World Usability Day started as an idea springing from a discussion in the fall of 2004 between two UPA board members, Elizabeth Rosenzweig and Nigel Bevan.

They worked together with the UPA board to start World Usability Day and over the years, Elizabeth Rosenzweig kept it running.

WUD has opened up the field of UX and usability in places where it did not exist before the event, such as Eastern Europe (including Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey).

The WUD organizers have collaborated with renowned professional associations like SIGCHI, HCII, PLAIN, and IFIP.

Operating as a singular, dedicated entity, WUI works closely with the United Nations, particularly concerning the human factors integral to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.