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09/07/2011
MISI XD Executive Leads Quest to Develop Global UX Certification Program
As the user experience (UX) industry matures, there is an increasing call for a non-profit UX Certification program. Ronnie Battista, Executive Director of Experience Design (XD) Account Strategy at MISI Company and Director of Certification on the Board of UPA International (UPA-I) , is currently leading a global certification effort for UPA-I.
In the Spring of 2011, Ronnie took the first step in the UPA’s global program by working with the German UPA (G-UPA) on their concurrent effort to launch a certification program to the German market. “The Usability/UX Profession Berufsfeld Usability” program has been evolving for almost a decade. This September 11-14, Ronnie will be joining Henning Brau (UPA European Regional Director and joint author of the program), Rolf Molich and others at the 2011 Mensch and Computer conference in Chemnitz Germany to continue the progression.
“As an international volunteer organization of UX professionals, the UPA is well-suited to take a leading role in providing the foundation of a Certification program for practitioners in this field,” Battista said. “I am excited to be working with Henning and the G-UPA team in helping support the launch of their program.”
By partnering with a local entity that has already invested tremendous time and resources into their initiative, UPA-I hopes to take advantage of what the German team has learned — from regional / global differences to the infrastructure and governance needs of a Certification program. The first phase of the German UPA program is currently targeted to launch in late 2012-early 2013.
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About MISI
MISI Company, Ltd., an NTT DATA Group company, provides experience design consulting services and technical staffing to a diverse client base on a global level. MISI was founded in 1978 and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTT DATA Corporation in 1992. MISI's services are delivered to Fortune 500 and mid-market clients from its offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California and Canada. With its teams of staffing and experience design professionals, featuring technology and industry thought leaders, MISI has developed a strong reputation for providing both exceptional quality and excellent value.
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About UPA-I
The Usability Professionals' Association (UPA) supports people who research, design, and evaluate the user experience of products and services. The UPA was established in 1991 and continues to be the organization of choice for usability professionals worldwide. The UPA holds a yearly international conference, publishes new findings through both the Journal of Usability Studies (JUS) and through User Experience Magazine, and has 50 chapters around the world. In 2004, the UPA established World Usability Day, which in 2009 was celebrated in over 40 countries.
The UPA's goals are to:
- Become the authoritative source on the practice of usability, user-centered design (UCD), and user experience (UX).
- Facilitate professional development and education within the UX field.
- Promote the business value of user experience, research, design and evaluation to business and other entities.
- Foster a community of user experience professionals through knowledge sharing and networking.
- Provide effective UPA Governance.
- Enhance and provide the value of UPA membership