HFI Launches Usability Certification for Organizations and Designs

Organizations Can Now Have a "Certified Practice in Usability(TM)" and Submit a Product, Application, or Website to be a "Certified Usable Design(TM)"

MUMBAI, India, August 23, 2010 - Human Factors International (HFI) announced today an extension of their
successful program for certification of usability practitioners (Certified
Usability Analysts(TM)) which currently provides certification to about 10%
of the world's usability practitioners. As a service to the industry, they
will provide the ability for organizations to have certification for their
level of institutionalization of usability. They can be certified as Level
III, IV, and V depending on their achievement on HFI's Usability Maturity
Model. The certified organizations 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 upon the presence of trained and certified staff, user
centered design methods, standards, and tools. The organization will also be
rated for its executive attention to usability, organizational structure, and
culture of care for customers. Each organizational 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 centered 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. HFI staff will then review the
documents and the design; rejecting any submission that fails to meet
systematic criteria of good practice.

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."

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

For more information on Certified Practice in Usability please visit:
www.humanfactors.com/certification/CPU.asp

For more information on Certified Usable Design please visit:
www.humanfactors.com/certification/CUD.asp

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(TM) is the
only user-centered 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 Dell, Ernst & Young, FedEx, HP, Microsoft, NIH,
SAP, Wal-Mart. In Asia, HFI has worked with ICICI Bank, Reliance
Communications, Taj Hotels, Jet Airways, Indiatimes, Rolta, Citibank
Singapore, Ministry of Defence, Research in Motion, Globe Telecom, Intel,
Huwaei, Lenovo, China Construction Bank etc.

HFI corporate headquarters are located in Fairfield, Iowa, with regional
offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. The Asian offices of
HFI are at:

1. India - Mumbai, Bangalore, Pondicherry

2. Singapore

3. China - Shanghai

Visit www.humanfactors.com

    Contact:

    Hitesh Agrawal
    +91-98922-57629
    hitesh@humanfactors.com

Contact: Hitesh Agrawal, +91-98922-57629, hitesh at humanfactors.com