How we curate the UXinsight Festival program

Since 2017, the UXinsight Festival has grown from a small, community-driven event into an international conference for everyone interested in UX research. What has remained constant is our belief that a strong program does not emerge by accident. It is curated, deliberately and collectively.

Curation, for us, is not about selecting the “best known” speakers or the loudest trends. It is about making thoughtful choices that reflect where the UX research field is right now, the challenges we face, and where it might be going next.

The role of the curation team

Our curation team consists of volunteer UX researchers who bring their own expertise, lived experience and curiosity to the process. Every year, we form a new team with fresh perspectives. The curators invest significant time reviewing proposals, discussing trade-offs, and reflecting on blind spots.

Meet the UXinsight Festival 2026 curation team:

Our approach to curation

We see the conference program as a conversation with the UX research community, not a top-down editorial decision. That means that we curate with three guiding principles in mind:

  1. Multiple perspectives make better programs
    What feels new or relevant to one researcher may feel familiar to another. That is why a single person never makes program decisions.
  2. Good ideas can come from anywhere
    We actively try to reduce barriers for first-time speakers, non-native English speakers, and researchers working outside well-represented regions or companies.
  3. The program should reflect the community’s reality
    Rather than imposing a theme upfront, we look for patterns, tensions, and shared questions emerging from the proposals themselves.

How our curation process works

Our process typically includes:

  1. A broad and open call for speakers – We share the call widely through community networks and make our expectations, selection criteria and speaker compensation transparent from the start.
  2. Structured and standardised reviews – To reduce bias, proposals are first reviewed without speaker identity details. Curators assess the clarity of the idea, its relevance to UX research practice, and its potential value to the audience.
  3. Multiple review rounds – We use several review rounds to balance breadth, depth, and fairness in the selection process.
  • Peer-to-peer reviews – In the first round, every speaker who submits a proposal reviews two peer proposals anonymously and one UXinsight curator. Reviews are completed using a structured review form, helping to create a shared baseline.
  • Topic-based reviews – Based on the initial ratings, we select the most promising proposals and group them by topic (e.g., research methods, impact, or organisational practice). Each group is reviewed by a small team of four to five curators with relevant expertise.
  • Topic-based discussions – Curators then discuss the proposals within their topic group. These conversations focus on clarity, relevance, and contribution to the overall program and result in a shortlist.
  • Final review and refinement – Proposals that advance are reviewed by additional curators, with specific attention to storytelling and delivery. Prior conference experience is not required; we look for a compelling idea and a straightforward narrative rather than a polished stage performance.

From the shortlist, the team builds a program that balances:

  • Topics and methods
  • Levels of experience
  • Geographic and cultural perspectives
  • New and established voices

Speakers who self-identify as belonging to underrepresented groups are prioritised in this process.

Supporting speakers beyond selection

We actively support speakers, especially those with limited stage experience, through coaching sessions and feedback on their narrative and structure. Our goal is not to standardise talks, but to help speakers tell their story with confidence and clarity.

A theme that emerges

Rather than asking speakers to submit to a predefined theme, we synthesise the theme after reviewing the proposals.

This allows us to treat curation as a form of trend research. The themes of past editions reflected moments of recovery, reflection, and boldness in the field. Want to know what the UXinsight Festival 2026 theme is about? Check our program now.

A living process

Our curation process is not finished, and it never will be.

Every year, we learn something new about bias, accessibility, global participation, or the realities of our field. We update our process accordingly, and this page to reflect those changes.

If you are curious about joining a future curation team, submitting a talk, or sharing feedback on how we curate, we would love to hear from you.