HFI Launches Usability Certification for Organisations and Designs
Organisations can now have a "Certified Practice in Usability™" rating and submit a product, application, or website to be a "Certified Usable Design™"

London, England, 13 July 2010 Human Factors International (HFI) announces an extension of their successful programme for certification of usability practitioners (Certified Usability Analysts™) which currently provides certification for around 10% of the world's usability practitioners. As a service to the industry, HFI will provide organisations with the ability to achieve certification for their level of institutionalisation of usability, validating their user-centred design capabilities. They can be certified as Level III, IV, and V depending on their achievement on HFI's Usability Maturity Model. The certified organisations can then submit a product, application, or website to become certified for usable design.

A "Certified Practice in Usability" will have a validated level of maturity based on the presence of trained and certified staff, user-centred design methods, standards, and tools. The organisation will also be rated for its executive attention to usability, organisational structure, and culture of care for customers. Each organisational submission will be systematically reviewed and audited by HFI staff to ensure compliance.

A "Certified Usable Design" can only result from the submission from a certified practice and it generally bears the label of the level of maturity of that practice. Certification assures that an approved user-centred design process has been followed and that certified staff have attested that each deliverable document has been appropriately completed. The internal staff must also attest to the usability of the end design. The completed submission must prove the process and approvals. Each organisational submission will be systematically reviewed and audited by HFI staff to ensure compliance.

Eric Schaffer, CEO of Human Factors International, says, "It's time that purchasers can be assured that they will not be tortured with technology. They should be able to buy with an assured level of usability."

Organisations wanting to check their qualifications can take a pre-screening questionnaire at: www.humanfactors.com/certification/questionnaire.asp

For more information on certification please visit:
www.humanfactors.com/certification/CPU.asp

HFI Contact
Nigel Grace, Managing Director, Human Factors International
Tel: +44 (0)20 7290 3430, Mobile: +44 (0)77487 12694
Email: nigel@humanfactors.com

Media Contact
Jane Allardice, Jane Allardice Communications Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1273 467 634, Mobile: +44 (0)7778 521 853
Email: jallardice@jac-pr.com

About Human Factors International (HFI):

Human Factors International (HFI) is the world's leading strategic advisor and provider of user experience design services and training to both private and public sectors. HFI helps clients design websites and products that are persuasive, engaging, and easy to use. Its HFI Framework™ is the only user-centred design process that has been the basis for ISO certification. It is built on principles from human-computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology, computer science, and marketing. Through an integrated blend of strategy, assessment, research, design, validation, and institutionalized usability, as well as training and certification, HFI's clients routinely experience material increases in key corporate performance indicators as a result of their efforts.

HFI customers include AFLAC, BBC, Caterpillar, Citigroup, ConocoPhillips, Dell, Ernst & Young, FedEx, HP, Lockheed Martin, McGraw-Hill, McKesson, Microsoft, NIH, SAP, Sony Ericsson, Verizon, and Wal-Mart.

HFI corporate headquarters are located in Fairfield, Iowa, with regional offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Visit www.humanfactors.com.

Win a complimentary review of your website for its psychological persuasiveness at Internet World!

7 April 2009. Internet World 2009, Stand E5045. At this year’s Internet World, Human Factors International (HFI) will be offering five lucky companies a complimentary review of their websites to analyse the persuasion, emotion, and trust (PET™) elements of their design.

To go into the draw, all you have to do is simply complete a questionnaire available on our stand about your website. We will deliver your review by telephone and online video conference with our global experts on the subject. This has proved very successful for our clients around the world for increasing revenue.

Companies will also be able to take advantage of our special offer until 30 April 2009.

This is a package of our standard usability Expert Review and our PET™ Scan for psychological persuasiveness. A PET™ Scan lets your website (a) be more persuasive, (b) create emotional attachment to your brand, and (c) increase the trust people place in you. We are offering this package that normally costs a total of £62,000 for just £25,000.

Our Expert Review is a tactical analysis of your website, application, or intranet’s user experience. It provides redesign solutions and actionable strategies to improve user experience and deliver ROI.

