World Usability Day Reminds Us of the Importance of Human-Centered Design

Annual World Usability Day highlights the importance of incorporating Human-Centered Design (HCD) principles into all services and products. On this day “events occur around the world that bring together different communities to celebrate how we can make our world easy for all.”

Governments, non-profits, and enterprises must develop products and offer services designed for their customers to increase usability. From a website that isn’t accessible for people with disabilities to confusing signage at a hospital that hinders a patient’s ability to navigate - not thinking about your customer results in frustrating experiences that are bad for your brand, customer satisfaction, and business. 

HCD eliminates this stressor by researching what your customers need and testing your product or service before spending money on something that doesn't align with the customer’s needs. HCD practices include user research, testing, evaluation, content strategy, prototyping, and more.

This year’s World Usability Day theme is “Design of our Online World: Trust, Ethics and Integrity” will focus on creating trust online, understanding the ethical implications of design, and how to design for accessibility. You can get involved by joining their community, becoming a sponsor, or volunteering.