What IxDA does

IxDA (Interaction Design Association Inc.) is a former 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2003 and incorporated in Oregon, USA, dedicated to advancing the discipline of interaction design through a global, volunteer-led community. At peak, it aggregated 150,000+ practitioners across 200+ Local Groups in 60 countries, sustaining programs including the flagship annual Interaction conference, World Interaction Design Day, Interaction Awards (final edition 2024), Interaction Latin America, the Interaction Design Education Summit, the Student Design Charette, a job board, a 15-year video and podcast archive, and a monthly newsletter.

The business model relied almost entirely on event-driven revenue — conference ticket sales and corporate sponsorships (Adobe, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey, Airbnb, HBO, Netflix, Spotify, Salesforce, among others) — to fund an Executive Director, contractors, and a lean technology stack. The organization had no paid membership, operated virtually without a central office, and was effectively a volunteer association coordinated by an elected Board.

In late 2023 and 2024, IxDA experienced acute financial distress: the Executive Director departed in October 2023, unreported debt from Interaction 20 and Interaction 23 was discovered in December 2023, Interaction 24 was cancelled in August 2023 for insufficient ticket sales and sponsorship, and the Board voted in June 2024 to dissolve the legal entity, completing the wind-down in August–September 2024. The ixda.org domain and related community assets were transferred to IxDA Oslo, and the Local Groups network continues informally, but the centralized global organization is no longer operating.

Name

IxDA

Legal name

Interaction Design Association Inc

Website

https://ixda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IxDA is a former 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2003 that built and supported a global community of 150,000+ interaction design practitioners across 60 countries through conferences, awards, and local chapters; its legal entity was dissolved in August 2024 due to financial insolvency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Revenue: The yearly Interaction conference was the primary revenue source, generating funds to cover Executive Director salary, contractor fees, tech stack, and operational expenses. Post-pandemic, the conference business model became unsustainable.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for conferences and events, with sponsors receiving visibility and access to the interaction design community
3. Ticket Sales: Conference and event ticket sales, including early bird and regular pricing tiers
4. Donations: Following dissolution announcement in 2024, the organization can no longer receive donations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

IxDA is a member-supported non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) that runs a portfolio of community programs for interaction design practitioners, including an annual global conference (Interaction), regional events (Interaction Latin America, World Interaction Design Day), an education summit, the Interaction Awards, and the Student Design Charette. It supports a network of 200+ local groups in 60 countries and provides content resources (video library, podcasts, articles, newsletter, job board). The legal entity dissolved in August 2024 due to financial insolvency, with ixda.org domain transferred to IxDA Oslo.

Product overview

IxDA (Interaction Design Association) is a member-supported non-profit organization (now dissolved as legal entity) dedicated to the discipline of interaction design. The organization offers a portfolio of community-focused programs and events including: the flagship Interaction conference (annual global event), World Interaction Design Day (annual one-day global event), Interaction Awards (excellence recognition program), Interaction Latin America (regional event), Interaction Design Education Summit (EduSummit), and Student Design Charette (SDC - student program). Supporting infrastructure includes Local Groups network (200+ chapters in 60 countries), Job Board, Video Library (15 years of conference archives), Voices content platform (podcasts/articles), and Newsletter. Following the dissolution of the global non-profit entity in 2024 due to financial insolvency, community activities continue through local groups with IxDA Oslo taking ownership of the ixda.org domain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Interaction: Annual global conference convening the interaction design community
• Interaction Awards
• World Interaction Design Day
• Interaction Latin America
• Interaction Design Education Summit
• Student Design Charette

Products and services

• Interaction Conference The flagship annual global conference convening the interaction design community to think, share, and consider the industry's most pressing topics. Was IxDA's primary revenue source, generating funds to cover Executive Director salary, contractor fees, tech stack, and operational expenses.
• World Interaction Design Day One-day annual event where communities gather in locations throughout the world to celebrate interaction design.
• Interaction Awards Awards program celebrating excellence in Interaction Design across domains, channels, environments, and cultures. Final edition was 2024.
• Interaction Design Education Summit (EduSummit) Day of talks, workshops, and collaborations bringing together anyone interested in current and future states of interaction design education, preceding the Interaction conference.
• Interaction Latin America Regional initiative celebrating and convening interaction design practitioners in Latin America.
• Student Design Charette (SDC) Program championing the next generation of interaction design, bringing together students and early professionals to tackle big challenges. Since 2010, 135 participants from 25+ countries have been selected.
• IxDA Job Board Employment board where IxDA members can find jobs and employers can post positions in interaction design and UX fields.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

