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Join over 150k subscribers to get the latest articles, podcast episodes, and data-packed reports—in your inbox, every week.
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Some say the best way to learn is to do. Others say the best way to learn is to teach.
I say, why not both?
Digital communities are a great way for user experience and user research professionals to learn from their peers, share their own expertise, and explore relevant topics in the UX/UR world. When you build meaningful connections with others in your industry, you create opportunities to not only advance your own career, but also improve the state of user research as a whole.
Whether you’re a full-time user researcher, do UX research as part of your job, or are simply curious to learn more about an exciting field, you don’t want to miss out on these UX communities:
Mixed Methods
Designer Hangout
Hexagon UX
Mind the Product
Service Design Network
User Experience Professionals Association
HCI/UX Mentoring Circle
EPIC People
UX Beginner
User Interviews
And these community-driven blogs and newsletters:
UX Collective
The Octopus
UX Design Weekly
Inside Design
USER WEEKLY
UXInsight
Read on for an introduction into these top UX research communities, as well as a comprehensive database of 100+ more UX research communities to explore.
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Best Slack, Linkedin, and Facebook groups for user researchers and designers
1. Mixed Methods
Platform: Slack
Size: 16,000+ members
Great for: Anyone interested in the hows and whys of user experience research
Mixed Methods is dedicated entirely to—you guessed it—mixed methods UX research. Along with a vibrant Slack workspace, they also have a blog and a podcast which are full of great ideas about research methods, careers in UX, the future of UXR, and more.
The Slack community is dedicated to having conversations, sharing content, asking for advice, and even job hunting. Channels like #creativityinuxr, #emerging-practices, #uxr-support-info, and #researchteamofone all offer space for passionate UX researchers to help each other advance in their careers and improve the way they work. Sign up to join the Slack community.
New and noteworthy from Mixed Methods:
This blog by Greig Cranfield, UX Researcher at Monzo, discusses what UXRs can learn from investigative journalists.
In this podcast episode, Aaron Sedley, a Staff UX Researcher at Google, shares his process for choosing metrics to understand the true user experience.
The Slack channel #ux_interview_tips provides a space for UX researchers to ask questions and share tips for effective interviewing.
2. Designer Hangout
Platform: Slack
Size: 18,000+ members
Great for: UX designers and UX professionals only
Designer Hangout is an invite-only network of design professionals with over 18,000 members. The invite-only structure ensures that everyone who joins is a UX professional interested in contributing to the community. Described as “UX designers’ best kept secret,” Designer Hangout gives you access to a thriving Slack community, Q&A sessions with industry experts, a UX job board, and more.
Just request an invite, linking to your LinkedIn profile so the admins can make sure you really work in UX, and you’ll be accepted into the community.
New and noteworthy from Designer Hangout:
Jared Spool and Jessica Ivins of Center Centre, a state-of-the-art user experience design school, recently joined Designer Hangout to discuss “Building Future Generations of UX Designers.” Watch the recording here.
Hexagon UX is dedicated to empowering women and non-binary people in UX through community and mentorship. They organize local events and provide mentorship opportunities that help young people in UX grow their careers.
Their Slack group is comprised of women and non-binary UX professionals from all around the world. Conversations range from recommendations for the best UX research tools, to the impact of inclusive design, to advice for landing entry-level UX roles. In our experience, it’s one of the more engaged communities out there, and we’ve had more 1:1 convos in Hexagon UX than any other group on this list. Sign up for their Slack group here.
The Slack channel #growth-mentorship provides a space where aspiring and beginner UX professionals can find a mentor, ask questions, and get expert advice for growing in their careers.
If you’re interested in strengthening your portfolio, the Slack channel #growth-portfolio-feedback is a great place to source feedback and recommendations from other members.
4. Mind the Product
Platform: Slack
Size: 20,000+ members
Great for: Product managers and UXRs interested in product development
Mind the Product is dedicated to creating quality content for product people of all stripes. With an informative blog, a board of job opportunities, local events and conferences, and even training workshops, they provide all the information you need to help further the craft of product management.
Although they’re not focused entirely on research and UX, Mind the Product’s community provides great resources for any UX or UXR professional who wants to understand the product side as well as the research side. It’s also a fantastic and well-rounded option for product managers and designers who do UXR as part of their jobs. Join the world’s largest Slack community for product people.
Roll20.net Product Director Kenton Hanson discusses how he and his product team conduct user research at scale in this recent podcast episode.
The Slack channel #frameworks is a great place for finding sensemaking frameworks to help you navigate the many complexities of product development.
