First UK UPA Awards commend Firefox, Flickr, Google, Apple, John Lewis and BA

For the first annual World Usability Day, the UK Usability Professionals' Association held the UKUPA Awards 2005. On 3rd November, the great and good of the usability community met to 'honour some of the most usable products and websites'.

A panel of 10 usability experts had chosen the shortlist of nominees to be voted upon by UK UPA members. The culminating event of handing over the awards was held last Thursday at the Prudential headquarters in central London – an excellent venue for the mix of networking and formal presentation that the awards demanded.

'We need stuff that takes you along the curve,' said the evening's compère, broadcaster-author Bill Thompson. ...Stuff that's designed to be learnable and doesn't keep 'reminding you how elegant and smart it is' by getting in the way. 'What's great about tonight is that is that we are rewarding the people who get it right: who put their soul into making systems rewarding – and it's nice to reward them.'

The winners were as follows:

* Best Website for finding information (sponsored by Amberlight Partners)
GoogleLocal (GoogleMaps interface)

Best Website for communication between users (sponsored by Prudential)
Flickr

* Best Website for online communication (sponsored by Foolproof)
JohnLewis.com

* Best software application (sponsored by Foviance)
Firefox

* Best consumer product (sponsored by Flow Interaction)
iPod clickwheel interface

* Best specialised / public technology (sponsored by Nomensa)
BA Self-ticketing machine

The intention is to hold the awards again next year.

(For a fuller description of the awards and other parts of the 3rd November celebrations, see story: A World Usability Day Diary)

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