Johannes Robier

Johannes Robier is an internationally recognized expert in user experience (UX) strategy, customer experience (CX) management, and digital innovation. As the Founder and CEO of youspi Consulting and the Organizer of the World Usability Congress (WUC), he has spent more than two decades helping organizations around the world build meaningful, human-centered products, services, and experiences.

Driven by the conviction that good design is good business, Johannes bridges the worlds of creativity, management, and technology. His unique strength lies in translating complex organizational challenges into actionable design and strategy frameworks that connect user needs with business goals. Through his consulting and leadership, he has supported companies across industries from automotive and finance to healthcare and technology in implementing sustainable UX strategies that create measurable value.

World Usability Congress: Building a Global UX Community

In 2013, Johannes founded the World Usability Congress, which has grown into one of the most respected international UX and CX conferences. Hosted annually in Graz, Austria, WUC brings together leading thinkers, designers, researchers, and executives from around the world to exchange insights on usability, digital transformation, and human-centered business strategy.

Under his leadership, the congress has become a truly global platform for dialogue, innovation, and inspiration a space where disciplines meet and where design and management are no longer separate conversations. The event’s themes have evolved alongside the industry: from usability engineering to design leadership, from UX maturity to the future of human-AI interaction.

Johannes sees WUC not only as a conference but as a community of changemakers professionals united by the goal of making the world more usable, inclusive, and sustainable through better design.

Author, Speaker, and Thought Leader

Johannes is a frequent keynote speaker and lecturer at international conferences and universities, where he shares his vision for a more empathetic and systemic approach to design and business. His talks explore the intersections of UX, leadership, strategy, and culture, always with a focus on real-world impact and practical transformation.

In 2025, together with Joe Lanzisero, he co-authored and presented a new book that embodies his lifelong mission: to make the world a better place through human-centered design and collaboration. This publication represents the culmination of his belief that creativity, empathy, and strategy are inseparable forces in shaping the next generation of experiences.

Leadership and Philosophy

At the core of Johannes’s work is the belief that design is not a department it’s a mindset.

He advocates for integrating UX thinking into organizational strategy, enabling companies to not only create beautiful interfaces but also build cultures of curiosity, purpose, and user respect. His consulting work often focuses on establishing UX maturity, leadership alignment, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

He is known for his warm, authentic leadership style and his ability to inspire both executives and practitioners to think bigger — and to act more human. Colleagues describe him as a connector, a mentor, and a visionary who brings structure to creativity and purpose to innovation.

Beyond the Conference

When he’s not leading workshops or hosting WUC, Johannes is deeply involved in initiatives that connect local and global innovation ecosystems, including GrazConnects, a new initiative designed to extend the reach of WUC and transform Graz into a hub for experience-driven innovation and collaboration.

He continues to mentor young designers and researchers, contribute to academic and professional communities, and champion the idea that design can be a driver for social change — not just digital change.

Personal Note

Johannes Robier lives in Graz, Austria, where he finds inspiration in the city’s balance of tradition and creativity. Whether he’s curating a conference, writing, or simply having coffee with peers, his goal remains constant: to help people and organizations rediscover the human side of progress.