So, you’ve landed here because you care about real user experiences. Whether you’re tweaking your site’s buttons or revamping an app from scratch, the usability game is all about connecting the dots between humans and tech. And hey, to help you out, we’ve gathered the top usability experts who know how to make those connections stick — and convert.
What is Usability and Why It Matters for UX?
Usability isn’t just some buzzword UX folks toss around — it’s the core of user-centered design. When your site or app is easy to navigate, intuitive, and quick to understand, users stay longer, convert better, and actually enjoy the experience. That’s usability in action.
In the world of UX, usability helps you uncover friction points, design smoother flows, and eliminate guesswork. It’s what transforms frustrating user journeys into effortless ones. When a UX expert talks usability, they’re looking at how fast users complete tasks, how few errors they make, and how satisfied they feel afterward. Nail that combo, and boom — your digital product starts performing better for everyone involved.
Theo Mandel, Ph.D.
If you want deep usability roots, Theo Mandel is your guy. With 40+ years in UX and a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, he’s worked across banking, healthcare, and e-commerce. He founded IDD in 1993, offering usability testing, user research, and expert witness services. As a UX expert, Theo’s also tackled deceptive design cases in court — yep, the real deal. His usability insights are grounded, accessible, and dead-on for product improvements.
Jared Spool
Jared isn’t just an expert — he’s a usability rockstar. He helps companies design better products and runs Center Centre, a UX design school. With specialties in UX strategy, usability, and education, Jared focuses on creating systems that work for users. His talks are energetic, his advice is blunt, and his usability thinking? Always on point. He’s the person you want guiding your UX team.
Erin Stewart
Erin brings results. As founder of Scenic West, she leads B2B SaaS UX strategy that’s user-focused and commercially sharp. Her UX audits, journey maps, and design systems help teams scale without losing usability. Erin’s an expert in merging design with AI, coaching teams, and plugging UX gaps fast. With over 70 SaaS clients under her belt, her usability know-how makes products intuitive and adoption-ready.
Jakob Nielsen
When folks say “usability guru,” they mean Jakob Nielsen. He’s the pioneer behind the 10 usability heuristics and Jakob’s Law. With 42+ years in UX, he’s published eight books, holds 79 patents, and earned a lifetime achievement award in HCI. His usability expertise shaped how designers build intuitive interfaces. If you’re serious about UX, this expert’s legacy is one you’ve already learned from — even if you didn’t know it.
Whitney Quesenbery
Whitney designs for democracy — literally. As co-founder of the Center for Civic Design, she ensures voting systems are usable, accessible, and human. Her UX work blends usability, plain language, and storytelling. With three books and countless workshops, Whitney teaches teams how to create digital spaces where every user matters. She’s not just an expert — she’s a usability advocate with a mission.
Brian Sullivan
Brian is the usability expert big brands trust. At Sabre Corporation, he leads UX research and usability strategy for travel giants like Virgin Australia and Priceline. With over 25 years of experience, he blends human-centered design with AI and machine learning. This expert doesn’t just run usability labs — he builds them, mentors future designers, and founded the Big Design Conference. Brian makes UX feel personal, practical, and powerful.
Luke Wroblewski
Luke is a usability expert who’s literally shaped how billions use the web. Ex-Google, ex-Yahoo, ex-Twitter — this guy’s design decisions have left a mark everywhere. He authored “Mobile First” and pioneered smarter web forms. Whether he’s leading design at a startup or advising on UX strategy, Luke’s usability mindset makes interfaces cleaner, faster, and more human. He’s the type of expert who doesn’t follow trends — he starts them.
Dana Chisnell
Dana’s a civic usability expert who’s changed how the U.S. government designs forms, websites, and voting systems. She’s the co-creator of the Voter Intent Field Guides and helped DHS embed usability into policy. With deep roots in accessibility, plain language, and research, she’s the go-to expert for ethical, inclusive UX. Dana’s usability work helps real people in high-stakes situations — and that’s what makes her stand out.
