WWDC26

Apple’s WWDC26 is happening this week. If you're a UX designer, you can use it to gain insights into upcoming industry trends and stay ahead of the curve. Here's what to know.

For anyone who doesn’t follow it closely, WWDC is Apple’s annual developer conference. It is not technically a design conference, but it is absolutely relevant to designers because it shows where Apple’s user experience patterns are heading next.

Here are the important bits worth watching if you're a designer:

The keynote

This is where Apple reveals the latest software and technologies across its platforms. For UX designers, this is useful because it signals what users may soon expect from apps in terms of flow, interaction, speed, and polish.

The Platforms State of the Union

This goes deeper into what is changing for apps and games. It is more developer-focused, but that is exactly why designers should pay attention. If the technical possibilities change, the design possibilities change too.

New sessions on tools, technologies and design

Apple is releasing more than 100 new videos during the week. That gives designers a good view of what Apple is encouraging teams to and prioritise across iOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and beyond.

Agentic coding in Xcode

Of course, there will be AI involved. But from a design point of view, the interesting bit is how developer workflows are changing, and how that affects the way designers collaborate with engineers.

Keep an eye on WWDC26, because, as creatives, our work does not happen in isolation. We're constantly collaborating and integrating with developers to bring our work into action - especially if you're embedded in a product team.

Understand the world your designs have to live in to differentiate yourself.