Is the Nielsen Norman UX conference worth it?

Spending thousands on a few days is enough to make anyone’s head spin

It’s no secret that conferences can be expensive. It’s understandable with the amount of work that goes into them, but it can still be shocking to see the numbers. There are some less expensive options, but generally the better known UX conferences are going to set you back a bit. Not to mention the potential added costs of travel, accommodations, food, etc.

In another article of mine, How I (finally) landed my first UX role, I talk about my experience at the Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) UX conference. I attended in the spring of 2018 and received my UX certification with a concentration in research. This was one of many steps I took in transitioning from a marketing role to UX.

Someone commented on this article and asked me how she could best validate if attending would be the right decision for her. She has contemplated transitioning to UX and was interested in the certification but was wary of spending the money and being disappointed. I did my best to respond to her but felt it might be helpful to expand upon my ideas here, specifically relating to those trying to land their first UX role.

What’s the NN/g conference?

Nielsen Norman holds their UX conference in a number of different locations each year. It runs for 7 days, but you can choose to attend as many or as few as you would like. To attain a certification, you have to attend 5 days (1 day = 1 course) and pass the corresponding exams, although you do not have to complete all 5 courses at once. You can attend a few days one year and finish up the next year or at a different location. You can choose courses that will give you a general UX Certification or you can pick topics for a concentration, such as research.

Each course is a full day and runs from 9–5. I decided to complete the 5 days all at once. I wanted to emerge with a certification rather than just attending another conference. I had heard mixed opinions on UX certifications and whether or not they will help your career. With that in mind, I did quite a bit of research and decided that obtaining one from such a well-known power in the industry was indeed worth it. I felt that it would boost my credibility and help me in the pursuit of a UX role.

How much money are we talking?

I went back and forth as I was deciding whether or not to attend and I completely understand why others would as well. Here’s a screenshot of the pricing for one of their upcoming conference dates.

Cue panic attack.

What do these fees get you?

As you would probably expect, part of each day is a lecture-type format led by experts in the field. But Nielsen Norman does a great job of creating interactive activities. I did a lot of hands-on work with others including developing and running usability tests, analyzing data, creating wireframes, etc. This was extremely helpful in cementing the knowledge we were learning and also in getting to know others in the industry.

At the end of each day, I also completed and passed the corresponding exam. Each one varied in level of difficulty, but overall, they did a good job of reinforcing the course work. I found it helpful to review all of the notes I took, but NN/g will also provide you with a flash-drive of the presentation, which is great in case you missed anything or want it for the future!

In order to receive my UX Research certification, I completed the following courses:

1. Wireframing and Prototyping
2. Journey Mapping to Understand Customer Needs
3. Usability Testing
4. Personas
5. User Research Methods

And of course, like any conference, there is a lot of time for networking. I found that everyone was excited to get to know others and eager to make connections. Nielsen Norman will also provide you with a list of attendees to make it easier to connect with all of the people you meet.

The networking portion of the conference is where my experience took an unexpected turn. I happened to have a very lucky run-in with someone who overheard me talking about my desire to transition full-time to UX. She mentioned her company was growing their team and she connected me with their HR department. Lo and behold, I wound up receiving and accepting a position with that company.

So is it worth it?

In my case, yes, this conference was a game changer. Of course, I had a very special circumstance where I happened to meet the right person. But even if this hadn’t happened, I was very happy with my overall experience. The courses were well put together with a lot of hands-on work, great instructors, and challenging material. I met a lot of people working in UX and genuinely enjoyed all of my days.

BUT, if you aren’t sure about transitioning to UX or you’re completely stressed about the budget, this probably isn’t the next best step. Luckily, there are a lot of free or low-cost options to increase your knowledge and help you decide if this is the right path.

If UX is totally new to you, use all of the free resources you can. You can find lots of great blogs and videos online. It’s also really helpful to take a look at your network and see if anyone you know works in the industry. I found someone I went to college with who was working in UX in the same city I was living in at the time. She became a great resource; we talked in-depth online and met up for lunch to discuss her career.

If your interest is still piqued after diving into these free resources, there are a handful of low-cost options to continue learning as well. Invest in some books, try LinkedIn learning, attend local meetups (some are free, but some may have a small fee). These are all great ways to spend small amounts and continue to grow your knowledge and meet people. If you are curious, I listed out some of the resources I used in my article linked at the beginning of this post.

Maybe you’ve utilized all of these resources and feel strongly that UX is the right path for you, but you’re still worried about the cost. Check with your HR department or manager and see if your company offers professional development funding. Many companies want to support the growth of their employees, even if it’s not tied exactly to your current role. The key is to present why you want to attend, what you hope to get out of it, and how you can use those new skills in your position or within the company in general.

You could also try attending a day or two to see if you want to commit to all 5 for a certification. The credits from those days will carry over and this could be a way to break up the cost. Keep in mind, though, that there is a slight discount when registering for all 5 days at once.

Final thoughts

Point blank, a conference such as Nielsen Norman is expensive. In my case, it was absolutely worth the price. But if you have any doubts, think through all of your options and see what you can do before making the investment. If you have decided to attend, then I wish you well! Really throw yourself in to each day, all of the activities, and getting to know other attendees. And you never know, you could be in for an unexpected surprise.