5. Service Design Network
Platform: Slack
Size: 7,000+ members
Great for: Service designers and UXRs interested in service design
Service Design Network is a leading non-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the theory and practice of service design. With a vast community of thought leaders, academics, and expert practitioners in the industry, SND’s Slack community is a great place for discussion and knowledge sharing.
If you’re interested in getting involved outside of the Slack group as well, be sure to check out their events and conferences, listen to past podcast episodes, subscribe to their newsletter, and explore other content on the website.
New and noteworthy from SDN:
If you’re exceptionally proud of your work this year, consider entering SDN’s Service Design Award recognizing excellence in the industry.
Struggling to persuade stakeholders? Check out this recent SDN video on making the business case for service design.
The Slack channel #project-diversity-and-inclusion is a great place for exploring DEI in service design.
6. User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA)
Platform: Facebook (and LinkedIn)
Size: 33,000+ members
Great for: UX professionals and advocates of UX research
Of all the UX Facebook groups I’ve joined so far, UXPA is by far one of the most engaged and informative. Members ask thought-provoking questions and spark meaningful conversations about UX research, design thinking, general innovation in the industry, and more.
New and noteworthy from UXPA:
Looking for your next gig? UXPA maintains a job bank and other career resources for UX professionals.
A recent post from a UXPA insider asks, “Is there a difference between clients' needs and users' needs? How can designers get clarity between the two types of needs?” Join the conversation.
7. HCI/UX Mentoring Circle
Platform: Linkedin
Size: 9,000+ members
Great for: Both new and experienced HCI/UX professionals
HCI/UX Mentoring Circle is a Linkedin group dedicated to sharing advice and feedback for professional development. Although there are many groups that touch on the career-related topics in HCI and UX, this is the first created specifically for peer-to-peer mentorship in the industry.
In this group, it’s common for younger members to ask for advice and feedback on recent work, while older members share tips, resources, and recommendations.
New and noteworthy from the HCI/UX Mentoring Circle:
A UX Designer intern asks for constructive feedback on their first design working with colors in this recent post.
Even the most seasoned professionals need friendly reminders from time to time. In this post, a UX Consultant shares common data fallacies to avoid in UXR.
A member recently shared this article on defining your personal design philosophy.
8. EPIC People
Platform: Linkedin
Size: 5,000+ members
Great for: Ethnographic researchers and ethnography enthusiasts
EPIC—or Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Community—is a global, nonprofit organization supporting people who support and practice ethnographic research. Their Linkedin group provides a forum for both members and non-members to ask questions, start conversations, and share relevant resources. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
Along with their Linkedin group, EPIC also hosts events and conferences for those interested in networking IRL, a library of the world’s leading collection of peer-reviewed work about ethnography, and a job board with listings from around the world.
New and noteworthy from EPIC People:
Are you tired of the quant vs. qual debate yet? This tutorial will help you move past it by developing strategies for collaborative inquiry.
If you’ve ever struggled to convince stakeholders of the ROI of your work, then you’ll probably be interested in this conversation with Chad Maxwell, Chief Strategy Officer at Kelly Scott Madison and co-chair of the EPIC2021 Case Studies Committee.
Successful researchers are the type of people who chase their curiosity wherever it leads them, so it’s relatively common for UX professionals to jump into the industry with no background in UX. If you’re new to UX design and research, UX Beginner is a great resource for a smooth transition into the industry.
It’s full of informative blog posts about how to get started in UX, comprehensive lists of tools and books you’ll need to immerse yourself in UX, and even courses to broaden your UX toolbox and sharpen your skills. Sign up for the UX Beginner newsletter here.
The UX Beginner Facebook group, with more than 8,000 members, offers a forum for members to share their personal experiences, career questions and insights, job postings, design resources, and more.
User Interviews is, of course, a fantastic community to help you find great insights on the user research world. We strive to create quality content all about user research to help you break into the UX community, do your job more efficiently, stay up-to-date about hot topics, and more. Our Linkedin page is a great place to find new content and share your own insights on posts.
We also have a podcast, a newsletter, and even a handy field guide to help answer all of your burning questions about UX research. Plus, our team is full of UXR enthusiasts who are always happy to answer any questions you might have.
New and noteworthy from User Interviews:
To attract and recruit great participants, you need to offer fair incentives. This incentive calculator will recommend the right incentives for your next study.
Ready to dive into your next research project? These UX research method launch kits provide templates, guides, tips, and other resources to help you get started.