A PET™ Scan evaluates your website, application, or intranet for persuasion, emotion, and trust (PET™). It steps beyond traditional usability to help you understand the drivers like hope, anticipation, and excitement that motivate your customers to take desired actions. It also shows you how to anticipate the emotional blocks that can inhibit their decision making.

Design your website for each of your identified customer groups. Don’t miss out on this fantastic two-for-one offer to achieve measurable increases in:

• Conversion rates
• Cross-sell and up-sell
• Brand appeal
• Customer loyalty

Come and talk to us on Stand E5045!

For further information, please contact Nigel Grace, Managing Director, Human Factors International,
Tel: +44 (0)20 7290 3430, Mobile: +44 (0)77487 12694, Email: nigel@humanfactors.com or visit www.humanfactors.eu

For media enquiries, please contact Jane Allardice, Jane Allardice Communications Ltd, Tel: +44 (0)1273 467 634, Mobile: +44 (0)7778 521 853, Email: jallardice@jac-pr.com

Notes to Editors:

1. 1. HFI is a global company specialising in usability and user experience design. It works with clients to develop websites and products that are persuasive, engaging, and easy to use. Its methodology for user-centred design, which is ISO-certifiable, is based on principles drawn from human-computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology and marketing.
2. HFI has developed a web design methodology called persuasion, emotion, and trust (PET™). This approach leverages the psychology or persuasion to create designs that will attract, engage, persuade and convert customers.
3. One of HFI’s founding principles is the fostering of learning and transfer of usability knowledge. It offers Certified Usability Analyst ™ (CUA) training courses and its CUA accreditation is a globally recognised qualification held by usability analysts in over 25 countries.
4. Follow HFI on http://twitter.com/humanfactors
5. Internet World takes place 28-30 April 2009 at Earls Court 2, London.
   See www.internetworld.co.uk

From Batteries to Blogging – a user experience-based technology journey into today's mobile phones

23 January 2009. Reinforcing its position at the forefront of usability and user experience design, Human Factors International (HFI) is launching a dynamic, one-day workshop entitled "From Batteries to Blogging – a user experience-based technology journey into today's mobile phones". The workshop will be run in London on 25 February and 22 April 2009.

Led by Scott Weiss, HFI's Executive Director EMEA, the workshop is designed to bring product marketers and user experience professionals up to speed with today's cutting edge technologies. The workshop's four sessions will be discussion-based with delegates actively participating in frank round-table talks about implementation strategies, challenges, and opportunities in the marketplace.

The day will begin with a 90-minute overview of high level technology. As today's mobile phone has a large set of interdependent technologies, this session will cover processors and radios, power and batteries, Global and Assisted Positioning Systems, operating systems, security, browsers and rendering engines.

This will be followed by a session concentrating on input hardware – keypads, touch pads and screens, haptics, joysticks, and trackballs – from both the technical and user experience perspectives.

The user experience layer will also be explored. At the high level there are Google Gears, Yahoo!, Blueprint, Openwave's MIDAS, Windsets, Alltel's Celltop, TAT, and Qualcomm's UI One, while in between there are Opera and Flash Lite, and at the low level, J2ME, JavaFX, and SVGT 1.2. What do these layers mean and how can they impact on the user experience?

The day will draw to a close by focusing on how these technologies come together to enable application and mobile website design and development. Strategies, technologies, and solutions will be discussed, along with ways to ease the developer's burden to achieve a rapid and cost-effective launch of new handsets.

Not to be missed by product marketers seeking a fast overview of mobile phone components and a deeper understanding of the technologies and inter-relationships between providers. The workshop will also provide a solid, technology grounding for user experience professionals new to mobile.

