UXnet incorporates, names Board of Directors
Monday, June 12th, 2006 by Keith InstoneUXnet incorporates in Santa Clara, California; Announces appointment of first Board of Directors
The User Experience Network (UXnet) recently incorporated in Santa Clara, California as a 401c(6) non-profit organization. As part of the incorporation process UXnet also announced the appointment of the organization’s first-ever Board of Directors.
“On behalf of the entire Board, we are honored and motivated to be providing the leadership for UXnet in these formative years,” stated Dirk Knemeyer, President of the Board of Directors. “We have some ambitious plans and will be working closely with our Advisory Board, Local Ambassadors and other key volunteers and stakeholders to provide vision and leadership within the user experience industry.”
Knemeyer is a founding principal of Involution Studios LLC. The Board of Directors also includes: Keith Instone (Secretary), information architecture lead on the ibm.com user experience team; Whitney Quesenbery (Treasurer), principal consultant of Whitney Interactive Design; David Malouf, manager of product design for IntraLinks; Nick Finck, director of user experience at Blue Flavor; and Richard Anderson, a user experience management consultant.
“UXnet is fortunate to have these passionate and committed professionals serving as the Board of Directors,” commented Louis Rosenfeld, a member of the UXnet Advisory Board, chair of the Locales Network and a Founder of the organization. “The opportunities and challenges coming up for the user experience industry are significant, and UXnet is well positioned to provide significant value in the days and years ahead.”
While UXnet only recently incorporated, the organization has been operating for almost two years as an unincorporated organization, providing valuable volunteer assistance in various locales across six continents. The group has worked productively to make connections between people, organizations and resources that represent user experience during that time.
“Now that we are incorporated we will be providing sponsorship opportunities to interested companies and organizations,” said Quesenbery. “Given our presence around the world and critical role as a leading organization focused solely on user experience, we have some unique opportunities to offer companies that want to participate in helping build the future of our industry.”
Another reason for UXnet’s focus on sponsorships is a strategy that avoids collecting any dues or fees from either individuals or organizations.
“We’re not here to compete; we’re here to provide,” remarked Instone. “We don’t want to take dues paying members away from other industry organizations, and we don’t want to compel industry organizations to pay us for our services. We strive to become a self-sustaining authority that improves opportunities for everyone related to the user experience industry.”
Most of the initial Board served as part of the founding Executive Council that steered UXnet since it’s inception. Under their leadership UXnet initiated a successful network of 82 Local Ambassadors representing 62 locales on six continents. These local leaders serve as a central point-of-contact for their respective geographic regions, helping to connect people, organizations and resources that represent user experience. UXnet has also participated in the organization of various conferences and events, and helped provide a community environment that empowered the success of the Interaction Designers Association (IxDA), a newer and rapidly-growing organization representing a key user experience discipline.
Founded in 2004, the User Experience network (UXnet) makes connections between people, organizations and resources that represent user experience. With active initiatives currently building networks between locales, events, industry associations and UX managers, UXnet is a leading international non-profit organization representing the interests of the user experience industry. For more information, please contact the UXnet Board of Directors, directors@uxnet.org.
