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UX Design Conferences You Can’t Miss in 2026

by Mads Soegaard | | 31 min read
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Whether you're a beginner taking your first steps or an established professional looking to stay on top of your game, UX design conferences are invaluable for learning and networking. They offer a chance to delve deeper into various disciplines—from User Research to UX Design Leadership—providing critical insights and new developments.

In 2025, the Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF) partnered with several conferences to aid in our mission to lower the cost of design education worldwide. Conferences included SmashingConf, DDX Munich and Dubai, WomenTech Global Conference, and Push UX.

For 2026, we've curated a global list of our favorite UX design conferences. Conferences offer access to industry leaders, networking opportunities, and knowledge that can take your UX design journey to new heights. Prepare to mark your calendars!

(Are we missing an amazing UX design conference from our list? Let us know at hello@interaction-design.org.)

February

UX360 Virtual Research Summit | 4 - 5 February | Online

Looking to sharpen your UX research skills and get inspired by real-world case studies?

Join the UX360 Virtual Summit, happening February 4–5, for two days of real insights, practical frameworks, and live discussions with UX leaders from companies like Meta, Walmart, Microsoft, Oracle, Warner Music, Decathlon, and Estée Lauder.

Ideal for: Anyone, Whether you’re deep into UX research or shaping product strategy, this is your space to connect with global peers, get inspired, and walk away with answers that matter— all from the comfort of your home or office

Price: $321 incl VAT

Register: UX360 Virtual

Discount: 15% off with code IxDF15

Speaker Highlights:

  •  Meta – Director, UX Research

  • Microsoft – Director of User Experience

  • Walmart – Director, UX Design (AI, Platforms & DesignOps)

  • Oracle – Director of UX Design

  • Warner Music Group – Director of User Research

WUD Estonia 2026 | 16 - 20 February | Tallinn, Estonia + ONLINE

WUD Estonia is the largest conference in the Baltics dedicated to decision makers, product creators, business leaders, and design professionals.

Now returning to Tallinn for its 17th edition, WUD Estonia 2026 focuses on how design drives strategy, innovation, and business growth. The conference highlights the strategic value of design in organizations — through real stories, impactful methods, and practical results that show how design creates measurable value.

This year, the spotlight is on leaders and decision-makers who use design to create meaningful impact. At the same time, designers will find fresh perspectives on connecting creativity with business goals and gain the latest insights in AI, accessibility, digitalisation, and innovation.

Ideal for: Design, product & innovation leaders, UX, service design & CX professionals, Product Managers & Product Owners, Business and strategy teams, Innovation specialists, Design educators and students (especially for the academic pre-event)

Price: 149 € + VAT

Registration: https://wud.ee/

Discount: 15% discount with code IxDFATWUD26

Speaker highlights:

  • Frans Joziasse — Co-founder & Director, PARK

  • Steve Rawling — Author of “Storyteller Tactics” (200k+ customers worldwide)

  • Vitaly Friedman — UX Lead, Creative Lead & Editor-in-Chief, European Parliament

  • Kaspar Roost & Kadri Voll — Design Ops, Swedbank

  • Artur Sossin — Senior AI Consultant, Helmes

  • Mark Geljon — Advisor, Business Developer, Coach & Chief Maker

March

DecompileD | 12 March | Dresden, Germany

DecompileD is where developers, engineers, and tech enthusiasts come together to go beyond the buzzwords. On March 12, 2026, the OSTRA-DOME Dresden becomes the stage for deep dives into the world of software development, all in a vibrant, hands-on atmosphere.

Whether it’s mobile, web, cloud, AI & ML, engineering culture, agile development, or tech innovation – DecompileD explores the trends, tools, and best practices shaping the digital future.

Ideal for: Anyone interested in Tech.

Price: EUR 299 Excl VAT

Register for DecompileD

Speaker highlights: TBD

April

Information Architecture Conference 2026 | 14 - 18 April | Philadelphia, USA

IAC26 is the 27th annual gathering of the Information Architecture community, bringing together IA, UX, content strategy, and design practitioners from around the world. This year's theme, "Navigating Complexity: Clarity and Understanding with Information Architecture," explores how IA cuts through today's complex information systems to create experiences that let people thrive. The conference features workshops, keynotes, and sessions led by industry leaders in Information Architecture, Content Strategy, Product Design, and User Experience.

