UX360 EU Summit
When: May 16–17, 2024
Where: Berlin, Germany
Tickets: $731 to $941
If you live in Europe, try not to miss this!
The UX360 EU Summit is the first, in-person edition of the UX360 conference series. It promises to be one of the most value-packed UX events in Europe, with a lineup of speakers from leading brands like Google, SAP, and Delivery Hero.
It’s a 2-day event, and also offers workshops and networking sessions with other UX professionals.
Tickets for the UX360 EU Summit 2024 start at $731 for early bird tickets and go up to $941 at full pricing.
3. UXDX USA 2024
When: May 15-17, 2024
Where: New York, USA | Virtual
Tickets: $239 onwards
UXDX is all about celebrating cross-functional collaboration, and aims to break down the barriers between teams in UXR, Product, Design and Developers.
It’ll host a series of international speakers from leading companies worldwide, to share case studies on building scalable product teams.
Tickets start at $239 for the online edition, and go upto $3,459 for the complete in-person package. They also offer discounts for students, freelancers and startups.
4. Quant UXCon 2024
When: June 12-13, 2024
Where: Virtual
Tickets: $35 onwards
This one’s for the academia fans.
Quant UXCon is probably the only one among international UX research events dedicated to quantitative research. The organizing committee has both senior UXR leaders and academics.
The event is completely virtual, and held within 32 continuous hours with 120+ sessions to choose from. Recorded sessions are also available for those who register for the conference in advance.
Tickets start at $35, but the conference also offers free scholarship options for those who need it.
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