As the designers of user interfaces we have an obligation to not only our clients, but our users and their greater working environment.
In practical terms, Triple Bottom Line Usertarianism usually means expanding the traditional user experience framework to take into account not just user and client satisfaction but the overall user-ecology.

Usertarianism is a broadly inclusive term for the concept that users experiencing software will directly or indirectly affect the nature of their home or working environment – through task accomplishment (aka the Kathy Sierra ‘kick-ass’ factor), increased or decreased stress levels, and time-saving – leading to a positive or negative impact on relationships with work colleagues, friends or family.
In summary – the software we design ultimately becomes part of a users environment… so we’re kind of environmentalists… so we need to practise environmentalism (for users)…
Environmentalism | Usertarianism |
Sustainability | User Centred Design |
Conservation | Archiving Content in Context |
Ecology | Information Architecture |
Permaculture | Clustered/Related Content |
Organics | Folksonomy |
Tree Hugger | Ethnographic Researcher |
Fuel Efficiency | Task Efficiency |
Carbon Credit | ROI |
Recycling | Design Patterns |
Wealth Distribution | Accessibility |
Save the Whales | Save the (non-proprietary) Internet |
Michael Moore | Alan Cooper |
Biodiversity | Ubigitous |
Kyoto | Kelly Goto |
Anti-Environmentalism | Anti-Usertarianism |
Urbanisation | Featuristis |
Nuclear Power | User Meltdown |
Genetic Engineering | Marketing Agenda |
Hunting | Spy-Ware |
Climate Change | Design by Committee |
Peak Oil | Bandwidth |
Globalisation | Corporation Centred Design |
Garbage | Content Rot |
Greed | Cookies |
SUVs | Flash Only |
WTO | ??? |
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