15 Essential resources for aspiring designers to gain experience

Author: Polina Tarnopolsky, Product Innovation and Strategy

Embarking on a design career can be tough, especially when employers prioritize prior experience. The challenge lies in the need for design projects to build your portfolio, but without that experience, securing those valuable jobs feels nearly impossible. This frustrating catch-22 traps many aspiring and junior designers, creating significant obstacles in their professional growth.

To help you overcome this hurdle, we’ve compiled a list of 15 essential resources that will provide you with the experience you need to succeed in the competitive design industry. Explore these tools, platforms, and opportunities to enhance your skills and build a standout portfolio!

    1. Challenge.govcontent will open in a new tabIdentify challenges to tackle for real-life companies and government issues across various industries. These are often complex and ideal for those looking to enter Enterprise UX and regulated sectors.
    2. OpenIDEO content will open in a new tabA global community united to tackle social issues through design. Join design challenges aimed at social impact and collaborate with diverse professionals.
    3. UXChallenge content will open in a new tabThe platform frequently hosts design challenges for UX/UI designers to practice and showcase their skills.
    4. Daily UI content will open in a new tabThe platform hosts design challenges for UX/UI designers to practice and showcase their work.
    5. Behance content will open in a new tabEnables designers to collaborate on projects or showcase their ideas. Join open design projects, seek peer feedback, or participate in collaborative efforts.
    6. Dribbble “Playoffs” content will open in a new tab Where designers submit work based on specific themes and challenges.
    7. DesignCrowd content will open in a new tabA crowdsourcing platform that connects designers with projects. Design UX/UI for clients needing quick work, providing real-world project experience.
    8. Devpost content will open in a new tabA platform for developers and designers to find and join hackathons. Many hackathons feature UX/UI design tracks where you can create designs for real-world problems or products.
    9. GitHub Design Projects content will open in a new tabGitHub hosts open-source projects that often need design contributions. Check for open issues labeled “design” or “UX” in repositories and contribute to real projects.
    10. Catchafire content will open in a new tab and Taproot Foundation content will open in a new tab
      These platforms connect volunteers with nonprofits needing professional services, including UX/UI design. Work on real-world UX projects for a cause, building your portfolio while supporting a nonprofit.
    11. Hackathon.com content will open in a new tabA global directory for finding hackathons in fields like design and tech, with filters for online or in-person events.
    12. Major League Hacking content will open in a new tabAn official student hackathon league that organizes hundreds of hackathons globally. It’s ideal for students and beginners wanting to get into design.
    13. AngelHack content will open in a new tabAs a global leader in hackathon organization, AngelHack orchestrates both in-person and virtual events centered on innovation and social impact.
    14. Kaggle Competitions content will open in a new tabWhile Kaggle is mainly focused on data science, some competitions and hackathons include design challenges, especially in creating data-centric user interfaces.
    15. TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon content will open in a new tabA high-profile hackathon hosted by TechCrunch, often involving design and development challenges.
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