How do challenges work? 

A challenge is a series of tasks completed over a set period of time.

For example, illustrators and graphic designers have #Inktober. It runs throughout October, with a new daily theme like "Gift" or "Bottle" — and you draw an illustration based on it. The works are shared on Instagram using the challenge hashtag. UI/UX challenges work similarly. Sometimes, besides inspiration, you can also win a prize. 

30 Days of Being a Ninja Writer 

This challenge is great for writing designers and copywriters. 

It’s free to join. The first task is all about inspiration. 

The exercise is meant to spark new ideas. 

30daysUXChallenge

This challenge was created by a team of designers from around the world: Gabi Braca from Melbourne, Rochelle Carr from Amsterdam, and Nataliya Ray from Cambridge. 

“We learn by trying, sharing our work, asking questions. We grow professionally when we face new tasks and learn how to solve them,” say the founders. 

Week one focuses on project strategy. You’ll build a user avatar, define who your user is, and identify their pain points. Week two is about research: planning studies, exploring user behavior, and more. This challenge is all about solving real-life UX problems — with intensity and depth. Also check out their Instagram — it's full of useful resources. 

Daily UI

Daily UI is one of the most popular and long-running challenges. 

It lasts 100 days. Just like the others, you get daily prompts by email (excluding weekends). Complete the task and post your result on Dribbble using #dailyui and the day number — for example, #001. 

The first task is to design a sign-up page. The sign-up can be for anything — a volunteer event, giveaway, webinar, etc. The prompts are quite broad and each should be done within one day. If your goal is to complete all 100, it will definitely take commitment. 

Collect UI

Collect UI offers 167 interface design tasks. Every aspect of UI/UX is covered in detail. You’ll design a user profile page, leaderboard, contact page, calculator, even a music player. The beauty of Collect UI is that it touches all areas of design. You’ll create both common page elements — like sign-up forms and carts — and full products, like calendars and video players. All the prompts are open-access in a list, which makes it easier to work at your own pace, but removes the surprise factor and structure — making it easier to quit midway. 

UpLabs Challenge

These folks help you not only grow and get inspired but also gain exposure to a 670k-strong community. No subscription needed — challenges are announced on their website. For example, on February 3rd, they launched a redesign competition for Spotify. Deadline: 2 weeks. The winner’s work gets featured in UpLabs' newsletter and they’re invited into the exclusive UpLabs Premium Sellers community. 

Daily Creative Challenge 

Daily Creative Challenge is known for being one of the most thoughtfully designed (hello, Adobe). It focuses on Adobe tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Xd. To join, you need to register on Behance — which is a plus on its own. 

100 Days of Product Design 

This challenge takes a rational, problem-solving approach. As the creators say: “We’re not here to just make pretty pictures or color schemes. Design should solve problems.” The first task is focused on design thinking — it encourages you to think usefully, to create something that solves a real need. Right away, you're asked to invent something new — something that doesn't exist yet, but should. 

What you can do on your own

You don’t need to commit to 100-day challenges if you’re low on inspiration. 

Pick a website or app you use often. 

Choose one section, page, or function and analyze it critically. How could it be improved? Take screenshots, sketch, look for better interactions or shorter user flows. Critique it. Tweak it. Test it. 

Get inspired and level up with the course “Web Designer: Your Ticket to Thailand” 

Even the best-designed challenges lack a mentor. You can quit anytime without consequences — and along the way, you might miss out on feedback that could’ve taken your idea further. No one’s there to help you iterate. 

In the course Web Designer: Your Ticket to Thailand you’ll complete 5 modules under the guidance of web designers with 10+ years of experience. You’ll master Adobe tools, color theory, and composition. You’ll work on architecture for multi-page websites and create 5 strong portfolio projects.