To find out more or to book, contact Tomasz Kuskowski on 0207 290 3430, email europe@humanfactors.com or visit www.humanfactors.com/europe/mobileworkshop.asp

For further information, please contact Scott Weiss, Executive Director EMEA, Human Factors International, Tel: +44 (0)207 290 3432, Mobile: +44 (0)7717 413 379, Email: scott.weiss@humanfactors.com or visit www.humanfactors.com/Europe

For media enquiries, please contact Jane Allardice, Jane Allardice Communications Ltd, tel: +44 (0)1273 467 634 or email: jallardice@jac-pr.com

Notes to Editors:

1. The one-day workshop, "From Batteries to Blogging – a user experience-based technology journey into today's mobile phones" will be held on 25 February and 22 April 2009 at 16 Albemarle Street, London WIS 4HW. The price per delegate is £375 plus VAT. A 10% discount is available if three or more people from the same company attend. The workshop runs from 9 am to 4.30 pm.
2. Scott Weiss is based in HFI's London office, where he leads user interface design, usability research, user experience curriculum development, and usability institutionalisation projects for clients, including AT&T, BT, GSK, Thomson-Reuters, and Vodafone. He is well known for his passion for the mobile user experience, his first book, "Handheld Usability" and related blog (handheldusability.wordpress.com). He recently spoke at Informa's Mobile User Experience conference in London on the iPhone's competitive opportunities and taught a workshop on user experience strategy and implementation. He chaired Handsets World USA in San Diego and ran the Mobile Design and Development Platforms workshop. Other recent speaking engagements include the Euro IA Summit in Amsterdam where he presented Documenting Mobile 2.0 Information Architecture and Mobile Social Networking at the Monetize Web 2.0 & Mobile Social Networking Conference in London.
3. 3. HFI is a global company specialising in usability and user experience design. It works with clients to develop websites and products that are persuasive, engaging, and easy to use. Its methodology for user-centred design, which is ISO-certifiable, is based on principles drawn from human-computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology and marketing.

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Arno Bublitz joins Human Factors International (HFI) as Executive Director, North and Central Europe

16 October 2008. Human Factors International (HFI), a major global software usability and user experience design specialist, is delighted to announce that Arno Bublitz has been appointed to the newly created role of Executive Director, North and Central Europe.

A consultant since 1999, Bublitz has led software usability and user interface design projects for a range of blue-chip companies, including Lufthansa, E.ON, Evonik Industries AG, GEPE, and TUI.

Based in HFI's newly opened Hamburg office, his remit covers Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe. His appointment reflects HFI's growing pan-European client base and reinforces the company's local presence in Germany. He will be responsible for leading new business strategy and software usability projects, initially concentrating on the German market.

HFI is positioning itself in the existing German usability marketplace by introducing its own offering of a proven methodology that provides clients with a complete suite of usability support. The only ISO-certifiable usability methodology, it is a one-stop, user-centred design process incorporating best practices for optimising the user experience. It is specifically designed to fit in with clients' existing software development life cycle methods to enhance the usability of their online services, tools and products.

Explains Bublitz: "Our unique approach to usability differentiates us from other providers in the existing market as we are able to undertake international projects for clients by applying one, consistent methodology. It also ensures that user-centred design is an integral part of the overall software development methodology and satisfies the business purpose for creating a product."

One of HFI's founding principles is the fostering of learning and transfer of usability knowledge. Bublitz's mandate also includes promoting HFI's Certified Usability Analyst™ (CUA) training courses and certification programme in the region. HFI's CUA accreditation is a globally recognised qualification held by usability analysts in over 25 countries.

Nigel Grace, Managing Director of HFI's European operations, says: "Arno Bublitz's usability and project management expertise will be invaluable in helping our clients gain the competitive edge and improve their bottom line."