Community-driven blogs and newsletters for UX designers and researchers
Slack, Linkedin, and Facebook groups are the only places to learn from and contribute to the UX community. Blogs and newsletters can provide you with additional insight to help you have more meaningful conversations with peers and colleagues. Here are a few of our favorites.
11. UX Collective
Platform: Medium
Size: 420,000+ followers
Great for: UX professionals and product designers
UX Collective is a Medium publication that curates stories from experts all around the world.
Learning and listening aren’t the only reasons to join a UX community—your contributions are valuable too! Share your ideas by publishing an article with UX Collective.
If you give a damn about accessibility (and you should), then you might be interested in UX Collective’s Accessibility Handbook.
12. The Octopus
Platform: Blog and newsletter
Size: 300,000+ followers
Great for: Design, product, and UX professionals
The Octopus is a blog by design giant IDEO. It features stories about design, product, and user experience that are fun to read and well written. My personal favorite is this story about an aggressive parking lot AI. They also have a newsletter if you’d like to receive all the latest stories by email.
I love The Octopus because it pairs the more technical design topics with the softer, human topics that impact design, such as creativity, empathy, and motivation. Although you can’t become a UX researcher or designer with these skills alone, strengthening these skills can still transform the way you work.
Great for: Anyone and everyone interested in UX design
UX Design Weekly is a list of UX Design Articles, curated weekly by Kenny Chen, a Senior Interaction Designer at Google. Typically the newsletter includes a pretty comprehensive list of links, tools, and resources. It even features a portfolio from a different designer every week, such as this one by Ivette Felix Uy, Product Designer at Air.
UX Design Weekly is one of my favorite emails to open every Monday. I don’t always have time to track down the best UX resources from around the internet every week, but this hand-curated list delivers a spark of inspiration straight to my inbox.
New and noteworthy from UX Design Weekly:
Are robots coming to take your job? Probably not. Here’s why.
Before you panic, When to Skip UX Research isn’t a blog about cutting corners. Instead, it offers tips for deciding when to delay or reposition research.
Great for: Anyone and everyone interested in UX design
Inside Design is a blog all about design by InVision, a visual online collaboration tool. They also have a resource center for long-form educational posts and handbooks, DesignBetter.Co.
InVision creates amazing content that dives deep into what makes design great, from user experiences to research. Common topics include collaboration, career development, design systems, and designing through remote work. They also have a podcast that talks about how large companies create great products at scale.
Spotify’s Associate Principal Product Designer, Vicki Tan, talks about lessons she’s learned over the course of her career and how her team does research on this podcast episode.
Today’s UX designers and developers are using design tokens for massive improvements in efficiency. Learn more about design tokens.
15. USER WEEKLY
Platform: Newsletter
Size: 2,000+
Great for: Anyone and everyone interested in user research
USER WEEKLY is a weekly newsletter written and curated by Senior User Experience Researcher at Google, Jan Ahrend. Every week, Jan rounds up the best user research articles and podcasts from hundreds of sources around the internet.
With brief summaries of each article, sorted by themes like quant and qual methods, leadership and impact, research ops, participant recruitment, and more, the newsletter is a great resource for quickly getting up to speed on what’s trending in the user research community. Explore past issues and subscribe to the newsletter here.
New and noteworthy from User Weekly:
Humans of User Weekly is my favorite section of the newsletter. Every week, this section spotlights a Q&A with a different user researcher to learn more about their work.
“When we talk about democratizing research, we treat the research as the end goal. It’s not the end goal,” says Jared Spool in this Method in Madness article.
16. UXInsight
Platform: Blog and Newsletter
Size: 2,000+
Great for: Anyone and everyone interested in UX research
UXInsight is a global community that connects UX researchers through conferences and events, offers resources for inspiration and professional development, and provides coaching and training to UXR professionals.
I love UXInsight because the community has a heavy focus on collaboration and connection within the UX research industry. It provides UXRs with the opportunity to find jobs, connect with mentors, and learn more about the industry, as well as the opportunity to contribute their own articles, events, or job listings. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
New and noteworthy from UXInsight:
The UXinsight Job Board lists current UX research openings from all around the world—and if you have a position available, you can also add a free, 3-month job posting on the board!
This post, by User Experience Researcher Anna Efimenko, discusses the four mistakes she’s made while growing in her career and offers tips for avoiding them.
Any communities we’re missing? If you’d like to see another group added to this list, please shoot me an email at lizzy@userinterviews.com to let me know!
Marketer, writer, poet. Lizzy likes hiking, people-watching, thrift shopping, learning and sharing ideas. Her happiest memory is sitting on the shore of Lake Champlain in the summer of 2020, eating a clementine.
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