What exactly is UX design?

Customer experience encompasses all aspects of a user's interaction with a company across all channels, services, and products. For example, the experience of taking a flight includes the process of booking the ticket, the check-in process, and the flying experience too.

User experience (UX) design refers to the process of creating efficient and pleasant experiences for users of digital channels such as websites, mobile apps and other software. UX design focuses on understanding the user, enhancing the performance of the channel, and motivating users to fulfill business goals. Good UX design creates meaningful and successful digital interactions.

HFI Training teaches user experience design as a scientific and pragmatic approach to improving the overall experience of users. It is broader than usability; it involves the design of all aspects of a product including branding, design, usability, and function.

How much does a typical UX design project cost and what is the ROI?

A typical project is a combination of various UX methods like user research, structure design, detailed design, testing and validation. The timeline and cost depends on the activities, deliverables, project complexity, and the experience and skill of the UX professionals involved. These variables make it difficult to estimate a cost or ROI but in our experience, good UX design always pays off.

UX design is a critical factor that can seem expensive at the outset. However, it is a scientific process that persuades and engages users and creates a ROI that can be measured through increased productivity, reduced reliance on help desks, increased conversion rates, reduced training costs, decreased drop-offs, and better usability.

It’s important to define and communicate the ROI of UX work so the stakeholders can see the value of investing in UX activities.

What is the timeline for a UX design project?

A UX design project timeline varies based on the UX methods, related activities, and deliverables. UX methods could be UX research, usability testing, structure design, detailed design, etc. A lot also depends on the client’s industry as well as expectations. For example, if a client is building a product for individuals with special-needs and wants to conduct user research as part of the project, recruiting participants is likely to take longer than usual due to the challenges in finding participants. While planning a UX project, one must account for such situations, including time for iterations and feedback cycles in addition to completing the activities in an appropriate manner.

A typical UX project can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Setting up a mature UX practice can take from 9 months to up to 2 years.

How do I grow my UX career?

The demand for UX designers is steadily increasing. All the potential and interest in growing your UX career then it’s not going to take too much time. LinkedIn even ranked UX design as one of the top 5 in-demand skills as of 2020.

As a first step to growing your UX career, it’s important to make sure your basics or fundamentals are strong. The ability to understand human behavior is the core of UX. You may want to gain academic or foundational knowledge before moving on to specialized UX courses.

You may also consider courses that provide foundational knowledge as well as certification. Make sure you pick a course that allows you to gain hands-on experience through tasks/activities or projects as part of the curriculum. A reputed certificate course will go a long way in adding credibility to your profile and will set you apart from competitors. HFI’s CUA^TM course is one such globally recognized certification course.

Keep in mind that the industry is fast-changing and it’s critical to stay up to date with the latest trends and information.

Irrespective of the stage of your career, it’s good to reach out to other UX professionals and build a network.

Does UX training help people in fields other than specifically UX design?

Yes! Since the evolution of the experience economy, the definition of a user has changed to include both internal employees and external consumers. Since UX is all about understanding the users, it can help product managers, business development executives, marketing teams, developers, HR, and managers gain an understanding of the user’s needs, thereby improving product quality, persuasion and conversion. A good user experience ensures acquisition and retention of customers and also helps with reducing costs (like for training and customer support)

Do I have to write an exam to be certified?

There are a lot of UX courses available in the market. Not all the certifications require you to write an exam or take a final assessment. However, all the courses have some way to assess the progress or learning. Some of the courses have ongoing quizzes and projects while others have an exam in addition to the quizzes and assignments. A reputed and trustworthy certification works as proof that you are a capable UX professional, and are an expert in skills and techniques that are an integral part of UX.

HFI Certification courses (CUA^TM, CXA^TM, and CDPA^TM) require participants to appear for an exam before being certified. The HFI certification is recognised worldwide and can give you the competitive edge in the market.

Do you have self-paced programs?

Not at this time. Training is conducted live online with an instructor to ensure you benefit from interaction with the instructor and classmates through discussion and hands-on activities.

What are the class hours?

Classes in North America start at 9:00 am Central time and end around 5:30 pm each day with a one-hour lunch break and breaks throughout the day.

How is training delivered and what are the hours?

Training for teams in corporations can be presented live online or with instructors live at your site. Hours are 9:00 am – 5:30 pm Central time (US and Canada) and can be adjusted as needed.

All of HFI’s courses and certification programs are available for corporate training.