For further information, please contact Nigel Grace, Managing Director EMEA of Human Factors International, Tel: +44 (0)207 290 3430, Mobile: +44 (0)77487 12694, Email: nigel@humanfactors.com or Arno Bublitz, Executive Director, Human Factors International, Tel: +49 40 401 365 61, Email: arno.bublitz@humanfactors.com or visit www.humanfactors.com/Europe

For media enquiries, please contact Jane Allardice, Jane Allardice Communications Ltd, tel: +44 (0)1273 467 634 or email: jallardice@jac-pr.com

Notes to Editors:

1. HFI in Germany is located at Rödingsmarkt 14, D-20459 Hamburg.
2. Human Factors International (HFI) is a global usability specialist helping clients design websites and products that are engaging and easy to use.
3. HFI is the only usability specialist that provides a complete and comprehensive suite of usability support for clients. Its methodology, which is ISO-certifiable, is based on principles drawn from human-computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology and marketing.
4. HFI has developed a new web design technique called PET (Persuasion, Emotion, and Trust). This approach encompasses creating designs that appeal to the rational and emotional aspects of decision making.
5. Established over 25 years, HFI has a head office in the US and 12 regional offices spanning the globe from Europe to India and Asia. Many of its technical staff hold Ph.D.s or Masters Degrees in Human Factors, Industrial Design, Psychology or Cognitive Science.
6. Arno Bublitz holds degrees in engineering and management, and speaks fluent German, English, Spanish, and French. He lectures in usability at the University of Applied Sciences in Kiel, Germany.
7. Arno Bublitz is the founder and chairman of Ride4charity, whose members participate in sponsored bike rides to raise money for charity.

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Scott Weiss of Human Factors International (HFI) discusses mobile trends for 2009 at Handsets Forum USA

9 October 2008. Scott Weiss, Executive Director EMEA of Human Factors International (HFI), will share his insights into mobile design and development platforms with attendees at this year's Handsets Forum USA, which takes place 29 to 30 October in San Diego.

He will present "Mobile Handset User Experience Trends". With both the iPhone and the user experience forcing the mobile industry to raise its game, he will discuss likely trends for 2009 and how to translate them into everyday use.

Areas he will concentrate on include how operators can leverage rich user experiences enabled by touch screens, new high speed internet access and powerful chipsets to capture and retain customers. He will also outline steps for manufacturers to be at the forefront of a new user experience.

Weiss has been invited to chair the second day of the conference and will speak on a panel that will debate: "Finding the Balance Between Using Several Innovative, Ground-Breaking Applications and Avoiding User Confusion".

As part of the forum's additional two-day programme of in-depth briefings, he will also teach a pre-conference workshop on 28 October, entitled "Mobile Design and Development Platforms". The workshop's presentations, discussions and round tables are designed to bring product marketers up to speed on the available technologies, implementation strategies, challenges, and opportunities.

To find out more about Handsets Forum USA, visit www.handsetsforumusa.com.

For further information, please contact Scott Weiss, Executive Director EMEA, Human Factors International, Tel: +44 (0)207 290 3430, Mobile: +44 (0)7717 413 379, Email: scott.weiss@humanfactors.com or visit www.humanfactors.com/Europe.

For media enquiries, please contact Jane Allardice, Jane Allardice Communications Ltd, tel: +44 (0)1273 467 634 or email: jallardice@jac-pr.com

Notes to Editors:

1. Scott Weiss is the Executive Director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, working from Human Factors International's London office. He currently leads projects that span desktop, mobile, medical, consumer electronics, and enterprise business needs with regard to design, research, and usability institutionalisation. Prior to joining HFI, he led teams of researchers and designers for eleven years as the Principal of Usable Products Company, which he formed in New York in 1996. He has led usability and design projects for Dun & Bradstreet, GlaxoSmithKline, Intel, JP Morgan Chase, Samsung, Sprint, and Vodafone, among many other well-known global companies. His book, "Handheld Usability", was the pioneering design, prototyping, and usability text for the mobile industry. He is frequently invited to speak about usability and has a special interest in mobile design and quantitative usability benchmarking.
2. HFI is a leading global strategic advisor and provider of user experience design services to the private and public sectors. HFI helps clients design websites and products that are persuasive, engaging, and easy to use. Its methodology for user-centred design, which is ISO-certifiable, is based on principles drawn from human-computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology and marketing.

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Human Factors International (HFI) goes for gold at the EuroIA Summit

10 September 2008. Human Factors International (HFI), a leading global specialist in usability and user experience design services, is the Gold Sponsor of this year's EuroIA Summit. The event, which runs from 26 to 27 September 2008 in Amsterdam, will explore the theme of "Redrawing the Map", from forging new international alliances to adapting to the web 2.0 space.

