1. Human Centered Design
and certification system
of the HCD specialist
Masaaki Kurosu (ed.)
Sachi Mizobuchi (tr.)
Darold Davis (tr.)
Seiji Hayakawa et al. (original Japanese Ver.)

2. 1. Background
• While products/systems/services in our society have
been advancing rapidly with increasingly complex user
interfaces, we have not had a sufficient number of HCD
specialists who have skills of designing
product/system/service to provide a good experience to
its users. Human Centered Design Organization (HCD-
net) was established in 2005 to bring the concept (and
process) of human-centered design to
product/system/service development.
• This document addresses activities of the organization,
particularly focusing on the certification system of HCD
specialist.

3. 2. Activity of HCD-Net
• Our goal is to achieve the following objectives under six
activity domains detailed below.
• (1) to change product/system/service development
process from product-centered to human (user)-centered
(2) to change product/system/service development
process from problem solving to attractive experience
creation
• (3) to accomplish customer satisfaction while at the
same time reducing the company's cost of reworking.

4. Six Activity Domains
[HCD Survey & research]
• In addition to fundamental survey and research related to HCD, we conduct
research studies to raise the efficiency of system implementation and
quality of use. We also hold an annual workshop to discuss human-
centered design, and publish journals once or twice a year.
[Education]
• We provide lectures, seminars, and workshops to help the audience gain
knowledge of HCD and to exchange their experience and practice, as well
as publishing textbooks and reference books. We are also organizing and
constructing the HCD Body of Knowledge, which is necessary to put HCD
into practice.
[Public relations]
• We provide various events to learn about HCD including "HCD-net salon" (a
meeting for both members and non-members) approximately once a month
and special events for supporting members. We perform PR activity to
mass media, communicate with related organizations, and construct human
resources network.

5. [International activity related to HCD]
• We share information about our organization to audiences outside of Japan.
This activity includes performing international PR activity through our
website and serving as a window on HCD communities in Japan.
[Development]
• Our main activity here is to collect information of development tools and
methods related to HCD and provide them to members, and to investigate
and design HCD of Social infrastructure system. We also organize several
special interest groups (SIG), including Kansei SIG, Sci-Fi movie SIG
(leaning user interface ideas from Science Fiction movies), method-
developing SIG.
[Standardization/Certification]
• We develop HCD-related standards, participate in the process of HCD-
related standardization, certify HCD specialists, and certify
product/system/service, which are designed by HCD.

6. Symposium
• In addition to activities in six domains, we have a general
symposium (HCD-net forum) once a year under a
particular theme.

7. 3. Certified HCD Specialist
• In 2004, a major number of Japanese ministries and
agencies developed electronic application systems on
their websites. As problems arose due to poor usability
of the systems, a guideline was formulated to develop
websites, which are easy to use/understand for users.
However, although this guideline instructed to have
usability specialists in the design process, there was no
certification system for usability professionals at that time.
This motivated us to establish a certification system for
the specialist.

8. Goals
• Our goals of developing the certification system are;
– to establish a system to certify professionals who can carry out
the human-centered design process in product/system/service
development in practice
– to clarify a necessary set of competences for the professional
– to set clear activity goals for people who develop the specialty
– to educate people who want to use the professional„s specialty

9. Three Levels
• We designed three levels of specialist in our certification
system (however, only the first level has been exercised
so far).
• Target of the first level (HCD specialist) is assumed for
project managers, web producer and consultant, with
experience of 5 years or more of practice in the HCD
field, who can play a role in leading other people.

10. • The second level, a usability specialist (temporary title),
is assumed for system engineers, designers and
marketing researchers who have experience of 3 years
or more, and who can create requirement specification,
user interface specification and can conduct usability
tests.
• The third level is assumed for entry-level workers,
students and other people who are interested in HCD.

11. HCD specialist certification system (draft) ① 2012.01．18 HCD specialist certification committee
Level Title Target Required competence Criteria Renewal
HCD specialist, ・A： Usability engineering ・satisfy 7 or more items ・Required every
consultant, B: HCD from category A and/or B, 3 years
researcher, Web application/development and 2 or more items from ・30 points or
Certified director etc. C: Project management category C. more based on
1st HCD (project manager - (optional) knowledge of ・add point based on the criteria
Professional class) related area, technical knowledge of related area
communication skills and technical
communication skills
Usability ・A：Usability engineering ・satisfy 5 or more items ・Required every
engineer, skills(evaluation-analysis, from category A 3 years
architect, design) ・add point based on ・20 points or
Certified software - (optional) knowledge of knowledge of related area more based on
2nd Usability engineer, related area, technical and technical the criteria
Specialist designer, etc. communication skills communication skills (scoring rule is
(practitioner same as the 1st
class) level)
entry-level Basic knowledge of HCD Accuracy rate of multiple- Not required
workers, choice (4 options)
students and questions and fill-in-the-
Usability people who are blank questions
3rd proficiency interested in ※Questions are designed
Test HCD based on the introductory
(beginner level) book from HCD library
series

