Top UX Research Conferences to Attend in 2018
Global conferences dedicated to the practice of UX research
Looking for the newest list? Check out Top UX Research Conferences to Attend in 2019.
As the UX research industry grows year after year, new conferences are being developed to cater to this expanding community of professionals. This list concentrates exclusively on conferences for UX researchers, by UX researchers. These events go far beyond research 101 talks — and attract high caliber attendees.
Come network with your industry peers and hear from leading experts in the field!
The UXR Conference
March 3, 2018
Toronto, Canada
$199 CA
A meetup-group-turned-conference, this brand new research conference is bound to be exciting. Their speakers are from the new generation of researchers — Aryel Cianflone (Founder, Mixed Methods) and Matt Gallivan (Research Manager, AirBNB)— so expect their talks to have a modern take on the field.
UXinsight
March 7–8, 2018
Utecht, Netherlands
€284.35 - €526.35
UXinsight brands itself as “An international conference dedicated to User Experience Research”. With a mission such as that, it’s a great way to kick off the year. Leading the speaker lineup is heavy hitter Tomer Sharon (Head of UX, WeWork), with an exciting variety of other speakers to hear from including Barbara Koop (Head of UX, Funda) and Liselotte Van Wickeren (UX Research Consultancy Owner, UXkids).
Design Research 2018
March 8–9, 2018
Melbourne, Australia
$350 - $800 AUD (or $150 AUD for a student ticket)
The title of this conference says it all: “Design Research 2018 will be a two day event that takes a deep dive into all things related to research for design work.” It’s a great chance to see speakers Julia Nelson (Head of Product Research, Moo) and Chris Marmo (Research Director, Paper Giant), among other industry professionals.
#gamesUR US
March 20, 2018
San Francisco, California
$250 (or $70 for a student ticket)
If play testing is more up your alley, head over to San Francisco for the #gamesUR conference. Phil Keck (Sr. User Research Manager, Activision), who has worked in the industry for nearly a decade, will give the opening keynote; watch out later for Heather Desurvire (Founder, User Research Behavioristics) who will talk about virtual reality usability guidelines.
User Research London
June 21–22, 2018
London, UK
£200 - £400
“A conference by UX researchers for UX researchers” — without a doubt, this is a top event to attend if you want the best of the best. This event draws from speakers who practice all over the world.
Come see Ayush Chauhan (Co-founder of Quicksand, research and innovation firm in India), Cyd Harrel (Chief of Staff at 18F and former Product Director at Code for America), Laurissa Wolfram-Hvass (Director of Research at Mailchimp), and Zarla Ludin (Experience Researcher, Twig and Fish) share their perspectives on the state of research in 2018.
Radical Research Summit
September 28, 2018
Vancouver, Canada
Cost from 2017: about $330 CAD (or $75 CAD for a student ticket)
Located in downtown Vancouver, Radical Research Summit attracts a crowd of talented Pacific Northwest practitioners and international visitors alike. Keynote speaker Indi Young will give her talk entitled “Paying Better Attention to the Problem”, on integrating quantitative and qualitative insights over the course of her career. Watch also for Vivianne Castillo, a UX Researcher at Weight Watchers with a background in social services, talk about the role of shame in research.
The call for speakers is open through May 30, 2018.
EPIC 2018
October 9–12, 2018
Honolulu, HI
$600–$750
Located in tropical Hawaii, this conference focuses on the qualitative side of research. “EPIC2018 is the premier international gathering on ethnography in business.” Speakers include Virginia Eubanks, Associate Professor of Political Science, who will focus on the affects of high-tech tools on inequality, Donna Flynn, Vice President of WorkSpace Futures and Market Insights at Steelcase, who will talk about leading a world-class team of researchers.
Come check out the latest and greatest of ethnographic research for industry in the shade of palm trees! Submissions due April 6, 2018.
#gamesUR Europe
November 30, 2018
London, UK
£155 (or £70 for a student ticket)
Hosted in bustling cities across Europe, #gamesUR is the European counterpart to the US conference. The conference boasts speakers Michele Cabeen (User Researcher at Activision), Matt Streit (Senior Manager of UX Research at Scopely), and Ines Santa & Daniela Cunha (Data Analysts at Miniclip).
UX Brighton 2018
November 2, 2018
Brighton, UK
Early bird tickets £145; student ticket £50
Every year, this UX conference in southern coastal England focuses on a different theme — and in 2018, it’s about “Advancing Research”! Take advantage of this rare topic and fly across the pond to mingle with UK practitioners.
Come see Emma Boulton (former Research Director at Monotype), Katy Arnold (Head of User Research, the Home Office), and Kate Towsey (freelance researcher of nearly a decade of experience) talk about the state of research in the United Kingdom.
More conferences
Beyond this list of UX research-specific conferences, there are many general UX conferences around the world that include research speakers, topics and workshops.
Honorable mentions 👏 go to:
- interaction18, February 3–8, Lyon FR; €1200
- ConveyUX, February 27–March 1, Seattle WA; $1195
- CHI 2018, April 21–26, Montreal CA; $800–$1400
- UXPA 2018, June 26–28, Rio Mar PR; $900–$2975
Is there a UX research-focused conference in 2018 that I missed? Please leave a note in the comment section below.
If you enjoyed this article, feel free to clap 👏👏👏 to help others find it.
This story is published in Noteworthy, where 10,000+ readers come every day to learn about the people & ideas shaping the products we love.
Follow our publication to see more product & design stories featured by the Journal team.
