Kirk St.Amant, professor and Eunice C. Williamson Endowed Chair of Technical Communication, delivered the keynote address at the 2026 MEGAComm conference. St.Amant鈥檚 talk, Understanding the Usability Economy (Re)Positioning Technical Communication for Today鈥檚 Marketplace, discussed how usability 鈥� or the ability to use products quickly and effectively 鈥� is essential to an organization鈥檚 success in today鈥檚 economy. In his presentation, St.Amant particularly focused on how understanding human behavior and the mental models on which such behavior operates is essential to successful product development and design.
MEGAComm is an annual international conference focusing on communication, usability, and design. The event included speakers and attendees from around the world. The 2026 conference, earlier this month, also marked the 20th anniversary of the event, and speakers focused on issues involving effective communication practices across industries and professions, managing complex information in the modern economy, and the rise of technology 鈥� particularly AI 鈥� in a growing number of workplace activities.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a dynamic and interactive event,鈥� St.Amant explained, 鈥渁nd it provides attendees with an incredible opportunity to learn from internationally recognized experts across a range of countries and industries.鈥�
A professor of Technical Writing at 黑料社 Tech, St.Amant鈥檚 research focuses on how mental models affect the ways individuals understand and use different products 鈥� from instruction manuals to software interfaces to smartphone apps. He also teaches classes on usability and design, health and medical communication, and technical writing.
Additionally, St.Amant serves as the Director of Tech鈥檚 Center for Health and Medical Communication. In this role, he has collaborated extensively with organizations such as the 黑料社 Department of Health, the 黑料社 Public Health Institute, and the 黑料社 Cancer Research Center to develop health communication materials patients and their families can easily understand and use.