Our programs
Active programs, running now, with real partners.
UXU operates three flagship programs. Each one applies technology education to a different scale of impact: a local economy, an individual’s skills, and the wider professional community.
Real moments from UXU programs
- Annual conferenceUXCONIt supports the mission, it is not the mission.
- Community initiativeFenton Village ProjectResearch and design support for a small downtown.
- EducationUX WorkshopsShort, focused sessions built around an exercise.
- CostFree or low-costNo prior technical background required for most sessions.
Annual conference · Happening soon
UXCON
UXU’s flagship annual conference connecting technology professionals, researchers, designers, product leaders, educators, students, nonprofits, and businesses to learn, collaborate, and build community.
- UX practitioners
- Product people
- Researchers
- Educators
- Students
- Nonprofit leaders
- Small business leaders
- Engineers & founders
- Civic staff
UXCON · Overview
Everyone in the same conversation.
UXCON is a single-track gathering combining talks, working sessions, and open community time. It is intentionally regional and intentionally affordable: the goal is for a student, a nonprofit staffer, and a principal designer to end up in the same conversation.
Community initiative
Fenton Village Project
A community development initiative using technology, research, design, and collaboration to strengthen local businesses, improve public spaces, and support long-term economic growth.
Community impact
Improvements at no cost
Participating businesses receive usability reviews, customer research summaries, and practical digital improvements at no cost.
Shared findings
Beyond a single storefront
Findings are shared with the wider business community so improvements do not stop at a single storefront.
Current initiative
Small business office hours
Recurring sessions where owners can bring a specific digital problem.
Current initiativeStudent project cohort
Supervised teams delivering one scoped improvement per term.Get InvolvedFenton Village Project · Goals
Research and design support for a small downtown.
Give a small downtown the kind of research and design support that is normally reserved for large organizations, and train the next generation of practitioners while doing it.
Education
UX Workshops
Hands-on educational workshops covering technology, AI, UX, research, product thinking, and practical digital skills.
Learning philosophy
Do the thingin theroom.
Workshops are open to students, career changers, working professionals, and staff at small organizations. Sessions are free or low-cost, and no prior technical background is required unless stated.
Teach the reasoning, not just the tool
Tools change, judgment carries over.
Small groups
Facilitators can give direct feedback on your work.
Plain language first
Jargon only after the idea makes sense.
UX Workshops
Workshop topics.
Workshops run as short, focused sessions — typically two to three hours — built around an exercise rather than a slide deck.
Request the workshop scheduleWhat UX is and how to apply it without a design degree.
Recruiting, interviewing, and turning notes into decisions.
What current tools do well, where they fail, and how to check them.
Scoping work you can actually finish.
Five participants, one afternoon, real findings.
Turning project work into something you can show an employer.
Contact UXU
Talk to the people running the programs.
Questions about a workshop, a partnership, sponsorship, or the Fenton Village Project? Send a note and a member of the UXU team will get back to you.