more hope.
less hype.
Throughline brings the UX community together for thought-provoking events all about working, leading, and thriving through design industry change.
Brought to you by Active Voice.
we’re writing design’s next chapter.
“It felt like witnessing the beginning of a UX revolution.”
“I never felt more like I had found my place than with this group of amazing presenters and attendees.”
“A really special conference during a really tough time.”
“It was FABULOUS.”
“Designers, leaders, and thinkers sharing openly, humanely, and beautifully. I left with my mind expanded and my soul motivated.”
“What Throughline made crystal clear is this: community is how shifts begin. And in this budding constellation of dreamers, you are needed.”
“It’s great to go to a conference and come away with the feeling that you're doing better work as a result. Already looking forward to the next one.”
“The hosts, speakers, volunteers, and attendees all did a great job at creating a safe and welcoming space… I’m ready to book my tickets for next year!”
Be the first to know about the next throughline
Get notified when new Throughline events are scheduled. You’ll get our early-bird pricing, lineup announcements, and information about calls for speakers and our scholarship program.
2026 Lineup
Two days. Zero nonsense. Throughline 2026 took place on January 29-30, 2026, and was nothing but brilliant speakers getting real about the chaos and contradictions of this moment in UX—and showing what happens when design steps up instead of shrinking back.
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![Headshot of Ìníolúwa Abíódún, a Black woman wearing a blue top and glasses with curly hair.]()
ÌníOlúwa Abíódún
Senior product designer, Intercom, and founder, Aivie
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![Headshot of Hang Xu, an Asian man wearing glasses and a checked shirt.]()
Hang XU
Designer, ex-design recruiter, and community builder
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![Headshot of Farai Madzima, a Black man wearing glasses and a black t-shirt standing against a white wall.]()
Farai Madzima
Design leader, coach, and speaker
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![Headshot of Lisa Woodley, a woman with light skin, pink hair, and glasses. She stands outside with leaves in the background.]()
Lisa Woodley
Design leader, educator, and advocate for ethical tech
Finding your way back: Staying human when design stops making sense
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![Headshot of Erika Hall, a person with red hair pulled back wearing a camel-colored jacket and red turtleneck.]()
Erika Hall
Cofounder, Mule Design and author, Just Enough Research
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![Headshot of Candi Williams, a Black woman with long dark hair.]()
Candi Williams
Content and inclusive design leader, four-time author
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![Headshot of Pavel Samsonov, a white man wearing glasses, a white ballcap, and a gray t-shirt.]()
Pavel Samsonov
Principal experience designer, Justworks
Your process is a product, and the users are your colleagues
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![Headshot of Catt Small, a Black woman with shoulder-length braids wearing a pink and blue top.]()
Catt Small
Staff product designer and author, The Staff Designer
Staff designer: Grow, influence, and lead as an individual contributor
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![Headshot of Margo Stern, a white woman with a light brown bob and wearing a black top.]()
Margo Stern
Staff content designer, Lyft, and author, Good Job
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![Headshot of Ron Bronson, a Black man wearing a pink collared shirt and smiling.]()
Ron Bronson
Assistant professor and former head of design at 18F
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![Headshot of Shawna Hein, a woman with blond hair wearing a gray sweater standing outside]()
Shawna Hein
Design and experience leader, coach, and consultant
The inner design work: Confronting and overcoming stress and uncertainty
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![Headshot of Ida Persson, a blond woman wearing glasses and a blue shirt.]()
Ida Persson
Freelance designer, storyteller, and dreamer
2026 themes
Throughline 2026 focused on the topics designers told us were hanging them up most right now. Here’s what we covered at this year’s event.
understand the business, not just the buzzwords.
Understanding business isn’t about slinging around fancy words. It’s about getting clear on what your organization values—and what to do when business incentives are at odds with user-centered design. At Throughline, you’ll hear from designers who are experts at navigating this world while staying aligned with their values—and walk away with the confidence to bring a design POV into any business conversation.
Build the influence you’ve always dreamed of.
Afraid you’ll scream if you hear the words “navigate ambiguity” or “build influence without authority” one more time? Still feel pressure to “prove your value”? These talks are for you. Learn from people who’ve found success navigating their orgs and building authority as ICs. Build the skills you need to drive strategy with cross-functional partners. Walk away feeling more prepared to set direction, set boundaries… and set yourself up for success.
Take the dysfunction out of your design org.
Al and automation promise to speed design up—but when collaboration and communication skills are missing, they’ll actually slow you down. These talks will help you change that. Learn how to say the hard things that need to be said. Build healthier team cultures and better partnerships. And make design interviews more productive and less painful—whichever side of the table you’re on.
AI fervor. Political chaos. Economic roller coasters. Odds are good, something’s been keeping you up at night. So how do you stay connected to what matters in shaky times? Hear from designers who’ve been through some of the worst professional moments you can imagine—and come out the other side. Learn how to face hard moments without shutting down or numbing out. Walk away feeling more prepared for any curveball.
Stay brave in the face of uncertainty and change.
Brought to you by Active Voice
We’re Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Jen Dionisio, the team behind Active Voice—a tiny company on a big mission to make work better for people in design and tech.
We developed Throughline events because we know people in design and UX are experiencing rapid change—and our community needs spaces where people are willing to get real about it… without descending into doom and gloom. So we’re taking our years of experience running our own online workshops, group programs, and events, and using it to host larger conferences and other gatherings… because we know this field is full of some of the most creative, compassionate, whipsmart people around. And we want to be part of whatever UX becomes next.