World Usability Day Is November 12, 2015
November 12, 2015 is the 10 year anniversary of World Usability Day. This single day of events occurs in 25 countries around the world and brings together communities of professional, industrial, educational, citizen, and government groups for our common objective: to ensure that the services and products important to life are easier to access and simpler to use.
Boston, MA, November 3, 2015 (Newswire.com) - World Usability Day (WUD) will be highlighting innovation in the field of usability on November 12th. WUD has been held for the past 10 years in over 40 countries with hundreds of events surrounding it. Over 60 events in 25 countries have already been announced for this year’s World Usability Day. The purpose of this day is “to ensure that technology helps people live to their full potential and helps create a better world for all citizens everywhere,” according to the WUD charter.
“It is exciting to see so many countries still involved after 10 years, especially countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Mexico, Costa Rica , Germany, Sweden as well as many events in the United States,” says World Usability Day Founder and Director Elizabeth Rosenzweig. “The message is getting out there, people have a right to products and services that are easy to use”
World Usability Day is about reaching out to the common citizen and spreading the message: human error is a misnomer and we don't have to put up with products and services that don't work well and that.
Elizabeth Rosenzweig, Founder and Director
Innovation in User Experience means creating products and services that people can use correctly while solving problems in new ways. Rosenzweig says the inspiration for this theme is the rapid maturity of the field, allowing practitioners to look at user experience in new ways. ”Innovation is an important element to a successful user experience,” says Rosenzweig. “It is not enough that the technology has the fastest processor or solves problems in a creative way, it has to work for the people who are using it. Consumers have come to expect both, innovative technology that has a good user experience.”
WUD is supported by many organizations such as the User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) chapters around the globe including São Paulo, Seattle, Berlin, Istanbul, and Zurich.
The first World Usability Day was in 2005 with one of its largest events being held at the Boston Museum of Science. That year events included relay races and sorting activities to appeal to the general population for raising awareness of usability. Interest in WUD has now shifted towards the professional field over the past decade, a shift that Rosenzweig describes as a positive side effect of its evolution.
WUD themes from previous years include Usable Transportation Systems, Healthcare, and Education.
To find an event near you, post an event, or learn more, visit worldusabilityday.org.
Contact Elizabeth Rosenzweig erosenzweig@bentley.edu 781-891-2032