"HFI is delighted to be associated with this premier event specifically designed for the community of information architects in Europe and around the world," says Nigel Grace, HFI's Managing Director. "Since its inauguration in 2005, the event has provided an annual forum for those in the sector to share their industry-specific experiences through presentations, panels and networking opportunities."

Scott Weiss, HFI's Executive Director EMEA, has also been selected to present his paper entitled, "Documenting Mobile 2.0 IA", at the Summit. He will discuss how mobile design differs from documenting desktop designs, and the challenges associated with mobile information architecture.

Challenges Weiss has identified include the changing focus of soft key labels, animation as part of the application's interaction, gestural user interfaces, and the constraints posed by the business requirements of the telecoms industry.

The presentation will include an animated demonstration to illustrate his documentation methodology. This will involve taking a finished design, breaking it into its design and documentation components, and explaining how the documentation for the design was produced.

Adds Weiss: "I will also be encouraging attendees at the presentation to discuss their own particular mobile design challenges so that they leave the session with an outline solution."

For further information, please contact Nigel Grace, Managing Director EMEA of Human Factors International, Tel: +44 (0)207 290 3430, Mobile: +44 (0)77487 12694, Email: nigel@humanfactors.com or visit www.humanfactors.com/Europe

For media enquiries, please contact Jane Allardice, Jane Allardice Communications Ltd, tel: +44 (0)1273 467 634 or email: jallardice@jac-pr.com

Notes to Editors:

1. The venue for the EuroIA Summit 2008 is the Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam. For more information, see www.euroia.org
2. Scott Weiss's presentation takes place in the Cinema on Saturday, 27 September, from 12.15 to 13.00.
3. HFI is the only usability specialist that provides a complete and comprehensive suite of usability support for clients. Its methodology, which is ISO-certifiable, is based on principles drawn from human-computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology and marketing.
4. Scott Weiss's book, "Handheld Usability", was the pioneering design, prototyping, and usability text for the mobile industry. He speaks frequently on the topic of usability, with a special interest in mobile design.

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Robert Gillham joins HFI as Project Director

25 July 2008. Human Factors International (HFI), a global leader in software usability and user experience design, continues to expand its London operations with the appointment of Robert Gillham.

Gillham joins as Project Director, with responsibility for leading pan-European usability projects and building client relationships.

He comes from a consultancy background, having led usability and user-centred design and research projects in the UK, US, Europe, and Japan. The scope of his experience ranges from design and evaluation of websites, mobile phone services, and desktop software to business systems and consumer electronics.

His previous roles have included designing and developing systems for use by call centre staff and customers of a major UK insurance company. As a senior human-computer interaction consultant, he also managed projects for a number of UK Government departments, including the National Archives, Department of Transport, Financial Services Association, Department of Health, and the Passport and Identity Service.

In the consumer electronics field, he worked on a pan-European project researching the use of video and audio technology in the home. Conducted from an ethnographic perspective, his team investigated consumer attitudes to the technology's design, which primarily reflected the aspirations of the Asian market.

He holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Information Systems and a Masters in Human-Computer Interaction with Ergonomics.

Nigel Grace, Managing Director of HFI's European operations, explains why Gillham was appointed. "His qualifications and experience complement the focus of our usability work, which is based on principles drawn from human-computer interaction, ergonomics, psychology and marketing. He will play a key role in building and supporting our growing pan-European client base."

For further information, please contact Nigel Grace, Managing Director EMEA of Human Factors International, Tel: +44 (0)207 290 3430, Mobile: +44 (0)77487 12694, Email: nigel@humanfactors.com or visit www.humanfactors.com/Europe

For media enquiries, please contact Jane Allardice, Jane Allardice Communications Ltd, tel: +44 (0)1273 467 634 or email: jallardice@jac-pr.com

Notes to Editors:

1. HFI is the only usability specialist that provides a complete and comprehensive suite of usability support for clients. Its methodology, which has received ISO certification (ISO 2001-9000), is designed to optimize the usability of clients' online services, tools and products.
2. Established over 25 years, HFI has a head office in the US and 12 regional offices spanning the globe from Europe to India and Asia.
3. As part of its commitment to knowledge transfer, HFI also runs Certified Usability™ (CUA) training courses and a certification programme. Its CUA accreditation is a globally recognised qualification held by usability analysts in over 25 countries.

