{"id":1828,"date":"2022-10-03T00:24:08","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T07:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/?p=1828"},"modified":"2023-03-14T02:16:38","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T09:16:38","slug":"41-ux-tools-resources-that-make-designers-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/design\/41-ux-tools-resources-that-make-designers-better\/","title":{"rendered":"73 UX Resources To Help Your Skills & Your Next Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is no shortage of UX (user experience) resources on the internet. From blogs and YouTube channels to books and Twitter accounts, everyone and their mother seems to have an opinion on how to do UX design better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you\u2019re actually trying to improve your UX design skills, and want to find resources that will actually help you accomplish that, then you\u2019ve come to the right place. Here, we\u2019ve detailed a list of the 73 most useful UX resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready? Then let\u2019s get started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is UX (User Experience)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"ux
Source: Zuan Education<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

UX design<\/a> is the process of creating digital interfaces that users can easily navigate. The goal is to create a seamless and smooth experience for users when they interact with a product. To do this, UX designers study user personas to understand the needs of the customers, then design a system that helps them meet their goals and accomplish their tasks as effortlessly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Below, we\u2019ve compiled an all-inclusive list of resources split into the following categories: UX courses, UX experts, websites and blogs, books, YouTube channels, podcasts, tools, and communities. Consuming different types of relevant content is a great way to build your knowledge while studying or searching for your first UX design job<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free UX Learning Resources and Courses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Free UX design courses<\/a> are great resources both for those who are new to UX design, and those who want to expand their resume. They also act as an accessible path into new niches and areas, and they help even senior UX designers<\/a> expand their knowledge. You can also learn UX design by enrolling in an online UI\/UX design bootcamp<\/a> if you\u2019re interested in a longer course. Check these out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free UX Design Curriculum \u2013 Springboard<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Free<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This 40-hour free course from Springboard includes a list of 37 resources that cover topics such as research methods, user personas, prototyping, wireframing, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Fundamentals – Gymnasium<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"UX<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gymnasium\u2019s course is aimed at web designers and developers and aims to give industry professionals a working knowledge of UX design principles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google UX Design Professional Certificate \u2013 Coursera (Financial Aid Available)<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Google<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Google UX design certificate is a six-month course that aims to take aspiring professionals with no experience and get them ready for a job in the UX industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LearnUX.io<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The site is full of free video tutorials that can help you get to grips with multiple popular UX design tools such as Figma, Sketch App, and Adobe XD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HackDesign<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"introduction<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

HackDesign is a resource website with weekly UX design lessons contributed by a number of UX professionals, and they are all free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Design Short Course \u2013 CareerFoundry<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"UX<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CareerFoundry offers a free short course as an introduction to UX design. It\u2019s aimed at complete beginners who want to learn a little more and find out if UX design could be the career for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UI\/UX \u2013 Great Learning<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This UI\/UX design<\/a> short course introduces the fundamentals of user interface design and the UX design process<\/a>, and provides students with lifetime access to its resources and a certificate upon completion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Skills: User Experience \u2013 Accenture<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Accenture offers a three-week course that covers the foundations of the UX discipline, how it affects businesses, and what the UX process looks like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Experts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Next, we have a list of UX experts who are active on social media and post useful quick tips and resources for their followers. You\u2019ll also be able to keep up to date on their own projects and learn directly from their work.<\/p>\n\n\n

Get To Know Other\tDesign Students<\/h4>
\"Sadie<\/a>

Sadie Rubio<\/p>

UX Designer And Researcher at Lumea<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Sharon<\/a>

Sharon Yeun Kim<\/p>

UX Design Intern at Colgate-Palmolive<\/p><\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Arin<\/a>

Arin Soukoule<\/p>

Design Experience Analyst at Accenture Interactive<\/p><\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Luke Wroblewski (@lukew<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luke Wroblewski is a UX professional and founder of Google and Twitter-acquired companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jess Eddy (@jesseddy<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jess Eddy taught UX design at General Assembly and currently works with Zendesk. She\u2019s active on Twitter and even has published a book<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jen Simmons (@jensimmons<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Jen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jen Simmons is a UX Design professional at Apple and works on Safari and Web Kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim Goodwin (@kimgoodwin<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim Goodwin is the author of \u201cDesigning for the Digital Age\u201d and works as a UX design consultant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lisa Angela (@leeloowrites<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lisa is a UX enthusiast and founder of the writing project Disrupting Systems<\/a>, where she writes about the impact of design on real-world issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrick Neeman (@usabilitycounts<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrick Neeman is a UX veteran who has worked in the industry since 1999. He writes the blog Usability Counts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loana Teleanu (@uxgoodies<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loana Teleanu is a UX designer and podcast host at Honest UX Talks. She also posts actively on Instagram and has over 200,000 followers there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve Krug (@skrug<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve Krug is a UX professional and author of the book \u201cDon\u2019t Make Me Think,\u201d which covers UX design principles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kostas Hatzis (@hatzisKOstas<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kostas Hatzis is a product manager and designer, and he is also the founder of Monospace Labs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aarron Walter (@aarron<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aarron Walter is an experienced UX designer and has previously worked with InVision and Mailchimp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Kus (@mikekus<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Kus is a web designer and photographer from the UK. He speaks regularly at design\/tech conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Natoli (@joenatoli<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Natoli is the founder of the UX 365 Academy and has helped over 270,000 students with his industry experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laura Klein (@lauraklein<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"ux<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laura Klein is a podcast host on UX topics and author of UX for Lean Startups & Build Better Products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Websites and Blogs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The following websites include various types of content, study tools, and resources that will help you develop your skills and stay up to date with the UX industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Planet<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This blog on Medium labels itself a \u201cone-stop resource for everything related to user experience,\u201d and has a tab dedicated to UX for beginners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usability Geek<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This blog focuses on the principle of usability within UX design and includes a library of useful blog posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nielsen Norman Group<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Nielsen Norman Group is a renowned user experience design company, co-founded by the man who coined the term \u201cuser experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

