Future-Proof Your UX Career: Lifelong Learning Resources for Designers

Following our post on the future of UX Design, here are some excellent lifelong learning resources:

Online Courses & Learning Platforms

Interaction Design Foundation (IDF)

• • Comprehensive UX design courses, from beginner to advanced.
  • Topics include interaction design, usability, and design thinking.
  • Includes certifications and a professional community.

Coursera

• • Courses from universities like CalArts, UC San Diego, and Google UX Design Certificate.
  • Offers a mix of free and paid options with flexible learning.

LinkedIn Learning

• • Short, practical courses on UX/UI design, research methods, and design tools.
  • Tracks professional trends for relevant updates.

Designlab

• • Focused on hands-on projects with mentorship from industry professionals.
  • Suitable for beginner and intermediate designers.

Udemy

• • Affordable, diverse courses on specialized topics like accessibility, mobile design, or advanced Figma techniques.

Books

Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug

• • A must-read for understanding usability principles.

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

• • Essential for grasping user-centered design philosophy.

Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf

• • Focuses on agile methodologies and iterative design.

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

• • Insights into cognitive biases that affect design decisions.

Seductive Interaction Design by Stephen Anderson

• • Explores emotional design to engage users.

Blogs & Newsletters

Smashing Magazine

• • Articles on UX/UI design, front-end development, and accessibility.

NN/g (Nielsen Norman Group)

• • Research-backed articles and guidelines on UX best practices.

UX Collective

• • Medium publication with community-contributed UX design stories and tutorials.

Prototypr

• • Focuses on prototyping, tools, and trends.

Designmodo Newsletter

• • Regular updates on design trends and resources.

Podcasts

The UX Podcast

• • Covers UX strategy, design, and research topics with industry leaders.

Design Better Podcast

• • Interviews with design leaders and thinkers.

UI Breakfast

• • Focuses on UX/UI design, business, and practical insights.

What is Wrong with UX

• • Although it ended in 2022, these archived podcasts still offer entertaining and informative takes on UX challenges.

What are some of your favorite lifelong learning resources for UX Design? Chime in on our LinkedIn post and let us know!