What is Our Role as Usability Professionals?

As Usability people we usually tend to focus on making things easier to use. To allow for good usability and an excellent user experience we integrate user centered design methods and standardized usability processes into our daily work. We are used to doing this; we advocate for it day after day; we even try to persuade our clients and the people around us to do the same because we have a strong belief in it. And without question, making things easier to use is an honorable thing to do, because it generally enhances the overall user experience. However, we as Usability Professionals have the potential to reach beyond!

Zimmermann, Silvia. Usability Professionals Association (2007). Careers>Usability>Professionalism

Persuasive Design and Usability: What Is Our Role as Usability Professionals?

Changing people's attitudes and behaviors for the good could help us to make this world a better place. And turning this world into a better one is one of the key drivers for most of the usability people I know. Most of them don't advocate usability for the money; they want to help make things and consequently life easier.

Zimmermann, Silvia. Usability Professionals Association (2007). Articles>Usability>Persuasive Design