Jonathan Rubin
Jonathan is a government usability expert who makes complex systems easier for users at agencies like NASA and the IRS. At the CFPB, he leads research ops and usability testing that improve public-facing tools. This expert trains teams in user-centered design and helps agencies implement UX from early prototypes to final launch. When it comes to institutional UX, Jonathan knows where usability pain points hide — and how to fix them.
Lyle Kantrovich
Lyle is the usability expert’s expert. With decades in UX leadership and a background in research and prototyping, he’s helped organizations reinvent products from the ground up. Lyle co-founded the first UXPA chapter and served on the global board, so he’s shaped the usability community itself. Whether mentoring or presenting, this expert focuses on insight-driven design that connects with users at every level of the experience.
Steve Coppola
Steve’s a usability expert who knows how to turn digital chaos into clean, intuitive experiences. With nearly 30 years under his belt, he runs Input UX, crafting journeys that delight across websites, apps, and portals. He mentors new UX pros, maps customer journeys, and leads high-fidelity prototyping sessions. This expert thrives at the intersection of research and creativity — bringing structure, usability, and clarity to messy digital problems.
Amber Derosa
If you’re hunting for a usability expert with strong analytical skills and a passion for accessibility, Amber’s your match. As an Accessibility Manager, she’s constantly solving real-world UX challenges. Her focus is on usability that includes everyone — especially people with disabilities. She uses problem-solving and facilitation to improve products that don’t just work — they work for all. Amber proves usability isn’t a feature. It’s a responsibility.
Kimberly Krause Berg, CPACC
Kim is a usability and accessibility expert who’s been in the UX game since the ‘90s. She blends human-centered design with SEO, information architecture, and usability testing — all wrapped in a holistic UX approach. Kim’s written over 150 articles, taught designers, and helped shape WCAG standards. Her work makes websites not just functional, but genuinely usable and accessible. This expert’s insights are gold for any serious UX pro.
Chris LaRoche
Chris isn’t just a UX expert — he’s a teacher, mentor, and long-time usability advocate. With decades of industry and academic experience, he’s trained countless students in usability, user research, and accessibility. Chris designs with empathy and teaches with heart. He knows how to break down UX complexity into practical, job-ready skills. This expert is building the next wave of usability professionals — one classroom at a time.
Eric Olive
Eric’s a usability expert who dives deep into human behavior. At DocuSign, he leads UX research that drives real-world results — we’re talking billions in impact. From Medicaid offices to finance apps, he improves usability through research-driven design. He mentors junior UX designers and builds pattern libraries that unify entire systems. Eric’s approach is all about clarity, simplicity, and purpose — the core values of great usability.
Arnold (Arnie) Lund
Arnie is a usability expert with legendary status. With over 30 years in HCI and UX, he’s authored books, earned lifetime achievement awards, and filed nearly 30 patents. His usability thinking is deep — blending psychology, design, and tech. This expert doesn’t just do UX, he shapes it across emerging technologies. If you want a visionary usability expert who’s also a teacher, researcher, and creator — Arnie delivers.
Robert Fabricant
Robert’s a usability expert who designs for global impact. At Dalberg Design, he leads projects that blend deep research with social change. From civic services to healthcare UX, he puts usability where it matters most — in the hands of real people facing real issues. This expert knows how to build experiences that feel meaningful, relevant, and human. Robert’s not just solving design problems — he’s reshaping how we think about usability.
Nick Finck
Nick is the usability expert who mentors the mentors. With 20+ years leading UX and research at Amazon, Facebook, and AWS, he’s now focused on training teams via Craft & Rigor. His usability style is methodical but people-first, building systems and products that feel right. This expert knows how to align UX vision with real-world execution. When you need strategy plus sharp usability skills, Nick is your go-to.
Kristina Halvorson
Kristina is a content strategy expert with strong usability DNA. At Brain Traffic, she solves messy UX problems through smart content and clear design. She’s the voice behind Button Conf and a podcast host for the global UX community. From enterprise content headaches to accessibility in design, Kristina’s focus stays sharp: make UX useful, usable, and understandable. Her expert-level insight brings usability into every content decision.