52 Weeks of UX<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This resource comprises 52 micro-lessons in user experience, designed to be read once a week as you study the discipline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Movement<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A UX blog covering differing elements of UX design, such as forms, buttons, content, wireframes, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smashing Magazine<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A subscription community covering all things visual design and UX. Smashing Magazine also hosts workshops and conferences for its members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Booth<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A UX design blog with over 100,000 subscribers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awwwards<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A site that hosts awards for outstanding web design, and collects all of the winners on their blog for people to learn from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Magazine<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

UX Magazine is a free membership blog that has been running for two decades and has over 640,000 members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

VWO Blog<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

UX tool VWO runs an active blog with all kinds of case studies and advice for fellow designers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Studio<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A user experience design blog with hundreds of high-quality blog posts on every aspect of the UX industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abdz.do<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A website collection of various standout UX designs and case studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Springboard Blog<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Springboard\u2019s blog covers a wealth of information on the UX industry, how you can become a UX professional, and what to expect from the career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside Design<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Inside Design is a blog run by the team at InVision, a leading design collaboration platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Books<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Books covering the principles of UX design help to develop your knowledge of the industry on a large scale, and help keep your own opinion in line with current trends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Design of Everyday Things – Don Norman<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Written by the designer who coined the term \u201cuser experience,\u201d this book covers the most basic principles of design in relation to all kinds of products and objects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX for Beginners: A Crash Course in 100 Short Lessons \u2013 Joel Marsh<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This is a book version of the popular blog course on The Hipper Element<\/a>, and covers everything a new UX designer needs to know about the craft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Make Me Think Revisited \u2013 Steve Krug<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Steve Krug\u2019s book on UX covers design principles from a common sense perspective, and focuses on enabling users to get what they want without having to exert effort to work around your design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usable Usability – Eric Reiss<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This book is like a troubleshooting manual for UX designers. It covers a number of usability issues your product might have and how you can fix them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple and Usable – Giles Colborne<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Giles Colborne\u2019s book focuses specifically on designing for digital applications and covers the principles of truly simple design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designing for Emotion \u2013 Aarron Walter<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This book combines design principles with psychology to guide readers in the art of making users love their products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hooked – <\/a>Nir<\/a> Eyal<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Nir Eyal uses this book to explain and showcase the Hook Model, a four-step process for designing a great user experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smashing UX Design \u2013 Jesmond Allen and James Chudley<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This comprehensive guide to the world of UX was written by the founders of the long-running and popular Smashing Magazine blog we listed earlier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lean UX: Designing Great Products With Agile Teams \u2013 Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This book introduces you to the design system known as Lean UX<\/a> and teaches you and your team how to develop an efficient and effective design process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX YouTube Channels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When your eyes are a bit tired from all the reading, watching a good YouTube video from a UX expert can help you continue to build your knowledge with a little less active effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Futur<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Futur Academy releases tutorials and educational videos on all things design, including user experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CharliMarieTV<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

CharliMarie is a UX and web designer, sharing the content of her projects, work, and life as a UX professional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Mastery<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A UX tutorials channel covering fundamentals such as user personas, wireframes, and UX research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AJ & Smart<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

AJ & Smart are a product design studio based in Berlin, posting content about their design processes on their YouTube channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nielsen Norman Group<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Nielsen Norman Group also has its own YouTube channel with over 500 videos covering in-depth topics within the UX industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Locke<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

With over 17 years of experience in the UX industry, Mike Locke brings his knowledge to YouTube to help viewers with everything from interview questions to UX design processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Podcasts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Podcasts can be a great way to get long-from, undiluted conversations from industry experts, and you can listen to them at any point during your day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Crazy One<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A UX-focused podcast hosted by a veteran professional who has worked with top companies such as Apple, Google, Nike, Amazon, and Disney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Podcast<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A bi-monthly podcast helping its listeners learn something new about design and boost their confidence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Radio<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This podcast covers a host of UX-related topics with various guests from the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Like Us<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A design podcast for UX researchers<\/a>, designers, and strategists, hosted by two experienced UX professionals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UX Intern<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This podcast is aimed at new UX designers and uses an interview-based format to chat with veteran industry professionals from the perspective of a UX intern.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Wrong With UX<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A humorous podcast hosted by two UX professionals who drink and complain loudly about bad examples of UX design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UI Breakfast Podcast<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A short-form podcast on UI design<\/a> interviewing different industry guests, with over 240 episodes available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google Design Podcasts<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A collection of podcasts chosen by Google, many following the careers and thoughts of Google\u2019s own designers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UX Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Becoming proficient in multiple UX tools<\/a> is a great way to increase your value as a designer, so here\u2019s a list of popular tools for you to choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Tools<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Research
Source: Medium<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First, we have a collection of research tools that help you gather insight into your users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n