Guidelines and Standards

Our services are provided in accordance with the guidelines and standards listed below.
The Usability Engineering & User Experience (UX) Design experts from the HCED department at Fraunhofer FIT have actively contributed to the development of these standards within committees at DIN, DAkkS, and German UPA—and continue to be involved in various quality assurance bodies today.

The following standards have been developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), with the German versions published by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), such as DIN EN ISO 9241.

The ISO 9241 series, "Ergonomics of Human-System Interaction", outlines state-of-the-art usability recommendations, which are still not consistently applied in the development of products and services today.

The key standards we follow include:

•  DIN EN ISO 9241-11
  Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Part 11: Usability – Definitions and concepts
•  DIN EN ISO 9241-110
  Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Part 110: Interaction principles
•  DIN EN ISO 9241-210
  Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Part 210: Human-centered design for interactive systems
•  DIN EN ISO 9241-220
  Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Part 220: Processes for enabling, executing, and assessing human-centered design within manufacturer and operator organizations
•  DIN SPEC 92412 (Withdrawn)
  Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Audit procedures for the development process of interactive products based on DIN EN ISO 9241-210
•  ISO/DIS 9241-820
  Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Part 820: Ergonomic guidance on interactions in immersive environments, including augmented and virtual reality

The evaluation procedures described in the following sections form the foundation of professional usability engineering practices and have been incorporated into usability engineering literature and training programs over the years.

The "Ergonorm" method, published by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), provides a compliance assessment for software based on DIN EN ISO 9241 Parts 11 and 110.

"Ergonorm: A Compliance Testing Method for Software Based on DIN EN ISO 9241"

Following its initial publication, the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) further refined Ergonorm in the "Usability Guidelines" document. This guideline was mandatory for accredited testing organizations for several years. However, DAkkS has since withdrawn these procedures as binding regulations.

The audit method highlights key components of a usability engineering process, which are often overlooked in traditional software development models. Additionally, it provides guidance for improving project practices, although it does not replace formal education or professional training in usability engineering.

• DIN SPEC 92412 (Withdrawn)
  Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Audit procedures for the development process of interactive products based on DIN EN ISO 9241-210

More recently, the DIN expert committee revised the audit method, aligning it more closely with maturity models used in process assessments:

• DIN EN ISO 9241-220
  Ergonomics of human-system interaction – Part 220: Processes for enabling, executing, and assessing human-centered design within manufacturer and operator organizations

Beyond the "Ergonorm" method, we also reference the "Quality Standard for Usability Engineering", which provides:

• Practical guidance for planning and executing professional usability engineering activities
• Requirements for the quality of outcomes (work products)
• Competency standards for usability professionals

Quality Standard for Usability Engineering:
"A practical guide for planning and executing professional usability engineering activities: requirements for outcome quality (work products), engineering processes, and the necessary professional and personal competencies."

The following three laws in Germany are directly related to the usability of software:

1. Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV)
2. Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities Act (BGG)
3. Ordinance on Accessible Information Technology (BITV)

According to the Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV), all software operators (i.e., employers) must comply with the following usability requirements when developing, selecting, acquiring, or modifying software:

User-Friendliness Requirements for Computer Workstations

1. Employers must ensure that computer workstations are adequately designed for the tasks performed.
2. Display devices and software must be adaptable to the employees' knowledge and experience regarding their specific tasks.
3. The software system must provide users with clear information about dialogue processes.
4. Employees must be able to influence dialogue sequences, and errors must be described and corrected with minimal effort.
5. Monitoring of qualitative or quantitative work performance is not permitted without the employees' knowledge.