About NYC UXPA
NYC UXPA is a regional chapter of UXPA International, a professional organization that supports people who research, design, and evaluate the user experience of products and services.
Founded in 1991, the original 50-member group has grown to serve a community that includes nearly 2,400 members worldwide by promoting user experience (UX) concepts and techniques. The UXPA publishes new UX findings through the Journal of Usability Studies (JUS) and User Experience Magazine. There are 59 UXPA local chapters in 30 countries around the world.
In 2004, UXPA International established World Usability Day, which in 2011 was celebrated in 44 countries. In 2012, we announced a name change from the Usability Professionals Association (UPA) to User Experience Professionals Association International.
Tamora Petitt (center) is welcomed as President of the NYC UXPA by former President Melissa McGrath (left) along with Barry Gottlieb, former Vice President (right).
NYC UXPA Values
Human centricity over bureaucracy. We believe that human-centered work is best supported by human-centered organizations that celebrate autonomy.
Transparency. “Default to open,” knowledge is democratizing and should be shared, unless there is a good reason not to.
Experimentation over long term planning. We adopt a systems thinking lens which helps us manage complex, not complicated problems dynamically.
Lead, don’t manage. Encourage the development of leadership amongst all volunteers.
Celebration of progress and strengths. As UX professionals, we tend to be quite critical. If we take the time to reflect on the big picture, though, we’ll see that we have come quite far.
Advocacy. Not only for our members, but for our profession as a whole.
Emotional intelligence. Embrace vulnerability, nonviolent communication, authenticity.
Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Competence. Strive to uncover unconscious biases that drive decisions. Maintain a commitment to dismantle the structures that uphold inequality in this organization, at work, and in life.
A Brief History of the NYC UXPA
The New York City User Experience Professional Association, technically known as the NYC UXPA, started in early 2002. Co-Founder Mark Safire, created this organization out of necessity for business and networking with fellow UX people in the New York area.
At first, the organization was relatively small and the core members worked hard to appeal to the wider UX community. Our distinctive and popular monthly events were a part of the organization from the beginning. By inviting well known UX professionals such as Jared Spool and Sylvia Harris to speak, the early members of the NYC UXPA established that this independent chapter of the UXPA (formerly UPA) would become a prime destination for UX professionals to come meet and exchange ideas about the user experience.
However, events were not the only target for early members. Between 2002 to 2005 members created policies and procedures for yearly officer elections; evaluation of events; and instituted a system for handling the finances of the association.
As the years progress and membership grew, the NYC UXPA used events to help professionals earn positions at well-known companies, such as Spotify, Google, and Chase. (To see our current roster, please see our Events page to explore what the organization offers for UX professionals seeking networking opportunities).
In 2014, then Board Members created The Mentorship Program. This professional development program endeavored to bring the NYC UX community together by pairing a UX professional (a Mentor) with an individual looking to break into the UX field (a Mentee). The pair were then encouraged to create a professional relationship that helped both individuals develop their UX career. The program only grew from there. Currently, the Mentorship program is one of the NYC UXPA’s most popular yearly series.
In 2016, the NYC UXPA met a new milestone when it achieved 501 (c) (6) status. This status solidified that the organization wouldn’t have to rely on profit to bring quality UX content to the New York area.
Between 2017 and 2018, a reorganization was initiated within the Board of Directors. No longer would the NYC UXPA solely have three Board Members (President, Vice President, and Treasurer), to conduct all business and plan events. The Board would now consist of 9-13 seats of volunteers to help bring a higher level of service to the organization. Currently, the Board consists of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Director of Events, Director of Communication, Director of Volunteers, Director of Mentorship, Director of User Research, Election Coordinator, and Director of Knowledge Management. Please visit our Team page to get to know our current officers and Board of Directors!
Impact on the Community
Although the NYC UXPA constantly evolves to bring fresh ideas and people into the UX community, from the start its mission has remained the same: we seek to gather members of the user experience, design, technology, research, and academic communities who share a common vision: creating websites, applications, and products that are compelling, intuitive and user-friendly. By bringing together professionals from different industries and disciplines and sharing our collective experiences, the NYC UXPA provides a forum for learning and professional growth.
