I’m delighted to be writing about a project that opens up a fine collection of user experience articles to a wider audience.
User Experience has been a quarterly magazine in print since 2002, delivered by mail to members of UXPA (formerly UPA).
Beginning now, each new issue will also be available online.
The online format means that readers all around the world will have instant access to each new issue. The responsive design means that you can read it on the desktop, tablet or handheld device with equal facility. Accessibility has also been a key consideration.
Language is another consideration for an international organization. Abstracts for all articles will be translated into Chinese (simplified), Korean, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.
User Experience has published many excellent articles over the past ten years. The editors are excited to be able to make them more readily accessible, and look forward to welcoming many more authors and articles to the collection in coming years.
The latest issue (13.1 – “UX Careers”) is being made freely available, along with each of the four issues from 2012. New issues will be “members-only” for an initial period, and then will become open-access as the next issue is published. The archives are being brought into the new format and will also be open-access.
Please share your reaction to the new medium. User Experience will continue to be a valuable resource for members, and for the UX community at large.
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Thanks
Readers will appreciate that a project like this involves many people, most of whom are volunteers.
Special thanks are due to Whitney Quesenbery who, in a moment she may have had reason to regret, said to Susan Dray (then Director of Publications): “How hard can it be?”
Whitney, with strong support from Susan, set up the project and managed it with a passion and conviction that was infectious.
The Managing Editors, Aga Bojko and J.O. Bugental, with Associate Managers Chelsey Glasson and Mindy Maxwell, provided their active support and assistance, and smoothed the path.
Ann Walter and Anne Kostick helped to migrate content, and to set up guidelines that will be invaluable as we move forward. There are many interesting differences between print publishing and online publishing.
Alice Preston, ably assisted by Claudia Gutierrez, took on the huge job migrating the existing translations, and setting up the additional languages. Alice has assembled a team of volunteers who help ensure that the translated abstracts are both linguistically and technically accurate. They all patiently accepted the fact that it made sense to rewrite some of the abstracts for the online medium, even though this involved late nights, looming deadlines and shifting sands.
Tom Biby cheerfully revisited the banners from the print versions, helping deliver new versions that were consistent but optimized for the online medium.
Chris Koster pulled many rabbits out of hats. His in-depth knowledge of the magazine and UXPA’s hosting and authentication arrangements created many short-cuts.
A whole host of others rolled up their sleeves and did whatever was needed. At the risk of omitting someone, they included Paul Linton, Christine Danko, Frank Tagader, Andrew Rivera, Katie Derthick, Aaron Marcus, Pascal Rettig, Cynthia Kamishlian and Nicole Tafoya.
Finally, special thanks are due to our developer, Milenko Subotic, who patiently dealt with a difficult client and delivered a site that we feel represents an excellent beginning.
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