17 UX Design Blogs You Can't Miss in 2019
User experience (UX) design is all the rage in the design world. Technology assists us with everything from getting a ride to managing our family’s busy schedules—but those apps and websites we rely on are only as good as their usability. Businesses are investing in their websites and apps more than ever before, which has made UX design skills a hot commodity.
“UX skills are in demand because savvy companies have realized that to remain competitive, their digital presence cannot be static,” says D. Scott Hicks, digital marketing manager at Carloan.com.
He explains that many developers possess the necessary technical skills and many designers have the right creative skills, but a successful UX designer needs to employ both. Bottom line: Technology in the digital age needs to be functional and beautiful if it’s going to keep up with consumers’ expectations.
It’s OK if you consider yourself strong in one of the skill sets listed above but still have some work to do in the other! One of the best ways to sharpen these skills is by following UX design blogs. These resources can provide the knowledge, training and inspiration you need to take your UX design career to the next level.
17 UX blogs you can’t miss
Keeping tabs on the UX design blogs listed below will help you stay up to date with all the hot topics and new developments in the field. Each website is a little different, but all include relevant resources for those interested in user experience.
1. Boxes and Arrows
Boxes and Arrows features contributing bloggers who discuss all things design. In their own words, they aim “to provoke thinking, push limits and teach a few things along the way.” This blog is an excellent stop for anyone looking for new perspective into UX.
2. Design Kit
Design Kit is the brainchild of IDEO.org, a company focused on using well-designed products and services to improve the lives of people living in poverty. With an emphasis on human-centered design, Design Kit offers field guides and other resources to help designers adopt a creative approach to problem solving that always puts people first.
3. Designmodo: UX Design
Designmodo features blog posts with UX tips and practical applications on a variety of topics, including mock-ups, wireframing and mobile design. The site also develops and distributes highly rated user interface packs, including a few you can download for free.
4. InfoDesign
This blog also started off as a moderated mailing list about information design and has evolved into a website dedicated to sharing information about all things web. There are over 1,000 posts on UX alone, so it’s definitely worth checking out.
5. LukeW
This blog is named after its owner, Luke Wroblewski, a UX pro who has helped spearhead several digital enterprises and has worked with web giants Yahoo and Google. Luke posts about all things UX design, including videos and notes from conferences and his take on the latest design news.
6. Nielson Norman Group
The Nielson Norman Group uses research-based principles to consult with clients in need of UX guidance. They publish an interesting variety of UX-related articles written by their own team of seasoned professionals—living up to their claim of being “a leading voice in the user experience field.”
7. Smashing Magazine: UX Design
Smashing Magazine is one of the most renowned blogs in the design industry. This section of the site is solely devoted to UX design articles and features experts who eagerly share their ideas, tips, guidelines and best practices for fellow user experience designers.
8. Usabilla
Usabilla is a Dutch software company that specializes in providing user feedback to its clients to improve website usability. Their blog includes UX case studies, helpful how-to’s, video interviews with UX experts and more.
9. UsabilityGeek
Usability Geek’s founder, Justin Mifsud, strives to spread helpful UX information in order to “bridge theory and academic research with practical and personal recommendations on how one can improve website usability.” The blog invites contributions from guest authors, making it a helpful hub for tips and insight from experts across the industry.
10. UX Booth
UX Booth is created by and for the user experience community. This is a great starting point for rookies because most of their content is created for beginning to intermediate designers. The site is simple to navigate, with posts categorized into topics such as content strategy, research, information architecture and philosophy.
11. UX for the Masses
UX designer and researcher Neil Turner is a design pro with more than 15 years of experience in everything from product design to leading UX projects. Neil shares his wealth of knowledge in all things design in this blog, including free UX tools and prototyping models.
12. UX Magazine
UX Magazine is a community intended to provide UX enthusiasts with a steady stream of engaging and useful content. Browse articles from more than 100 UX-related topics, or find information about UX jobs, events and awards.
13. UXmatters
This blog was launched by Pabini Gabriel-Petit, a Silicon Valley-based UX professional with more than 20 years under her belt. It was created to provide a forum for discussing progressive UX ideas and educate the broader community on the importance of usability. The site hosts articles for seasoned UX professionals and UX newbies alike.
14. UX Movement
UX Movement’s focus is to illustrate how good and bad interface design practices affect a user’s behavior. The website features tabs devoted to every facet of UX design, from forms and buttons to navigation and wireframes, making it easy to find the info you need.
15. UX Myths
Though it’s not technically an active blog, UX Myths is a handy resource for anyone pursuing a career in user experience. As its name suggests, the site debunks some common misconceptions about the industry, like “white space is wasted space” and “people don’t scroll.” This is a great reference to have on hand when you need evidence-based insights to direct your designs.
16. UXPin
UXPin is a congregation of tips and tricks, how-to’s, free downloads and a variety of other useful content. Most articles are loaded with helpful diagrams and other images that illustrate the concepts clearly for visual learners.
17. UX Planet
This blog hails itself as the one-stop shop for everything related to user experience, and it delivers on the promise! Expert UX designers contribute to this collaborative blog on topics including UX for beginners, user research and product design. Budding designers and experienced UX professionals alike will find useful principles on this design blog.
Stay in the loop
This handy list of UX design blogs will help you keep a pulse on the industry with just a few clicks of your mouse. Bookmark this page and challenge yourself to visit your favorite sites on a regular basis.
If you’re looking to make the jump from casual interest in UX design to something more formal, you’ll want to check out our article, “Everything You Need to Get Started in User Experience Design” for additional resources and information for kick-starting a UX design career.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally published in March 2015; it has since been updated. Insight from Hicks remains from the original.
