If you are learning or practicing UX design, you might feel isolated or overwhelmed by the vast and evolving field. How can you find guidance, feedback, and support from experienced professionals and like-minded peers? In this article, we will explore some of the ways you can connect with UX design mentors and peers online and offline, and how they can benefit your career and skills.
One of the easiest and most accessible ways to connect with UX design mentors and peers is to join online communities. There are many platforms and forums where you can ask questions, share your work, get feedback, and learn from others. Some examples are UX Stack Exchange, UX Mastery, Designer Hangout, and UX Design Community. You can also follow and interact with UX design experts and influencers on social media, blogs, podcasts, and newsletters. Online communities can help you stay updated on the latest trends, best practices, and resources in UX design.
To add a few to these communities UX was Here is another one where UX practitioners and enthusiasts have facebook like community to discuss not only what’s new in the industry but also find jobs and see upcoming UX events in the calendar year!
Another way to connect with UX design mentors and peers is to attend events and meetups related to UX design. These can be local or global, in-person or virtual, formal or informal. Some examples are UXPA, IxDA, UX Camp, and UX Salon. Events and meetups can help you network, learn, and collaborate with other UX designers, as well as discover new opportunities and challenges. You can also find mentors and peers who share your interests, goals, and challenges.
If you want to learn UX design from scratch or improve your skills, you can enroll in courses and programs that offer mentorship and peer support. These can be online or offline, self-paced or structured, free or paid. Some examples are Interaction Design Foundation, CareerFoundry, Springboard, and Designlab. Courses and programs can help you gain knowledge, skills, and credentials in UX design, as well as access to experienced mentors and peers who can guide you, motivate you, and give you feedback.
If you want to apply your UX design skills to real-world problems or showcase your portfolio, you can participate in projects and challenges that involve mentorship and peer collaboration. These can be personal or professional, individual or team-based, open-ended or specific. Some examples are Hackathons, Design Sprints, UX Challenges, and Daily UI. Projects and challenges can help you practice, experiment, and innovate in UX design, as well as connect with mentors and peers who can inspire you, challenge you, and support you.
One of the most important ways to connect with UX design mentors and peers is to seek feedback and advice on your work and career. You can do this by reaching out to people you admire or respect, asking for referrals or recommendations, or using platforms or services that offer feedback and advice. Some examples are Behance, Dribbble, UX Review, and MentorCruise. Feedback and advice can help you improve your work, learn from your mistakes, and grow as a UX designer.
When you reach out to a UX professional on LinkedIn or other social media platforms— I recommend to get to know them as humans first, and empathize with their current life situations. It’s intimidating reaching out to professionals, but if you welcome them 100% authentically yourself and with good intentions then you’re on the right path. I always try to find something interesting about them (i.e., a recent article they liked, or a post they commented on). Once I find that interest I will reach out and genuinely build that trust. Not all messages that you send out won’t be read. The individuals that do response are the ones you want to cherish and build a relationship.
Finally, one of the best ways to connect with UX design mentors and peers is to be generous and grateful. You can do this by sharing your knowledge, skills, and resources with others, offering feedback and advice to others, and expressing your appreciation and recognition to others. Being generous and grateful can help you build trust, rapport, and reputation in the UX design community, as well as create lasting and meaningful relationships with mentors and peers.
A good way of becoming significant in the community is by working on your own projects. So whatever ideas you have, explore products by yourself and share them with the community at large. You can use articles or just post over dribble, linkedin or reddit communities, but designers are often eager to give feedback and share.