Ideal for: Information architects, UX designers, researchers, content strategists, product designers, and digital practitioners shaping how people experience information.

Price: USD 585

Register for IAC2025

Speaker Highlights:

  • Meg Lewis, Designer and Performer, Meg Lewis Fun House

  • Paz Perez, Self-Employed, AI Educator, Speaker, and Writer

UX Rotterdam | 16 - 17 April | Rotterdam, Netherlands

In April 2026, Rotterdam will become the stage for something new. For the first time, the city’s energy and creativity will host UX Rotterdam — a two-day conference dedicated to exploring the future of user experience, design, and innovation.

On 16 & 17 April 2026, 650 UX professionals from across the globe will gather at the iconic Zuidplein Theater to learn, share, and be inspired by leading voices shaping the next era of human-centered design.

Workshops, keynotes, and evening events — all in one unforgettable experience at the heart of Europe’s most forward-thinking design city.

Ideal for: UX Professionals and those looking to get inspired and learn all the newest topics about UX.

Price: EUR 599 Excl VAT

Coupon Code: UXR10

Register for UX Rotterdam

Speaker Highlights:

  • Jeroen van Geel, Independent Creative Strategist

  • Ivo van Hulten, Director of UX at Porsche

  • Ash Oliver, New Media Manager at Lovable

  • Diantha Boll, Senior Product Designer at Eneco

  • Katarina Bagherian, Customer Insights & Experience Leader

  • Hector Ayuso, Creative Director at Paradiso

UX360 North America | 21 - 23 April | Atlanta, Georgia, USA

UX360 North America is coming to the U.S. for the first time — in proud partnership with SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), one of the world’s top design schools.

A global event where UX research meets real-world business impact. Hosted in collaboration with SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), the summit brings together researchers, practitioners, and students for three days of case studies, applied methods, and strategic insights.

Topics will explore AI-driven research, demonstrating UX ROI, and building scalable research operations.

Ideal for: UX researchers & designers seeking inspiration, knowledge, and connections.

Price: USD 925 Incl VAT

Coupon Code: IxDF15

Register for UX360 North America

Speaker highlights:

  • Gloria Osardu, Senior Director, Global Head of UX Research, Brand and Consumer Insights at Yahoo

  • Sarah Bentley, Director of User Experience at Coca-Cola

  • Jeta Surman, Head of UX Research, Director-Global Commercial Services at American Express

  • Cheryl Abellanoza, Associate Director, UX Research at Verizon Connect

  • James Villacci, Director Global UX at HelloFresh

  • Utkarsh Seth, Senior Staff UX Manager at Google

May

UXLx: User Experience Lisbon 2026 | 12-15 May | Lisbon, Portugal

Four days, packed with hands-on learning, inspiring talks, and one-on-one conversations with global UX leaders - that’s UXLx in a nutshell!

It’s your annual 4-day break to soak in new skills with hundreds of designers, researchers, and leaders from all over the world.

Recognised leaders, published authors, and brand new voices will get you up to date with the latest UX techniques and knowledge that you can apply to your own projects as soon as you get back.

Ideal for: Designers, researchers, PMs, writers, and leaders - UXLx has tracks for everyone. No need to hunt for multiple training courses or send team members to different events. Make UXLx 2026 your team’s ultimate company outing: learn, connect, and grow together in Lisbon.

Price: EUR 395 + VAT

Register for UXLx

Speaker highlights: 

  • Zalihata Ahamada, Design Ops Leader and Service Designer

  • Marianne Ashton Booth, Head of Product Design and Design Systems at ITVX

  • Noz Urbina, Principal Consultant at Urbina Consulting

  • Sylvie Abookire, Service and Systemic Designer

  • Emily DiLeo, Research Operations and Knowledge Management Consultant at The Current.

Agile Manchester 2026 | 13 - 14 May | Manchester, UK

We’re back for our 10th edition of Agile Manchester!

Agile Manchester is designed to create and nurture ‘change agents’. We provide actionable insights, practical tools, and new ideas, so you can get back to work and make positive changes for yourself, your team, and your clients.

Whether you’re new to the agile world or this is old hat now, you’ll find sessions that will give you that ‘aha’ moment.

