The Chicago UX Book Club is part of the international UX Book Club network. Join us for monthly book discussions and the opportunity to interact with students and professionals looking to share their passion and knowledge of UX, IA, UI, IxD, etc.

Each month, we will choose a book or article to read and discuss. You don't have to read the book to attend -- just come with an open mind and an interest in the subject. We are also open to discussion suggestions and presentations by members related to their own UX research, writing, and professional expertise.

The UX Book Club is organized by Gemma Petrie, Janie Cisneros & Sharon Bautista.

You can find more information on the UX Book Club Chicago website and by following us on Twitter.

FAQs

How are books selected?
We encourage members to suggest books each month. We take these suggestions and create a book poll that we send out to our members via our Meetup mailing list. You can find a list of past books here.

Do I need to read the book to attend?
We definitely encourage members to read the book, though it isn't required. Please come with a few thoughts on the topic and an interest in engaging with fellow members of the UX community. Your organizers will have a few questions prepared to kick things off, but please don't expect us to lecture about the content. The UX Book Club is intended to be a collaborative and discussion-based group. Please be sure to do your part and bring up topics, questions, and responses that will help further the conversation.

Why do we charge for RSVPs?
We've been excited to see our group grow over the last year. But, as our numbers have grown, so have the number of no-shows at each of our events. We understand how busy life can get, but we need to be fair to our generous hosts and give them an accurate head-count for refreshments and security. We recently decided to begin charging a small fee for event RSVPs in an effort to encourage greater attendance accuracy. We hope that this small fee will translate into a better experience for all of our attendees and hosts. Please note that we will not provide refunds. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions.

What will we do with the money?
We plan to put RSVP money back into the group. Gemma had been paying to run this group since we started organizing through Meetup in January 2012. Costs include $150/year to organize through Meetup, name tags, sharpies, and other small materials.

What if I can't afford the RSVP cost?
Please contact us! The RSVP fee is meant to help us control the accuracy of our attendance list, not to prohibit members from participating. Please contact Gemma at gemmapetrie@gmail.com to confidentially request a sponsor for an upcoming event if you do not have the financial means to pay the fee.

How do you decide where to hold events?
We are always looking for future event spaces. You can find a list of the awesome businesses that have hosted us previously here. If you are interested in hosting us, please contact Gemma at gemmapetrie@gmail.com. We meet on Wednesdays at 6:30 and we generally try to stay in or near the Loop/public transit. We also prefer to use space that one or more of our members has a professional connection to.

Do events have refreshments?
Refreshments will vary each month. We do not require that our hosts provide food or beverages - honestly we are more than happy to have access to free space for our events! When businesses do decide to provide refreshments, the selection has varied widely - water & soda all the way up to microbrews and sandwiches. It's always a good idea to have a bite to eat before you join us if you expect you will be hungry during the event.

Additional questions?
Feel free to read through our forum section or contact one of the organizers.