A designer’s guide to UX workshop types and how to run them

Ever been stuck in an endless design meeting that goes nowhere? You’re not alone. The problem isn’t the people — it’s the format. That’s where UX workshops come in.

A well-run UX workshop turns scattered discussions into focused, hands-on collaboration. Instead of circling the same ideas, your team can brainstorm, test assumptions, and solve real design challenges — all in one session.

But not all workshops are the same. A critique session is nothing like a discovery workshop, and a design sprint won’t help if you’re struggling with prioritization.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through five types of UX workshops, when to use them, and how to run them effectively. Plus, I’ve included a free UX workshop checklist and template to make planning even quicker for you.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on March 12, 2025, to include additional details on workshop facilitation, post-workshop follow-ups, and best practices. We’ve also added a downloadable resource — a UX workshop checklist + template — to help you plan and run more effective workshops with ease.

What is a UX workshop?

A UX workshop is a focused, hands-on session where designers, product managers, and stakeholders come together to solve design challenges. It’s a mix of structured activities and creative problem-solving, all aimed at improving the user experience — without getting lost in endless meetings.

UX workshops vs. design meetings

Not every design discussion needs to be a full-blown workshop. Sometimes, a quick meeting is all it takes to align decisions and keep projects moving.

Here’s how UX workshops compare to regular design meetings:

When you need deep collaboration, structured problem-solving, and hands-on design work, a UX workshop is your way forward.

Why UX workshop facilitation is a crucial skill

I really think workshop facilitation is one of the most underrated skills in UX design. Many designers prioritize acquiring technical skills, but the ability to lead a workshop effectively can have just as much impact on your career.

And you probably facilitate more workshops than you realize.

At first, UX workshops might seem rare, large-scale events — those reserved for design sprints or major initiative kickoffs. But not every workshop has to be an all-day affair. A focused, two-hour session can be just as impactful, and how well you facilitate it dictates how far it’ll push you and how much value it brings.

If you really get to think of it, you’re already leading workshops all the time. Discovery sessions, empathy exercises, design critiques, prioritization discussions — they all count. The better you get at guiding these sessions, the more influence you’ll have over the UX design process.

5 types of UX workshops

UX workshops come in different types, and each is designed to tackle specific challenges in the design process. Here’s a deep dive into the 5 core types of UX workshops, plus a few other formats worth knowing:

Discovery workshops

A discovery workshop is all about laying the groundwork for a UX project. Before jumping into solutions, teams need to understand the problem, user needs, and business goals. This workshop helps align everyone — from designers to stakeholders — on what the product or feature should achieve.

Key activities:

• Defining user personas and problem statements
• Mapping out customer journeys
• Identifying pain points and opportunities
• Setting design and business objectives

Best used when — You’re kicking off a new project, feature, or redesign and need a clear, shared understanding of the problem space.

Empathy workshops

UX is all about designing for people, and empathy workshops help teams step into users’ shoes. These sessions create space for exploring real user experiences, frustrations, and motivations — helping teams make more informed, human-centered design decisions.

Key activities:

• Reviewing user research, interviews, and feedback
• Creating empathy maps
• Role-playing user scenarios
• Conducting pain-gain analysis

Best used when — You want to deepen your understanding of users before making design decisions or when a product isn’t meeting user needs effectively.

Design workshops

Design workshops are hands-on sessions where teams generate and refine design ideas. Instead of getting stuck in endless discussions, these workshops promote active participation — sketching, wireframing, and testing ideas in real time.

Key activities:

• Brainstorming solutions through sketching and whiteboarding
• Running design studio exercises
• Wireframing and rapid prototyping
• Storyboarding user flows

Best used when — You need to generate and evaluate multiple design concepts quickly, especially when facing a tough UX challenge.

Prioritization workshops

Not every idea can, or should, make it into the final product. Prioritization workshops help teams objectively decide which features, design changes, or UX improvements deserve attention based on user impact, effort, and business goals.

Key activities:

• Using frameworks like MoSCoW (must-have, should-have, could-have, won’t-have)
• Running impact-effort matrix exercises
• Stakeholder voting on priorities
• Mapping priorities against user needs

Best used when — You have too many ideas or feature requests and need to make strategic decisions about what to tackle first.

Critique workshops

A critique workshop isn’t about tearing apart designs — it’s about structured, constructive feedback that helps refine and improve UX work. These sessions create a space where designers and stakeholders can evaluate design choices with a critical but supportive eye.

Key activities:

• Reviewing UI/UX elements and their effectiveness
• Using structured critique methods like I Like, I Wish, What If
• Identifying usability issues and inconsistencies
• Aligning design decisions with business and user goals

Best used when — You have designs in progress and need feedback to refine them before moving forward.

