UXDX EMEA 2025 in Berlin: I'm in!

My most short-notice conference visit yet

Sometimes things come together on very short notice. In my case: a conference ticket for UXDX in Berlin.

I entered a giveaway through the German UPA and actually won a ticket. Shortly after getting the confirmation, I was off to Berlin quite spontaneously. I was genuinely stunned and, at the same time, very grateful that my company made it possible on such short notice.

The opportunity itself also felt special to me. Conferences like this aren't necessarily accessible, especially if you're still starting out or don't have direct access through work. The fact that the German UPA creates chances like this is something I really value.

First impressions on site

UXDX was an international conference with talks accordingly held in English. That was a bit of a challenge for me at first, since up to that point I could mostly only read English and write it to some extent.

At the same time, that turned out to be a good experience. I deliberately leaned into listening a lot and getting into conversations. In some situations I helped myself with small aids or simply asked when something wasn't quite clear. That went better than expected, though it also cost me valuable time that I would have rather spent understanding and interpreting the conversations.

The overall atmosphere was very open. You could quickly tell that many people were in a similar situation and wanted to connect.

Content that stuck with me

The content centered on AI and how it's changing work in UX design.

Alongside the mostly positive outlooks, there was also a critical look at what happens when systems are used without reflection. One talk in particular stuck with me, about the limits of AI and the fact that it can't simply replace human decisions. Especially when dealing with sensitive topics, that can quickly become problematic otherwise.

Another point was our role as designers. It was emphasized several times how important specialization is and that you shouldn't try to cover everything at once. The expectation of being a "unicorn" often feels present, but it's not realistic in the long run, and it puts us at risk of becoming replaceable.

Something else I took away from several talks: without solid user research, you quickly end up with solutions that miss the actual need.

One example that stuck with me in particular was Instagram. In an early phase, the product had developed in a direction that covered many different features. Parts of it resembled other platforms more than anything, and the focus was no longer clearly recognizable.

Only through engaging with actual usage did it become clear what really mattered to most users: sharing and looking at photos. Everything else played almost no role by comparison.

The product was then deliberately scaled back and focused more strongly on this core. That's exactly what ultimately made the difference.

For me, this was a good example of the fact that a product doesn't need to do everything. On the contrary: if you try to cover too many needs at once, you quickly lose sight of the actual value.

What helps instead is understanding why users use a product in the first place and what concrete benefit they get from it. If you take that core seriously and build on it, you end up with much clearer and often more successful solutions.

Workshop and practical insights

On the last day, I got to take part in two workshops. There we dug deeper into goal definition and problem understanding.

Part of it was OKRs. I found the approach interesting, but noticed that clearly formulated, tangible goals often suit me better. At the same time, I understand why OKRs can make sense in more complex contexts.

What stuck with me most from the workshop: it's very easy to slide into the solution phase even though the problem isn't actually clear yet. That theme ran through the entire conference and matched well with my own experience so far.

My takeaway

Honestly, not every piece of content stuck with me in detail. What was stronger for me was the overall picture.

The conference showed me how broad the field is and how differently UX is thought about and practiced internationally. At the same time, I had the feeling that many topics I know from my own work also play a role there – just often from a different perspective.

For me, it was above all an experience that gave me more confidence. I noticed that I can find my footing in an international environment too, even if not everything is perfect yet.