UX Speakeasy is Southern California's largest UX design community — free monthly events, an open member directory, and a movement run entirely by volunteers. Here's how we serve that mission.
United by community and purpose, UX Speakeasy champions User Experience Design in Southern California. We connect people, share knowledge, and amplify local voices to shape a better future, by design.
Good design is invisible when it works and unbearable when it doesn't. Every form that doesn't make you swear, every app that just makes sense, every product that respects your time — that's UX doing its job. It's not decoration bolted on at the end; it's the discipline of building things around real people instead of around whatever's easiest to ship. Companies that take it seriously build trust and loyalty. Companies that don't, don't.
That matters here more than most people realize. Southern California isn't just beaches and traffic — it's biotech and healthcare in San Diego, hospitality and consumer tech in Orange County, and a deep bench of startups and studios building the tools this region runs on. Good UX in a health portal means a patient actually understands their care plan. Good UX in a booking flow means a family's vacation starts smoothly instead of at a support line. The work our members do doesn't stay in a Figma file — it shows up in how people experience this region every day.
That's why we show up for both sides of it. We support the practitioners — designers, researchers, writers, and product folks — with a place to learn, get seen, and build real relationships instead of just LinkedIn connections. And because sharper practitioners build better products, we're just as invested in everyone downstream of that work: the users, patients, travelers, and customers who never think about UX but feel it every time something just works. Champion the craft, and you end up championing the region.
Free events and an open directory that turn strangers into your people.
Talks, workshops, and a video library that keep you sharp.
A stage for members to speak, host, and get seen.
"It's the people. I've made close friends here—spent holidays, gone on vacations, and shared plenty of beers. Every event feels like social hour with old and new friends alike."
"Hosting the AI Conversations series with UX Speakeasy was time well spent. It gave us some quality time with San Diego's UX leaders, and we all left feeling energized."
"Today's co-working session was percolating with coffee, talks of AI, and the design practice of little to no interface as an interface solution."
