Can Collaboration Help Redefine Usability?    

A collaborative knowledge space would provide great value to the usability community. In particular it would: Help define the field and give it a presence that provides professionals and the public with a single source for theoretical, practical and speculative information about usability; encourage the integration of research and practice; invite colleagues in related fields to participate and share their perspectives; serve as a platform to advance our understanding of collaboration and knowledge management tools. Most of the tools needed to implement a collaborative knowledge space are already available and there are a number of related activities already underway that could feed into this project. It would be a great deal of work but I believe it would also yield a great deal of benefit.

Kreitzberg, Charles B. Journal of Usability Studies (2006). Articles>Usability>Collaboration

Crisis in the Profession

There are fewer projects in development and that means less work for us. That issue will resolve itself as the recession eases and will reduce some of the pain. I do not believe, as some have suggested, that our work has become irrelevant because programmers have learned how to design usable interfaces. That just isnâ*™t the case. True there are more models to imitate, but every day I see miserably-designed products fielded. And user frustration is hardly a thing of the past. At the core of the problem, I believe, is a truth we must face: we have failed to establish our value to the business community. And if we want to survive and prosper, we must correct that. I doubt that there is a member of this profession who does not believe passionately that the work we do is a major facilitator of success in technology development projects.

Kreitzberg, Charles B. Usability Interface (2002). Articles>Usability

Entering the New Millennium

OK, it's trite, arbitrary, western-centric and perhaps even politically incorrect.  But the flipping of the calendar from the year 1999 to Y2K is compelling.  Y2K:  For how many of the past 1000 years would such a term have been meaningful?  That it is, shows how central information technology has become in our thinking.

Kreitzberg, Charles B. Usability Professionals Association (2000). Articles>Usability

Usability as Therapy

Underneath the carnival excitement of the information revolution I hear a quiet but persistent murmur warning of an emerging technology crisis. Not everything is right in the information economy.

Kreitzberg, Charles B. Usability Professionals Association (1999). Careers>Usability>Workplace>Technology

Web 2.0 and You  

Examines Charlie Kreitzberg's models for understanding Web 2.0, and explores the vast opportunities for professionals who define and design new software and websites. The slides from the presentation are also available.

Kreitzberg, Charles B. Catalyze (2007). Resources>Web Design>Design>Community