Must-Read UX Blogs

There’s a lot to learn when it comes to UX. If you’re just starting out, the terminology, tools, techniques and varying workflows can seem daunting. Even as a seasoned professional, you’re dealing with a constantly evolving and changing field.

A great way to tap into the expertise of other UX designers and pick up the tricks and tools of the trade is by reading UX blogs. There are a wealth of well-established, UX-focused blogs online that can help you stay up to date on the latest industry news and trends. Read on for our guide to the benefits of browsing or subscribing to UX blogs, as well as our top picks for the most useful sites to add to your bookmarks.

Top UX Blogs to Read

The following are some blogs to inspire you, provide career advice, and help you at any stage of your UX design career.

UX Matters: Founded by Pabini Gabriel-Petit in 2005, this blog has three chief elements: research, design, and accessibility. Suitable for designers at all career levels, UX Matters has something to benefit everyone. You can expect useful career advice, tips on the best practices in UX design, and practical advice on everyday work issues. One of the best features of this blog is that you can post questions and get answers straight from UX design experts. It’s also great for reading reviews of the latest books being published about the field.

UX Planet: UX Planet is an excellent resource for all things user experience. They have a dedicated section for beginners where you can read a great selection of introductory articles detailing all the vital concepts and principles. Each article is written in straightforward, easy to understand language, making them ideal for those with no UX background, or professionals thinking of switching careers to UX design. The contributors come from a range of diverse backgrounds, so it’s also easy for beginners to relate and connect with the writers.

UX Collective: This platform was created by award-winning designer Fabricio Teixeira and fellow designer Caio Braga. With more than 300k followers, UX Collective is one of the most popular UX blogs on the internet. You’ll find articles written by many famous designers, which usually provide a glimpse of their work style and techniques. The platform helps to support innovation by sharing unique content about creative designs that are sure to inspire. You can also expect career advice, expert tips, and hacks and tricks to improve your designs. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter if you’re interested in regular updates.

Nielsen Norman Group: This website was created by renowned UX gurus Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman. You might have already heard of Norman as the guy who coined the term “user experience”. If not, well, that should give you a good idea of the caliber of the creators behind this trusted blog. Most of the articles shared on NNG are associated with user testing and user behavior—both crucial aspects of user experience. The authors write in a friendly tone with accessible language, making it easy for both beginners and experts to follow along. They cover all aspects of UX design, with a ton of useful facts, tips and advice to keep you updated on the full spectrum of industry intel.

The UX Blog: Although relatively new, The UX Blog is quickly gaining popularity due to its great content with helpful user-friendly insights for UX designers. Created by Nicholas Tenhue, the blog publishes articles on practical tools and strategies that UX designers can easily adopt and implement in their day to day work. You can also access UX podcasts directly from the blog. With fresh perspectives from experienced professionals on trusted techniques and practices, this is one blog worth adding to your bookmarks.

Awwwards: The title of the blog says it all. Awwwards is a design blog that awards the best and brightest new website designs from all over the internet. Their articles, creative content, case studies, and problem-solving tricks are inspiring to say the least. Each article provides a combination of theory and practice, with fantastic imagery to complement the written content. Awwwards may appear to be more focused on UI on the surface, however a closer look will reveal a great balance of UX and UI design content. The blog will actually help you learn how to work the two together. A dedicated section titled “Site of the Day” showcases a new stand-out website every day, chosen for its creativity and functionality.

UX Magazine: From basic principles to the latest topics and trends, you’ll find anything and everything related to UX here. Don’t miss the great articles on bot design and AI design. You can also find out about upcoming events, conferences, workshops, informal meetups, and training opportunities. Sign up and create an account for the opportunity to connect with other designers, find out about their ideas and problems, and share your own experiences. This is a great resource for any UX designer who is curious and creative at heart.

Smashing Magazine: If you’re into UX design, you’ve probably already heard about this blog. It’s focused on web design in general, but they have a special UX design blog where you’ll find articles written by professionals and experts like Nick Babich and Vitaly Friedman. The blog also has great content on some less-touched-upon subjects of potential interest to UX designers. You’ll see some unusual takes on design, like the biology and psychology behind various designs. It’s a great guide for learning best practices and getting practical tips on the field.

UX Movement: On UX Movement you’ll find visuals of various UX designs for websites and mobile apps along with a comparative analysis. Through this blog, you can keep abreast of the latest trends in the industry and get the scoop on new training courses available. You can also find valuable tips on landing work in the field.

UX Writers to Follow

Staying connected with the big names in UX design is a smart move for anyone serious about being competitive in the industry. Most of the major players have blogs or active social media accounts on platforms like Twitter or Facebook. Below are a few UX design experts worth following:

• Don Norman
• Steve Krug
• Bill Buxton
• Nick Babich
• Pablo Stanley
• Muzli
• Brian Chesky
• Jared Spool
• Irene Au
• Christina Wodtke

As you read more and develop your awareness of the industry, you’ll become familiar with the big names and the areas of UX that inspire and motivate you.

More Resources for UX Designers

There’s no substitute for practical experience. But devoting time to finding out about the latest updates in the field is also essential to developing your UX design skills.  Along with blogs, there are plenty of podcasts out there dealing with various aspects of the field. Popular YouTube channels discuss the basics of UX design, especially for beginners, and deal with common issues and interview prepping skills for UX design positions. You can also check out groups on social media and platforms like Reddit, Medium, and Facebook, which often host discussions with UX experts.

Hopefully this article has helped shed some light on the popular blogs for newcomers as well as experts in UX. If you’re serious about learning UX, your next step just might be a rigorous UX / UI Design Online Bootcamp.