Other UX workshop types

Beyond these five, there are other workshops that your UX team may find useful:

• Storytelling workshops — Help designers craft compelling narratives around user experiences and product journeys
• Usability testing workshops — Facilitate real-time testing with users to observe pain points and usability issues
• Alignment workshops — Get cross-functional teams on the same page when there’s confusion about goals, user needs, or strategy

Each workshop serves a unique purpose, but they all share one thing in common — they make UX design more collaborative, structured, and effective. The key is knowing when to use the right one:

Planning a UX workshop

Running a UX workshop isn’t just about getting people in a room and hoping for the best. A good session might last a couple of hours, but the real work happens beforehand. Planning takes time — sometimes longer than the workshop itself, and longer than you might expect — because without structure, things can spiral into chaos fast.

Here’s why planning matters and what to focus on:

• Getting buy-in — A workshop only works if the right people are in the room. You’ll need to convince stakeholders it’s worth their time by making the goals clear and tying the session to real business needs
• Picking the right activities — Not all workshops are the same, so your exercises should match your goal. Are you mapping a user journey? Sketching early design ideas? Prioritizing features? Choosing the right format makes all the difference
• Prepping materials — Whiteboards, sticky notes, Miro boards, Figma templates—whatever you’re using, get it ready ahead of time. Nothing kills momentum like scrambling for the right tools mid-session
• Structuring the flow — Good workshops feel effortless, but that’s because they’re carefully structured. Plan how discussions will flow, set time limits, and build in breaks to keep energy levels up
• Defining success — What do you want to walk away with? A list of prioritized ideas? A rough wireframe? Clear next steps? If you don’t define success beforehand, you risk ending up with a pile of notes and no direction

Planning takes effort, but then that’s what separates an engaging, productive UX workshop from a chaotic, unfocused session.

Tips and best practices for running a great UX workshop

When it comes to facilitating a UX workshop, the right mix of structure, focus, and engagement makes all the difference. Here’s how to keep things productive (and avoid a meeting that could’ve been an email):

• Stick to one primary goal — A focused workshop is an effective one. One clear objective helps shape the agenda, invite the right people, and keep discussions on track. It’s better to run multiple short workshops than one chaotic, unfocused session
• Balance group size and expertise — A smaller core team ensures efficiency, while selectively inviting subject-matter experts for relevant parts keeps discussions informed without overwhelming the room
• Share fact packs beforehand — Provide key information a few days before the workshop so participants come prepared. A well-structured one- or two-page fact pack saves time explaining concepts and boosts engagement
• Manage decision-making energy — Decision fatigue is real. So:
• Spread out decision-making exercises instead of clustering them
• Use unlimited voting when gauging opinions instead of forcing tough choices
• Delay non-urgent decisions to keep momentum
• Avoid overthinking small, low-impact choices — delegate or move on quickly
• Alternate solo and group brainstorming — Kick off with individual idea generation, then share results, and finally refine ideas with a second solo round. This approach balances creativity with diversity of thought
• Keep exercises short — Slightly shorter exercises force participants to focus on what matters most, create a sense of urgency, and keep energy levels up
• Gather feedback in real-time — Instead of waiting until the end, ask for feedback during the workshop (e.g., after exercises or every hour) to make on-the-fly improvements
• Be generous with breaks — Short breaks (7 minutes every 53 minutes) help maintain focus, while longer breaks (30+ minutes) keep energy levels steady. A 70/30 ratio of work to breaks tends to be the sweet spot

Post-workshop follow-up

The workshop might be over, but the work isn’t. To keep the momentum going for your UX team, ensure insights don’t get lost, action items move forward, and participants feel heard.

Your post-workshop to-do should look something like this:

• Send a summary — Share key takeaways, decisions made, and next steps. Keep it concise and actionable so everyone knows what’s happening next
• Gather final thoughts — Some people process ideas later. Encourage participants to share any lingering insights or feedback (“If there’s anything you didn’t get to share, let me know!”)
• Clarify ownership — Assign responsibilities for follow-up tasks so momentum isn’t lost. Who’s doing what, and by when?
• Keep the conversation open — If needed, schedule a quick check-in or follow-up session to ensure progress and keep ideas from fading into the void

Summary

UX designers facilitate more workshops than they realize — be it a fully-fledged design sprint or a quick design critique session. Every structured discussion you lead is an opportunity, to some extent, to drive better design outcomes.

The key? Thoughtful planning, strong facilitation, and a solid follow-up. While every workshop is unique, these best practices will set you up for success:

• Define one clear goal to keep discussions focused
• Balance group size to maximize collaboration and expertise
• Share fact packs beforehand to get everyone up to speed
• Manage decision-making energy so critical choices aren’t rushed
• Alternate solo and group brainstorming for the best of both worlds
• Keep exercises short to maintain engagement and momentum
• Gather feedback early to adjust in real time
• Prioritize breaks to keep participants fresh and productive

The more intentional you are with your workshop structure, the more effective your design process — and your career — will be.

Here’s a downloadable detailed checklist (to help you plan, run, and follow up) and template (to structure your agenda, exercises, and next steps).

Add to your toolkit before you run your next UX workshop to maximize the impact!

The post A designer’s guide to UX workshop types and how to run them appeared first on LogRocket Blog.