February 2026: Volume 21, Issue 2
Introduction
Bill Albert, PhD, James R. (Jim) Lewis, Ph.D
Our February 2026 essay is “The UX Profession: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” by Rebecca Baker. In the essay, Dr. Baker discusses current issues in the UX profession, how we got here, and what may lie ahead. This issue also includes two research papers. The first paper is “A Scale to Assess Consumer Perceptions of Technology […] Read More
Invited Essay
The UX Profession: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Introduction User Experience, as a profession, is having a moment—a really uncomfortable moment. After years of exponential growth culminating in countless boot camps, university programs, TED Talks™, and more, the seemingly endless number of job offerings dried up. Between 2022 and 2023, the UX profession saw a drop of almost 71% in job listings (Brookshier, […] Read More
Peer-Reviewed Articles
A Scale to Assess Consumer Perceptions of Technology Product Inclusivity: Development and Validation
Carmen Van Ommen, Barbara S. Chaparro, PhD, Joseph R. Keebler, Sanjay Batra, Ph.D., Mei Lu
Abstract Consumers are increasingly loyal to brands that are inclusive of them and their values, which promotes a sense of belonging. The goal of inclusive design is to design for the widest population possible; however, technology product inclusivity is a multifaceted concept that reflects consumer experience with a product, perceptions of trust, and ways to […] Read More
The Future of Digital Society: Beauty, Meaning, and Motivation Among Digital Natives
Abstract This study investigates the unique role of beauty in digital interface design, moving beyond the traditional focus on usability and functionality. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, 27 university students engaged with both aesthetically rich (beautiful) and utilitarian (functional) versions of educational and commercial digital platforms. Quantitative results revealed that beautiful interfaces significantly enhance user […] Read More