Certified Usability Engineer

At Fraunhofer FIT, our Certified Usability Engineer training equips you with the essential tools for professional consulting in usability engineering. You will gain hands-on experience with key concepts, methods, and approaches used in usability engineering.

This training sets new standards by combining proven usability and UX methods with future-oriented technologies. Beyond the classic WIMP world (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer), the program covers targeted applications of cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR). Participants learn to create genuine innovations tailored to users’ needs, moving beyond a purely technical approach and toward sustainable product success.

Participants will also practice methods for developing and evaluating interactive products and their development processes according to internationally recognized usability standards ISO 9241-11, -110, and -210. Additional relevant methods and principles of information design and user guidance complete the curriculum.

The instructors of the Usability Engineering and User Experience Design department at Fraunhofer FIT have helped shape these standards through their work in DIN, DAkkS, and the German UXPA. Participants learn directly from the originators and seasoned experts.

Practical and Compact Learning Concept

This one-week program is compact and highly practice-oriented. Its practical focus and in-depth content align with the "Advanced Level" of general IT training structures. Participants assume the role of a Usability Consultant in a fictional (but typical) IT company, pitching ideas to promote ergonomic product design. They learn how to interpret usability concepts effectively and balance theory with real-world business needs, culminating in the implementation of an enterprise-wide usability engineering process.

Universal Knowledge – Applicable Across Industries and Products

The training enables participants to conduct all user-centered design activities in a usability engineering cycle and to integrate them effectively into an existing software development process. The acquired knowledge can be applied across industries and platforms—whether for web applications, medical devices, mobile apps, or desktop software.

Ongoing Support

Even after completing the course, Fraunhofer FIT’s usability specialists remain available to answer questions. Graduates also gain access to a community of usability engineers for practical exchange.

Proven Practical Value

A comprehensive scientific study has demonstrated the high practical value of the training: 82% of participants continue to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired in their jobs on a long-term basis. This outcome is attributed to the program’s strong focus on real-world work scenarios. Read the quality study on the Certified Usability Engineer training (german language).

Training Modules

Module 1: Context of Use Analysis

Usability definition and composition of the context of use according to ISO 9241-11, including the introduction of other usability-related and complementary concepts such as Joy of Use, User Experience, and Accessibility. The module covers methods for analyzing contexts of use and interview techniques, with a special focus on usability engineering methods for conducting semi-structured interviews and their adaptation to various usage contexts, as well as the collection and documentation of valid context descriptions.

Module 2: Deriving User Requirements

Methods for identifying user needs and deriving requirements from contextual descriptions; includes documentation, prioritization, and management of user requirements throughout the project and beyond.

Module 3: (Prototypical) Design

Relevant design-related ISO 9241 standards; Gestalt laws, principles of perception psychology; low and high fidelity prototyping—from paper and pencil sketches to interactive digital prototypes.

Module 4: Testing

Interpretation and application of ISO 9241-110; qualitative methods such as the Critical Incident Technique (according to the ErgoNorm method), Cognitive Walkthroughs, heuristic evaluation by experts; quantitative methods such as the Software Usability Measurement Inventory (SUMI), System Usability Scale (SUS), User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) and AttrakDiff..

Module 5: Implementing a Usability Engineering Process

Covers roles and interests in IT projects, politics, and industry; arguments for usability, cost-benefit analysis, legal aspects; usability engineering cycle models (ISO 9241-210, ISO TR 18529); IT development models; approaches for establishing an effective usability engineering process in accordance with ISO 9241-210.

Guest Lectures

Industry usability professionals contribute real-world insights.

Your Lecturers

Dominik Pins has been a member of the »Usability & UX Design« group at Fraunhofer FIT since 2017. He completed his Master's degree in Media and Cultural Sociology in 2016. Through his academic background and practical experience as a certified Usability Engineer, he has acquired a broad range of methods and skills that support user and context analysis for the evaluation and optimization of user-friendly products.

His work in research projects related to consumer informatics, data sovereignty, and IT security has provided him with in-depth knowledge in the design and evaluation of secure and usable solutions (Usable Privacy & Security). Since 2024, he has been part of the leadership team responsible for the training program for Certified Usability Engineers.

Marisa Koopmann has been part of the »Usability & UX Design« team at Fraunhofer FIT since early 2024. She completed her Master’s degree in Usability Engineering in 2023. Prior to that, she worked at Fresenius Medical Care, where she contributed to the user-centered development and evaluation of medical devices, gaining valuable insights into regulatory requirements and relevant standards (e.g., IEC 62366).

Through her academic training and practical experience, she has developed solid expertise in the planning, execution, and analysis of usability tests. Since 2024, she has been part of the leadership team responsible for the training program for Certified Usability Engineers.

Dennis Paul has been part of the »Usability & UX Design« group at Fraunhofer FIT since 2019. As a Certified Usability Engineer and M.Sc. in Psychology, he focuses on the impact of technology on human work and well-being. His expertise in quantitative UX research includes the development and statistical analysis of UX questionnaires. Since 2025, he has also been a Certified Design Thinking Professional.

Through his involvement in various research and industry projects, he has gained in-depth experience and knowledge in the evaluation and optimization of products and websites. Since 2024, he has been part of the leadership team responsible for the training program for certified Usability Engineers. In addition, he is an active member of the German UPA, contributing to the advancement of the usability and user experience profession.

Guest Lecturers

Prof. Dr. Britta Essing is a trained psychologist (Dipl.-Psych.) and honorary professor at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. She heads the »Human-Centered Engineering & Design« department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT. Her expertise lies in usability engineering, user experience (UX) design, and human-centered technology development.

For many years, she has been actively involved in the practice-oriented training of usability professionals and is a co-founder of the Usability Network Bonn/Rhein-Sieg. As a member of key expert committees – including DIN, DAkkS (formerly DATech), and the German UPA – she contributes her experience to the development of standards and certification procedures in the field of usability. Her work is characterized by a strong integration of research, teaching, standardization, and transfer into industry and society.

Peter Hunkirchen holds a degree in Business Administration (Dipl.-Kaufmann) and has been leading the »Usability & UX Design« group as well as Business Development within the »Human-Centered Engineering & Design« department at Fraunhofer FIT for many years. He specializes in the development and evaluation of user-centered systems, combining business-oriented thinking with user-driven innovation.

As a lecturer for Usability Engineering and UX at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences in Rheinbach, he teaches practical methods for designing usable interactive systems. He is a co-founder of the International Usability and User Experience Qualification Board (UXQB) and actively contributes to numerous national and international committees dedicated to quality assurance in usability and UX – including DIN, DAkkS, and UXPA / German UPA.