CUA by HFI — Is it worth it?
If you are a designer, you would surely have heard about the CUA (Certified Usability Analyst) Program from HFI (Human Factors International) — no matter which part of the world you reside in. It is considered to be one of the best programs and certifications in UX in the world.
Now you have to shell out a little more to get something at that level, which is the best of the best. Right? Same here. The program is a little expensive as compared to other programs in design, considering the fact it is only for 10 days and the schedule of the same is as below:
UX Foundation- 2 days
User-Centered Analysis & Conceptual Design- 3 days
The Science and Art of Effective Web and Application Design- 3 days
Practical Usability Testing- 2 days
Now I have been wanting to do CUA program for long, but the fact that it is so costly had always made me feel reluctant. And I tried to get information on the internet about it —
Is it worth it? What all do they teach? Is it just like any other course that will get added to my list or will I really learn something? Are the methods taught practical or they are theoretical like in all other courses?
I had many such questions for which I could not get an answer! All I could get were mixed reviews — some said (on quora), it's not worth it, it's very tough and all that (I am sure many of the people who gave negative reviews wouldn't even have done the program). And so, I just didn't get any substantial thing that would have helped me make a decision until I spoke to a friend of mine (she is CUA from HFI) and she just said — it is 100% worth it!
Without wasting a single min, I enrolled to the course, and boy, am I not excited!
And so, I thought to narrate my day-by-day journey here on my blog, which can also help you understand what this program is all about and make a decision if it is for you or not.
I will not describe what they taught in the class, the concepts, etc, I will only talk about my experience and what I felt about that particular class.
So, stay tuned — I am gonna take you on a journey and help you make a decision on this course. I wish I had something like this to look forward to before enrolling in this program.
Cheers!