Puget Sound World Usability Day Conference 2019

As usability professionals, our work is moving us closer to a certain future. Whether the progress towards it is intentionally or unintentionally created, or whether that future is tomorrow, next month, or several years down the line – we are all heading towards endpoints of our own creation. This begs the question – What kind of future are we designing for?

This year’s World Usability Day theme is:  “Design for the Future We Want”. It was inspired by the United Nation’s (UN’s) 17 Sustainable Development goals. These goals provide a roadmap of a future that we could be seeking to attain. The goals vary widely from “Good Health and Well Being” to “Gender Equality” to “Sustainable Cities and Communities”.

It should be noted that these goals should be complementary to, and not in the place of, designing with an organization’s bottom line in mind. Below are some examples of designs which not only helped turn a profit, but moved us towards a future in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.