NYT: Usability Professionals Emerging...

Barbara Whitaker writes in the New York Times about the emergence of usability professionals (finally!) in the world of business. She starts with an observation that makes me want to stand up and applaud:

Sometimes there is a huge disconnect between the people who make a product and the people who use it.

Huzzah! Yes, previously too many usability decisions have been the afterthoughts of engineers or executives, based on gut feelings and other ego-driven "tools." Then, because there's nobody speaking on behalf of usability, good design features are sacrificed for engineering convenience (thanks to the CTO) or cost reduction (CFO).

Well, here's hoping for a new seat in the boardroom, for the Chief Usability Officer, fighting for all those users who can't be there in person.