Certified Usability Analyst (CUA)TM
Kickstart your UX career with the right credentials
Training / Certifications / CUA™
Get a powerful head start by earning the CUA™ credential from HFI, individuals gain credibility in the field of usability and enhance their career prospects in industries ranging from technology and healthcare to finance and e-commerce.
The track includes 4 courses (covered in 10 days) that are taught by HFI's instructors, live online.
To get the certification, you need to take and pass the CUA™ exam, conducted by HFI.
What our alumni found valuable
“The credential pushed me further to explore impactful design." Getting my certification really equipped me with the language, processes, and clarity I needed to go beyond just the visuals. It was a pivotal moment that drew me deeper into the world of UX and product design.
Sheena Setayesh
Bentley Systems
“I chose HFI because it’s a leader in complex UX thinking.” I was looking for structure and depth—and I found both. My instructor brought clarity and insight that helped me grow not just as a designer, but as a mentor shaping future talent.
Joydeep Mitra
Kyndryl Vital Studios
“A turning point in my career.” My UX passion needed credibility to survive, and earning the Certified Usability Analyst (CUA)™ credential marked a turning point. It gave me the language, structure, and the science to back my instincts.
Bheki Ntanzi
Rand Merchant Bank (RMB)
“Because of HFI, I now have a fresh, practical way to design with people truly in mind.” Getting HFI certified was a strategic move for my team to solidify UX as an integral part of the business. The program helped us remain up to date with the latest industry standards, reinforcing our approach with science-backed methodologies.
Jeneviev J. Moraña
BDO Unibank
“Beyond insights, the training taught me to design with heart.” Working with other Certified Usability Analysts really motivated me to pursue my CUA™. It provided me with the framework and confidence to lead with empathy, helping to merge UX and service to make technology feel truly human.
Wes Lewis
Hex5
“Even after 20 years, the learning still guides safer, smarter healthcare design.” The entire learning experience helped me move beyond assumptions. It equipped me to build structured research programs that changed the way products were designed for the healthcare ecosystem.
Alyce Green
ACG Design Research
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1. User Experience (UX) Foundations - 2 Days
Successful customer-centered design begins with a solid understanding of how people will experience your design. This course provides a foundational understanding of human behavior leading to accurate design decisions.
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2. User-Centered Analysis and Conceptual Design - 3 Days
“Know thy customers” is a cardinal rule in design. This course helps you understand the process of customer research and requirements gathering. You will be introduced to data gathering methodologies that will provide deep insights about your users.
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3. The Science and Art of Effective Web and Application Design - 3
Days
Translating customer requirements correctly into usable designs needs scientific knowledge. This course covers research-based and field-tested web and app design principles regarding layout, color, icons, and text, along with accessibility and cross-cultural design.
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4. Practical Usability Testing - 2 Days
The only way to know if your design is supporting your customers' expectations is through progressive testing. Here, you will pick up quick and practical usability testing techniques—ranging from simple paper prototype tests to cutting edge remote testing.
Aboli Maydeo
UX Consultant and Educator
Ashish Majumdar
VP Solutions & UX Educator
Aveek Majumdar
UX Consultant and Educator
Daniel G. Cabrero
Agile User Research consultant
Komal Kapoor
UX Consultant and Educator
Masood Nasser
UX Leader
Nasheed Kulay
UX Consultant and Educator
Sachendra Yadav
UX Consultant
Shruti Suman
Design Strategist and Educator
Vanitha Shankar
Design Strategy & Innovation Consultant
Yogesh Tadwalker
UX Consultant and Educator
Why is investing in UX training and certification
important for your career?
Dr. Eric Schaffer shares how HFI Training will give you the edge to cope with technology transitions, work in large-scale environments, and build influence.
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Why should I take the CUA™ training?
HFI's CUA is the industry's gold standard in UX certification. It recognizes that you are trained and have cleared the CUA™ exam that tests solid foundational UX knowledge required to work in the field on real design projects. With this certification, you will gain recognition as a pragmatic UX designer within your organization and with outside clients too.
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What are the UX skills I can expect to learn?
The CUA™ training covers foundational UX skills and knowledge such as:
- Scientific understanding of human functioning (in areas such as vision, intellect or memory) and the impact on design
- Researching customers and analyzing their requirements
- Creating design artifacts such as user profiles, personas, scenarios for accurate information architecture
- Designing navigation structures that intuitively map to users' expectations
- Designing for inclusiveness – including accessibility and cross-cultural design
- Conducting usability testing to determine your design's success
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What kind of community will I find in this course?
You will find like-minded professionals from the design and allied fields such as UX designers, graphic and visual designers, interaction architects, UI developers, marketing and other business stakeholders who will benefit from this foundational UX knowledge.
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What can I expect?
Our instructors are also UX experts and consultants. They add practical insights to the course material from their projects with small clients to Fortune 500 companies, demonstrating how you can apply what you’re learning in class. You will take away researched and empirical UX knowledge, tips and best practices.
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What does the cost cover?
The cost covers:
- The CUA™ track includes 4 courses (10 days of in-depth training)
- Comprehensive electronic course materials, workbooks, and quick reference guides
- Online CUA™ exam (and one re-attempt in 6 months if required)
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Do I have to take all the 4 courses or can I pick and choose?
You can certainly choose individual classes that meet your needs. However, the four courses are designed to provide the practical skills you need for diverse strategic and tactical UX design projects. Taking all four courses prepares you holistically to be a successful UX practitioner.
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What if I don't clear the CUA™ exam in the first attempt?
If you've attended the entire 10 days of CUA™ training, then you are already well prepared to clear the CUA™ exam! If you don't pass in the first attempt, you can make a second attempt within 6 months at no extra cost.
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