Carol Righi
Carol is a usability expert who’s been shaping user-centered design since the early days. With over 30 years in UX research and design, she’s co-authored major industry books and led teams through complex usability transformations. Whether she’s consulting or teaching, Carol’s usability-first mindset ensures that design isn’t just beautiful — it actually works. She’s one of those experts who makes UX feel smart and human at the same time.
Michał Aleksander
Michał is a usability expert who fuses data, AI, and intuition to design experiences that click. With over a decade in product design and UX research, he’s helped startups and enterprises alike. His usability skills shine through in journey mapping, prototype validation, and simplifying complexity. Whether he’s coaching teams or refining product flows, this expert builds UX that’s thoughtful, effective, and future-ready.
Jay Zipursky
Jay’s a UX expert who bridges design and engineering seamlessly. For 20+ years, he’s led UX for major platforms, balancing usability with dev constraints. He’s the usability expert who brings engineers into research, aligning product goals with user needs. Jay’s work proves that great UX isn’t about fancy visuals — it’s about smart, empathetic usability baked into every design choice.
Mark Hurst
Mark is a usability expert, author, and founder of Creative Good — a consultancy focused on better digital experiences. His book “Customers Included” pushes businesses to actually involve users in decision-making. He’s spent decades helping companies improve UX through usability, feedback, and content clarity. Mark’s also hosted conferences and podcasts that challenge the way experts think about design. He’s a usability advocate through and through.
Michael Elledge
Michael’s a usability and accessibility expert with deep roots in both private and public sectors. He’s led Section 508 compliance, usability evaluations, and accessibility audits for Fortune 500s and universities. With experience in healthcare, education, and automotive UX, this expert brings decades of strategy and hands-on testing. Michael’s all about making digital spaces inclusive, intuitive, and effective — the heart of real usability.
Jessica Miller
Jessica is the lead voice behind Usability Lab, where she curates hot topics in the usability world. As a usability expert, she’s focused on highlighting best practices, emerging UX trends, and expert tips to make digital experiences better. Jessica helps teams grasp the evolving landscape of user-centered design, bridging theory with real-world usability tactics. She’s not just an expert — she’s a usability community builder.
Brandon Ward
Brandon is a usability expert with a creative soul. With a master’s in Interactive Media Design and a background in theater, his UX approach is all about blending function with emotion. He’s led teams through UX transformations in AI, software, and mobile, always putting the user’s story at the center. This expert sees usability not just as a checklist, but as a narrative that builds a connection.
Heidi Adkisson
Heidi is a veteran UX expert who’s been in the game since the early web days. Now a Partner at Blink UX, she’s helped enterprise clients tackle complex usability challenges with precision and calm. Her usability superpower? Turning massive systems into simple, elegant experiences. With 30+ years in tech, this expert shows that great UX isn’t loud — it’s clear, usable, and purposeful.
Iain Barker
Iain is a usability expert who’s passionate about human-centered design. As co-founder of Meld Studios, he helps organizations rethink UX from strategy to delivery. His workshops and talks inspire change that puts people first, from government services to enterprise systems. This expert believes usability is how you earn trust, improve culture, and drive real results. His work speaks louder than any interface.
Jon Bolt
Jon’s a tech founder and usability expert with firsthand startup scars — and that’s a good thing. After leading Onport through acquisition and buyback, he’s focused on building marketplaces that are intuitive and efficient. With a strong background in UX and software engineering, this expert balances usability with performance. Jon’s hands-on approach turns operational pain points into seamless, usable flows.
Jon Innes
Jon is the usability expert behind UX Innovation, where he helps companies reduce development waste through smarter design. He’s all about applying user-centered design from the very first research session to final usability testing. Jon has coached hundreds of UX teams, contributed to industry standards, and spoken at major conferences. If your product needs clarity and usability, this expert brings the tools to make it happen.
Conclusion
That’s your roundup of top usability experts who are shaping digital experiences around the globe. Each expert brings unique strengths — from accessibility to AI, from research to strategy — but they all share one mission: better UX through real usability. Follow their work, steal their ideas (ethically), and let your product evolve.