12. HCD specialist certification system (draft) ②
Level Title Fee Benefit Relationship Timing
with the
proficiency
test
・exam fee12000 JPY Applicants are ・once a
・registration fee 18000 JPY required to year
・annual membership fee 12000 JPY pass the third ・same time
Certified
level . as the
1st HCD (No charge for HCD-Net members)
Professional second level
・renewal fee 5000 JPY
※exam fee will be half the rate for
supporting members
・exam fee 5000 JPY ・Successful applicant Applicants are ・once a
・registration fee 1000 JPY can be eligible to apply required to year
・annual membership fee 3000 JPY for the first level pass the third ・same time
specialist after 2 years of level . as the first
Certified (No charge for HCD-Net members) practical experience. level
2nd Usability ・renewal fee 5000 JPY ・In the application for
Specialist
※exam fee will be half the rate for the first level, they can
supporting members re-use the application
documents for the
second level specialist.
・exam fee 5000 JPY ・twice a
・registration fee - No charge year
Usability ・different
3rd proficiency time from the
Test first and
second level

13. HCD specialist certification system (draft) ③
Level Title Examination method Reviewing method Eligibility Certificate
・document Reviewed by ・Five or more years ・certificate (blue)
application certified specialists of practical ・plaque
・3-5 projects are →deliberated in experience ・reissue a
assessed judging committee ・project work in a certificate when it
Certified HCD
1st graduate school will is renewed.
Professional
be counted.
(writing master thesis
is not counted as a
practical experience)
・document Reviewed by ・Five or more years ・certificate
application certified specialists of practical (green)
・3-5 projects are →deliberated in experience ・reissue a
assessed judging committee ・project work in a certificate when it
Certified Usability graduate school will is renewed.
2nd
Specialist be counted.
※same document
format and criteria are (writing master thesis
used as the first level is not counted as a
specialist. practical experience)
Written examination Scoring by external ・certificate
(computer-based) by contractors→deliber (orange)
external contractors ated by judging
committee
Usability proficiency
3rd
Test ※In major cities
throughout Japan

14. Certification Procedure
• The first and second level are assessed based on
application documents which mainly describe the past
record of applicants while the third level will be assessed
by a proficiency test.
• The application document consists of an application
sheet which describes educational and work history, a
practical activity sheet which describes past projects that
the applicant worked on and her/his competence in the
projects, appendices which indicate educational records,
published papers, books, creation and output.

15. • This structure was designed based on the JES (Japan
Ergonomics Society) Certification Program for
Professional Ergonomist, which had been working in
practice prior to our system.

16. Competence
• Competence, which is the main object of judgment, is
divided into 3 categories with detailed subcategories in
each competence area.
– [Usability Engineering] competence of research, analysis and
design
– [HCD application and development] competence to apply and
drive the HCD process in an organization
– [HCD project management] competence to manage an HCD
project and to develop an HCD-conscious organization

17. • Knowledge of the (HCD) process, philosophy,
methodology, academic knowledge of related area,
technical communication skill are also considered as a
general competence. These knowledge areas and skills
are assessed while to form a part of the total score.
• Based on a certain criteria, reviewers judge whether the
application documents prove that the applicant's
competences were exercised in practice. We have
already issued certificates for 222 HCD specialists (the
first level) as of 2011 with a large number of practitioners
and web creators. We are currently planning to start the
second and third level certification within the next year
(2013).

18. HCD Competence Map
A: Usability Engineering skills B: HCD application and C: HCD Project management K: Knowledge L: Technical
development skills skills communication
A1: Evaluation- A2: Designing B1: B2: R&D C1: Project C2: K1: Process and K2: Common K3: Related skills
analysis Implementation management Organization philosophy knowledge in academic area
of HCD process management product/syste/s and method
to an ervice
organization development
11. Designing 21. Creating 31. applying 41. Developing 51. Designing 61. Managing 71. HCD/UCD 81. User 91. Ergonomics L1. Documenting
research requirement HCD process method and project organization interface
specification and designing methodology
how to
introduce HCD
to an
organization
14. Conducting 22. Information 32. Developing 42. Creating 52. Directing 62. Education 82. Product and 92. Cognitive L2.
Interview architecture education proposals of project team technology psychology Communication
program of HCD product and (hardware/soft
business ware)
13. Conducting 23. Creating 53. Managing 83. Usage 93. Various L3. Presentation
observation design and project situation methods of
specification survey and
proposal assessment
14. Conducting 24. Prototyping 84. Design and 94. Planning
usability test development practical survey
process
15. Conducting 85. Universal 95. Quantitative
inspection design analysis method
evaluation
16. Analysis of 86. Quality 96. Qualitative
information control analysis method
structure
17. Analysis and 87. Software 97. Marketing
deliberation engineering
18. Analysis of 88. Technical
requirement communication

19. 4. Positive Effects of Certification
System
• Number of HCD-Net members grown rapidly
– Maybe for the reason that the annual certified membership fee
(12,000 JPY) is equal to the annual HCD-Net membership fee.
– In 2009, most of the applicants were HCD-Net members.
– Since 2010, those who weren‟t HCD-Net members became
certified members, thus became HCD-Net members.
– In the future, renewal fee will support HCD-Net financially.

20. Growth of HCD-Net Members
and Certified Professionals
400
350
300
250
200 Member
Certified Pro
150
100
50
0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

21. Suggestions for UXPA
• Certification by UXPA is “world-wide” and is
attractive, esp. for those who are conducting
international business.
• For non-native English applicants (e.g.
Japan, Korea, China, Russia, Germany etc.), a certain
score level of English (e.g. TOEFL) must be required to
ensure the skill of international business.