Code of Conduct
The Code of Professional Conduct of the User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) expresses our recognition of responsibilities to the public, clients, employers, and colleagues.
The Code will guide members in performing their professional responsibilities and express the basic tenets of ethical and professional conduct.
The Code of Conduct calls for UXPA members to evaluate the risks and benefits of their actions on all stakeholders and ensure these actions meet the highest ethical standards.
The Code of Professional Conduct was approved by the UXPA (formerly UPA) Board of Directors in September 2005. The English language version was adjusted in 2013 to match the name change of the profession. To be more inclusive, the term usability practitioners was changed to user experience (UX) practitioners.
An Ethics Advisory Committee oversees the Code of Professional Conduct, advises UXPA members on questions relating to the Code, and reviews any charges of violations of the Code.
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Code of Conduct for User Experience Professionals
Introduction
This Code of conduct is intended to cover situations commonly encountered by user experience (UX) practitioners. Membership includes acceptance of this Code. The Code is stated in two parts. Part One is a list of statements of UXPA Ethical Principles. Part Two contains examples of the practice of the Principles.
Adherence to This Code of Conduct
User experience (UX) practitioners shall ensure that their work meets the Ethical Principles in this Code of conduct. UX practitioners shall report violations of this Code of ethics to the Vice President of the User Experience Professionals Association. In addition, a review of the allegations will be conducted by the UXPA Ethics Advisory Committee. Violations of this Code may lead to expulsion from the User Experience Professionals Association.
Part One: Ethical Principles
- Act in the best interest of everyone
- Be honest with everyone
- Do no harm and, if possible, provide benefits
- Act with integrity
- Avoid conflicts of interest
- Respect privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity
- Provide all resultant data
Part Two: Examples of the Practice of the Principles
1. Act in the Best Interest of Everyone
1.1. UX practitioners shall know relevant standards, principles, and generally accepted UX methods.
1.2. UX practitioners shall undertake professional assignments only when qualified by education or experience.
1.3. UX practitioners shall provide products and services that match the operational and financial needs of clients and employers.
1.4. UX practitioners shall undertake ongoing efforts to develop and maintain their competence.
1.5. UX practitioners shall seek and use peer review as well as provide a critical review of the work of others whenever appropriate.
1.6. UX practitioners shall make reasonable efforts to avoid offering excessive or inappropriate financial or other inducements for participation in
1.7. UX activities when such incentives are likely to coerce participation.
2. Be Honest with Everyone
2.1. UX practitioners shall not knowingly mislead a client or potential client about the suitability of a product or service.
2.2. UX practitioners shall give objective recommendations consistent with accepted principles and based on the judgment of qualified professionals.
2.3. UX practitioners shall never deliberately misinform or mislead individuals for whom they provide services.
2.4. UX practitioners shall credit the intellectual property right of work, methods, and tools done or created by others in such a way that all parties involved are always clear as to the origin of such and the rights of the UX practitioner to use or cite such work, methods or tools.
3. Do No Harm and, If Possible, Provide Benefits
3.1. UX practitioners shall not expose participants to any excessive physical, mental, or emotional stress.
3.2. UX practitioners shall take reasonable steps to avoid harming their clients or employers, study participants, and others with whom they work and minimize harm where it is foreseeable and avoidable.
3.3. UX practitioners shall review for special needs when working with the elderly, the disabled, and children. The client or employer shall clearly identify and review the precautions taken to avoid risks associated with such groups.
4. Act with Integrity
4.1. UX practitioners shall work in respectful collaboration and cooperation with those with whom they interact without compromising their personal or professional integrity.
4.2. UX practitioners shall not discriminate against their clients, colleagues, or participants based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or any basis proscribed by law.
4.3. UX practitioners shall not make public derogatory comments about their clients, colleagues, or participants.
4.4. UX practitioners shall never knowingly use a material that is illegal, immoral, or which may hurt or damage a person or group of people. If exposed to illegal material, the UX practitioner shall advise their client or employer of the illegal nature of the material and take reasonable steps to inform the relevant authorities of the existence of the material.
5. Avoid Conflicts of Interest
5.1. UX practitioners shall avoid all known conflicts of interest with their employers or clients. They shall promptly inform their employers or clients of any business association, interests, or circumstances that could influence their judgments or the quality of their services.
5.2. UX practitioners shall not accept any assignments that would knowingly create a possible conflict of interest between themselves and their clients, employers, or participants.
5.3. UX practitioners shall advise clients and employers when a proposed project is not in the client’s best interest and provide a rationale for this advice.
6. Respect Privacy, Confidentiality, and Anonymity
6.1. UX practitioners shall not reveal information that identifies colleagues or participants without their permission and shall take reasonable precautions to avoid such information from being disclosed unintentionally.
6.2. UX practitioners shall ensure that participants in any study provide informed consent for the use of all data collected.
6.3. UX practitioners shall never disclose in their writings, reports, teaching materials, or other public media or otherwise make public any information they have acquired about persons, employers, or clients in the course of their professional work unless disclosure is both legal and that they have either taken reasonable steps to disguise the identity of the person, employer or client, or they have the express permission to disclose.
7. Provide All Resultant Data
7.1. UX practitioners shall choose participants and tasks to ensure the validity of the results.
7.2. UX practitioners shall consider the limitations of every UX project they plan or carry out. If requested or if, in their view, the limitations render the results questionable, they shall communicate the results of this analysis to their client or employer.
7.3 UX practitioners shall accurately report both the positive and negative feedback from UX activities.