Useful Resources for CUA Exam

CUA Exam Fact Sheet (PDF)
Outline of topics (PDF) covered in the CUA certification exam
Sample questions (PDF) from the exam
Glossary of terms (PDF) used in the CUA courses

Useful Resources for CXA Exam

CXA Exam Fact Sheet (PDF)
Outline of topics covered in the CXA certification exam (PDF)
Sample questions from the CXA exam (PDF)
PET Design glossary (PDF)
PET Architect glossary (PDF)
Omni-Channel UX Strategy and Innovation glossary (PDF)
Support a Mature UX practice glossary (PDF)

What is the Certified Usability Analyst (CUA)^TM Exam?

CUA^TM is a leading worldwide credential for User Experience practitioners, validating their mastery of the fundamental principles of user-centered design. HFI Training launched the CUA program in 2001, and since then, nearly 10,000 people in 60 countries around the world have received their CUA designation.

What is the purpose of the CUA^TM Exam?

The goal of the CUA^TM exam is to gauge an individual’s knowledge and skills. It is not designed to be a final exam for the CUA^TM courses, and attending the courses is not required to take the exam. The CUA^TM certification is not intended to replace or compete with academic degrees earned in the field of Human Computer Interaction. The CUA^TM exam measures a practitioner’s factual knowledge and application of user-centered design principles in four competency areas, in the approximate percentages of the total questions:

• User experience foundations, 20%
• User-centered analysis, 30%
• Web and application design, 30%
• Usability testing, 20%

What are the benefits of the CUA^TM Designation?

The CUA^TM designation validates that practitioners possess a common set of skills in user-centered design, with the knowledge to routinely make quality interfaces that are effective, easy to learn, efficient, memorable, and satisfying. CUAs^TM have a shared set of techniques, vocabulary, and best practices to make informed interface design decisions.

What are the prerequisites for taking the CUA^TM exam?

There are no prerequisites for taking the CUA^TM exam. Test-takers are not required to take any HFI courses since the exam assesses mastery of basic principles of user-centered design.

What is the format of the CUA^TM Exam?

The CUA^TM exam is only available online and is offered one day per month. There are a total of 100 multiple-choice questions, with four available response options. A unique online exam is presented to each test-taker by randomly selecting equivalent questions from a larger database of questions.

How to prepare for the CUA^TM exam?

The exam is challenging and many questions assess factual knowledge, while other questions test the ability to apply methodologies and tools to common design challenges. Those who have the best chance of passing the exam on the first attempt typically have:

• A few years of practical experience in user-centered design
• Prepared for the exam by organizing their materials
• Conducted a review of the concepts individually by themselves or in a group
• Formulated a strategy for taking the exam
• Attended all of the most recent CUA^TM training courses

What is the Time Limit of the CUA^TM Exam?

Test-takers have a 2.5 hour time limit to complete the exam, while test-takers in India have a 3 hour time limit. Test-takers who are not fluent in English may request a time extension for a total of 4 hours.

How to take up the CUA^TM Exam?

HFI course materials and personal notes may be used as resources during the exam, however the use of online resources or in-person assistance is not allowed. Test-takers may take the online exam on their own computer, whether at home or at work. (Note: Candidates in India are required to test in proctored classrooms.). The test platform requires that a secure app be downloaded prior to taking the exam. The exam can be started anytime during a 24-hour period on the scheduled test date and may not pause the exam once it is started. Test-takers may skip and flag a question within a section and return to it and after each of the four sections is submitted, those questions are no longer accessible.

What are the passing requirements for the CUA^TM exam?

A passing score is 70% or higher out of the total of 100 questions. If someone does not pass, they can schedule to retake it within six months at no extra cost. The final screen of the exam shows the percent correct for each of the four sections. The assessment result at the bottom of the screen is the overall score for the exam.

What is the cost of the CUA^TM Exam?

The CUA^TM exam costs $800 USD, which includes two attempts, if needed. For those who have taken all four CUA^TM courses and purchased the exam separately, the exam reattempt costs $400 USD. When the CUA^TM training is purchased as a package, the exam fee is included at no extra cost.

Is there an expiration of the CUA^TM Certification?

The CUA^TM certification does not expire since passing the CUA^TM exam demonstrates mastery of the fundamental principles of user-centered design. Upon passing the CUA^TM exam, successful test-takers will receive:

• An authenticated certificate, sent by postal mail.
• A profile in the HFI online CUA^TM Directory, which they can update at any time.
• An invitation to join the CUA^TM group on LinkedIn.
• An invitation to join CUA^TM Central, the official online community for CUAs.

What is the User Experience Analyst (CXA)^TM Exam?