Ideal for: Anyone interested in learning practical skills and tools in Agile

Price: From GBP 399 Excl VAT

Coupon Code: 10IXDF

Register: Agile Manchester

Speaker highlights:

  • Holly Cummins

  • Kirsten Mann

  • Steph Wright

  • Geoff Watts

  • Kevlin Henney

  • Randy Silver

  • Emily Webber

La Product Conf Paris | 19 May | Paris, France

La Product Conf Paris is the largest flagship event for Product People who want to challenge their thinking, sharpen their practices, and reconnect with what really matters. Every year, 1,300 Product people gather in the heart of Paris for one intense day of bold talks, unfiltered convictions, and real-world feedback from top builders across Product, Tech, Design, Data, and Business. No fluff, no recycled frameworks, just the future of Product, discussed by those who shape it.

Ideal for: Product Managers, Product Designers, Product Marketing Managers

Price: From EUR 149 to EUR 749

Register for La Product Conf

Speaker highlights: TBD

June

UX Scotland | 10 - 11 June | Edinburgh, Scotland

We'll be back in 2026 for our 11th edition on 10-11 June for two days of hands-on learning and community.

UX Scotland is a conference for designers, researchers and other user-centred professionals to come together to learn, share and connect.

Hosted in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, our curated event experience includes a mixture of inspiring keynotes, engaging sessions and interactive workshops. It's an ideal setting to meet and share experiences with fellow practitioners and leading experts.

Ideal for: UX Scotland is a friendly international conference for anyone working in UX, UCD, HCD, Service Design, or other digital specialisms.

Price: From GBP 425 Excl VAT

Coupon Code: IXDF10

Register for UX Scotland

Speaker highlights:

  • Sara Wachter-Boettcher

UX 360 Europe | 23 - 24 June | Berlin, Germany

Now in its 6th edition, UX360 Europe is a flagship event dedicated to advancing UX research as a strategic, business-driving function. Known for its global speaker lineup, practical case studies, and immediately applicable frameworks, the summit offers a deep dive into the methods and mindsets shaping UX today.

Attendees can expect sessions focused on cutting-edge strategies, real-world ROI, and the full research journey, from planning and execution to stakeholder alignment and business impact. With no sales pitches and a highly engaged audience, UX360 is where research excellence meets real-world application.

Ideal for: Ideal for UX researchers, designers, product managers, and CX leaders looking to scale research influence across their organizations.

Price: From EUR 939 Incl VAT

Coupon Code: IxDF15

Register for UX360Summit EU

Speaker highlights: TBA

September

SDinGOV | 23 - 25 September | Edinburgh, Scotland

SDinGov is the premier international community event dedicated to anyone involved in designing and commissioning public services. We are excited to announce that we are returning for our 13th year, and it will be an in-person three-day conference taking place on 23-25 September 2026.

Our carefully curated event experience includes a mix of inspiring keynote speeches, engaging live sessions, interactive group sessions, and speakers.

Ideal for: Our conference is open to participants who manage, design, or develop central and local government services, health and education services, emergency sector services, civic technologies, and other related fields. Whether you are a government employee, consultant, or design agency, we welcome you to join us.

Price: From GBP 565 Excl VAT

Coupon Code: IXDF10

Register for SDinGov

Speaker highlights: TBD

SmashingConf Freiburg | 8-11 September | Freiburg, Germany

“SmashingConf is coming back to Freiburg on September 8–11, where it all started for Smashing Magazine! We are doing another — 2-day single-track — web design and development conference, focusing on everything web, with topics like design systems, accessibility, CSS, JavaScript, web performance and cutting-edge techniques. There are also 6 hands-on and practical workshops, where you can learn practical new skills, or choose for online conference tickets.”

Ideal for: All front-end devs and designers.

Price:
In Person: from EUR 749
Online: from EUR 200 (early-bird tickets)

Register here and claim your 15% exclusive discount

Speaker highlights:

  • Ana Rodrigues, Front-end developer at Hactar

  • Kevin Hawkins, UX Research & Product Design Leader

October

World Usability Conference | 14-16 October | Graz, Austria

“The World Usability Congress is the global leading UX design expert & strategy conference. The conference invites over 50 speakers from different industries to share their real-world UX design challenges and collaborate with attendees in multi-disciplinary workshops.”

Ideal for: All UX design disciplines.

Price: From EUR 830 (both days) or EUR 440 (single day).

Register for the World Usability Conference 2025.

Speaker highlights: TBA

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Soegaard, M. (2025, December 1). UX Design Conferences You Can’t Miss in 2026. IxDF - Interaction Design Foundation.

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