UPA launches Friends of Usability Certificates

The Usability Professionals' Association (which, though global in reach, is largely based in the US) has announced 'Friends of Usability Certificates' to 'promote usability by saying "Thank You"'. Will they work in Europe?

The association explains their purpose as follows: 'One of the UPA Outreach missions is to help make usability visible to the broader business and development communities. In his editorial in the Summer 2002 issue of User Experience, Charlie Kreitzberg listed several critical points about promoting usability. Two of them pointed out that we have not teamed with our natural allies and that we have been too inwardly focused within our field.

'Now you can publicly thank those who support, fund, initiate, and implement usability programs at your company using the UPA's new Friends of Usability certificates.'

The association suggests that a simple certificate is not the complete answer, but feels that it is a step in the right direction.

Criteria for awarding the certificate are not specified, but some examples provided for reference include:
* The director or vice president who approved the funding for your position or for a new usability lab.
* The project manager who included time for usability testing (and for incorporating the results into the product) in the project plan.
* The QA manager who asked how the quality testers could help find consistency problems or other usability bugs, and started including them in the bug-tracking database.
* The business or requirements analyst who decided to include information about usability requirements - and asked you to help create those sections of the product requirements.
* The corporate leader who announced that a customer focus was the first priority - and that usability would be part of the goals and marketing strategy for every project in the company.
* The person who helped add user-centered design to the software development methodology.
* The corporate or government executive who has kept your project off the recession budget chopping block.

To order through the website, visit the link below. You can then buy a Friends of Usability certificate in the name of the person you are recognising using a credit card 'to pay just $15 to cover materials and shipping.

'Within 4-6 weeks you'll receive an attractive, personalized certificate in a frame. Present the certificate to the person with as much pomp and ceremony as you feel is fitting. Show them (if you've given permission), their name on the UPA web site (along with other people who have been recognized as friends of usability).'

Recently, the issue of cultural appropriateness has begun to feature large as researchers and practitioners explore global initiatives promoted through websites. This Friends scheme might be an interesting case study. First we must ask whether this initiative goes down well in the States? If it does, will it go down as well outside the US? Somehow, I cannot see it taking off across Britain, but I'm happy to be proved wrong. The underlying motivation of recognising and celebrating our allies cannot be faulted.

Associated Link: Order a 'Friends of Usability' certificate

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