The CXA^TM is the premiere advanced credential for User Experience (UX) practitioners, demonstrating their mastery of higher-level concepts in the UX field. HFI Training launched the CXA^TM exam in 2011, and since then nearly 400 individuals in over a dozen countries around the world have received the CXA^TM designation.

What is the purpose of the CXA^TM Exam?

The goal of the CXA^TM exam is to assess an individual’s knowledge and skills. It is not designed to serve as a final examination for the CXA^TM courses. The CXA^TM certification is also not intended to take the place of or be in competition with academic degrees earned in the field of Human Computer Interaction. The CXA^TM exam measures a practitioner’s knowledge and application of concepts from the following four competency areas, in the approximate percentages of the total questions:

• Persuasion engineering, 30%
• Application of persuasion engineering techniques, 20%
• Strategy and innovation, 20%
• Institutionalization of UX within organizations, 30%

What are the benefits of the CXA^TM Designation?

The CXA^TM designation validates that practitioners possess a common set of skills in UX design, with the ability to apply persuasion engineering methods to design problems, create ecosystem models, think strategically about new product and service innovations, and understand how to structure a mature UX practice. CXAs^TM have a shared set of techniques and vocabulary to analyze UX design challenges in terms of trends, models, market position and channels, persuasion strategies, and to apply best practices for institutionalizing UX to help increase competitiveness and reduce risk.

What are the prerequisites for taking the CXA^TM exam?

Candidates must have their CUA^TM certification prior to taking the CXA^TM exam. Test-takers are not required to take any HFI courses. The exam assesses mastery of advanced concepts and techniques in the UX field.

What is the format of the CXA^TM Exam?

The CXA^TM exam is only available online. It is offered approximately quarterly. There are a total of 100 multiple-choice questions, with four available response options. A unique online exam is presented to each test-taker by randomly selecting equivalent questions from a larger database of questions.

How to prepare for the CXA^TM exam?

The exam is demanding and many questions test knowledge of concepts, while other questions assess the ability to apply methodologies and tools to user experience challenges. Those who have the best chance of passing the exam on the first attempt typically have:

• Several years of practical experience in UX design
• Prepared for the exam by organizing their materials
• Conducted a review of the concepts individually by themselves or in a group
• Formulated a strategy for taking the exam
• Attended all of the most recent CXA^TM training courses

Is there a time limit for taking the CXA^TM exam?

Yes. There is a two and a half hour time limit for taking the certification exam.

What is the Time Limit of the CXA^TM Exam?

Test-takers have a 2.5 hour time limit to complete the exam and the test-takers in India have a 3 hour time limit. Test-takers not fluent in English may request a time extension for a total of 4 hours.

How to take up the CXA^TM Exam?

HFI course materials and personal notes may be used as resources during the exam, however the use of online resources or in-person assistance is not allowed. Test-takers may take the online exam on their own computer, whether at home or at work. (Note: Candidates in India are required to test in proctored classrooms.). The test platform requires that a secure app be downloaded prior to taking the exam. The exam can be started anytime during a 24-hour period on the scheduled test date. Test-takers may not pause the exam once it is started. Test-takers may skip and flag a question within a section and return to it. After each of the four sections is submitted, those questions are no longer accessible.

What are the passing requirements for the CXA^TM exam?

A passing score is 70% or higher out of the total of 100 questions. If someone does not pass, they can schedule to retake it within six months at no extra cost. The final screen of the exam shows the percent correct for each of the four sections. The assessment result at the bottom of the screen is the overall score for the exam.

What is the cost of the CXA^TM Exam?

The CXA^TM exam costs $850 USD, which includes two attempts, if needed. For those who have taken all four CXA^TM courses and purchase the exam separately, the exam reattempt costs $450 USD. When the CXA^TM training is purchased as a package, the exam fee is included at no extra cost.

What if I fail the exam?

If you fail, you can retake the exam within six months at no cost.

Is there an expiration of the CXA^TM Certification?

The CXA^TM certification does not expire since passing the CXA^TM exam demonstrates mastery of advanced principles of user experience design. Upon passing the CXA^TM exam, successful test-takers will receive:

• An authenticated certificate, sent by postal mail.
• The date of their CXA^TM designation in the HFI online CUA^TM directory.

Do I have to complete all the courses to become CXA^TM certified?

No. If you can pass the exam you will be certified. In fact, you can attempt the exam without taking any of the courses. In this case the cost of the CXA^TM exam is $850. Of course, the exams are rigorous.

Useful Resources for CDPA Exam

CDPA Exam Fact Sheet (PDF)