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Human Factors International – giving technology a human face

MEFX – The Middle East International Banking, Financial Technology &
Services Exhibition & Conference, 1 to 3 June 2008
Stand A1-3, Sheikh Rashid Hall
Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre

16 May 2008. Human Factors International, a global leader in software usability and user experience design, will showcase its Usability Central—Best Practices™ at this year's first ever MEFX taking place in Dubai from 1 to 3 June 2008.

Usability Central—Best Practices is part of Human Factors International's suite of usability solutions, which can be applied across any organisation's information technology system. The highly developed process comprises usability standards, methods, knowledge and tools for web design and software products, which can be installed and customised to suit different business purposes and technical environments.

To produce successful software products that satisfy customer needs and expectations, user-centred interface design must be an integral part of the overall software development methodology. In practice, it is often deadlines, budgets and technological constraints that drive development, rather than the business purpose for creating the product.

Usability Central—Best Practices provides the infrastructure required to ensure user-centred design methods are applied throughout the entire development process. It is a flexible offering made up of five modules – methodology, web interface standards, GUI interface standards, knowledge, and graphics – which can be purchased individually or in any combination. Each module, in turn, is designed to be customised as part of a step by step process.

Nigel Grace, Managing Director of Human Factors International, explains: "It is the business model that drives profitability. Usability is only meaningful if applications meet users' expectations and serve the business model. That is why our product will be of particular interest to large organisations and financial institutions as it can be applied globally to external websites, intranets and extranets to achieve a consistency of standards and design across the technology spectrum."

An added benefit is that the resource allows global companies to store personalised web style guides, templates, standards and protocols worldwide, which can be used by local usability operators and managers dealing with local products, whilst ensuring uniformity of branding.

Throughout the three days of the exhibition, Human Factors International will be giving on-stand demonstrations showing how Usability Central—Best Practices can be applied. Be sure to visit Stand A1-3 to see how the application can help you achieve your business goals.

For further information, please contact Nigel Grace, Managing Director of Human Factors International, tel: +44 (0)207 290 3430, Mobile: +44 (0)77487 12694, Email: nigel@humanfactors.com or visit www.humanfactors.com/Europe

For media enquiries, please contact Jane Allardice, Jane Allardice Communications Ltd, tel: +44 (0)1273 467 634 or email: jallardice@jac-pr.com

Notes to Editors:

1. Nigel Grace, Managing Director of Human Factors International will present The New Customer Magnet at the MEFX Summit Technology Forum, 12.15 pm to 12.45pm on Tuesday, 3 June 2008 in the Sheikh Rashid Hall at the Dubai International Convention Centre.
2. To reinforce Dubai's position as a world-class financial hub, the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) have launched MEFX, the first Middle East International Banking, Financial Technology and Services Exhibition and Conference. A trade-only event, its focus is on banking products, financial technology and professional services for the financial services industry. It runs from Sunday, 1 June to Tuesday, 3 June 2008 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
3. Human Factors International is the only company in the word that provides a complete and comprehensive suite of usability support for clients. Its methodology, which has received ISO certification (ISO 2001-9000) focuses on systematic, controlled field research. This ensures that its designs and recommendations are derived from user data and based on objective, data gathering techniques.
4. Human Factors International's clients in the financial services sector include JP Morgan Chase & Co, Citibank, Charles Schwab, HSBC, Reuters, and Ernst & Young.
5. Established over 25 years, Human Factors International has a head office in the US and satellite offices spanning the globe from Europe to India and Asia. Many of its technical staff hold Ph.D.s or Masters degrees in Human Factors, Industrial Design, Psychology or Cognitive Science.

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