37 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• AutomatticcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Automattic partnered with IxDA to help set foundations for the next phase of the community, streamline operational costs, and find an amazing home to archive 15 years of conferences. They also helped with website hosting through Pressable.
• AdobecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Adobe sponsored Interaction 20 conference as a premier partner, connecting with the interaction design community.
• AmazoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Amazon sponsored Interaction 20 conference as a premier partner, with their design team participating.
• GooglecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Google sponsored Interaction 20 conference and participated with their design team.
• MicrosoftcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Microsoft sponsored Interaction 20 conference as a premier partner.
• McKinseymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020McKinsey sponsored Interaction 20 conference through McKinsey Design.
• Domus Academy MilanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Education Summit venue partner for Interaction 20. Interaction Design Institute later merged with Domus Academy.
• Politecnico di MilanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Workshop venue partner for Interaction 20 at their Campus Durando in Bovisa.
• IxDA Milan & TurincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Local community group that hosted Interaction Week 2020 in Milan.
• Circolo del DesignmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnered for post-conference Turin design tours offering participants a taste of Turin design and food excellences.
• SketchinmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Design studio partner for Interaction 20.
• ZalandomajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• AirbnbmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference through Airbnb Design.
• ArgodesignmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• BalsamiqmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• DesignitmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• InVisionmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• Lobster StudiomajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Motion graphic design partner and sponsor for Interaction 20.
• R/GAmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• NTTmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• MoleskineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• ProtoPieminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• TrivagominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Sponsored Interaction 20 conference.
• Giga Design StudiocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Web design and development partner for Interaction 20 conference website.
• Studio FM MilanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Brand design partner for Interaction 20.
• IxDA OslocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Took over ownership of ixda.org domain following dissolution of the legal entity, ensuring the community website continues.
• AmazoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• AdobecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• HBOmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• FacebookmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• NetflixmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• SpotifymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• McKinseymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 through McKinsey Design.
• ServiceNowmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• SalesforcemajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• OracleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle.
• Rosenfeld MediamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Sponsored Interaction 19 conference in Seattle. Lou Rosenfeld is a prominent figure in the IxDA community.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts): The largest professional membership organization for designers in the US, offering conferences, awards, local chapters, and community programs. Directly comparable to IxDA as a discipline-specific design professional association with a similar volunteer-driven, event-and-chapter model.
• UXPA (User Experience Professionals Association): International professional association for UX practitioners, running annual conferences (UXPA International), local chapters, and certification programs. Closely comparable to IxDA in mission (advancing a UX-adjacent discipline) and structure (membership org with events and chapters).
• ACM SIGCHI: The ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction, serving the HCI research and practice community through conferences (CHI), publications, and awards. Comparable to IxDA as a global community organizer for HCI/interaction design practitioners, though more academic in orientation.
• Service Design Network: Global membership organization for service designers running the annual Service Design Global Conference, local chapters, awards (SDN Awards), and knowledge resources. Directly comparable to IxDA in structure, scale, and conference-driven community model for an adjacent design discipline.
• Design Management Institute: Membership organization advancing design as a strategic business discipline, offering conferences (Design Management Summit), awards, publications, and member programs. Comparable to IxDA as a discipline-specific professional association serving practitioners and leaders.

Emerging players

• Interaction Design Foundation: Online education platform offering UX, interaction design, and HCI courses and certifications. Comparable to IxDA's educational mission (EduSummit, SDC), with a different commercial model (paid courses) but overlapping audience of practitioners and students.
• Core77: Online design magazine and community publishing articles, job listings, and discussion forums for industrial, interaction, and UX designers. Comparable to IxDA's 'Voices' content platform and community-building role for the design profession.

Others

• Nielsen Norman Group: UX research and training consultancy publishing articles, running conferences (UX Conference), and offering training courses. An adjacent ecosystem participant that serves the same UX/interaction design practitioner audience as IxDA with a commercial training model.
• Figma Community: User-generated content and template community attached to the Figma design platform, where designers share files, plugins, and resources. Functions as a free, vendor-hosted alternative to IxDA's community and resource-sharing role for interaction designers.
• Rosenfeld Media: UX-focused publishing and conference company producing books (Lou Rosenfeld, founder, was an IxDA sponsor), the Enterprise UX conference, and training. An adjacent commercial player serving the same practitioner audience as IxDA with a content-and-events model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IxDA
• Facebookfacebook.com/IxDAGlobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/994633
• Instagraminstagram.com/ixda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IxDA