The five HTML apps (useContext, useCardsort, usePrototype, useProcessCheck, useProcessMap) also run locally on their own – without installation and immediately understandable.

What makes useEngineer special is:

• You manage moderation rights for these tools.
• This enables you to start joint online group meetings (sessions) in which several people can work on the same topic at the same time – moving cards, adding texts, designing prototypes, documenting processes.
• The cloud synchronization service makes this collaboration reliably possible – in the office, at home, across locations and even across company boundaries when applications or processes are to be developed and optimized that are used in many organizations.

Five small, immediately usable HTML apps for usability engineering and process optimization.

• useContext – for documenting and clarifying the ergonomic relevance of usage contexts,
• useCardsort – for comprehensible term hierarchies (wording),
• usePrototype – for quick and easy (paper) prototyping
• useProcessCheck – for analyzing interaction quality down to process atomization.
• useProcessMap – for certification-compliant process documentation or process mining.

• “5-minute rule”: all tools are immediately understandable, even for non-technicians.
• 100% digital sovereignty: no cookies, no tracking.
• Parallel collaboration in real time – stable even with weak connections or older devices.
• Dynamic layouts keep things organized, even when many people are working simultaneously.
• Accessible: simple interactions (drag&drop, rotation clicks) include everyone, even cognitively weaker participants.
• Moderation rights (Cloud-Service) give workshops, trainings and projects a clear structure.
• FOSS character (Free and Open Source Software) builds trust: verifiable, extendable, without dependence on individual providers.
• Process atomization ensures transparency and at the same time provides a future-proof basis for later AI-supported analyses and optimizations.

With useEngineer you combine the best of both worlds:

• local FOSS tools for independent use
• cloud service with moderation rights for real collaborative working sessions – in offices, home office, across locations, countries and company boundaries

This makes usability and process optimization possible for companies, educational institutions and international cooperation alike.

useEngineer is a B2B prepaid service with simple handling and full cost transparency:

• €20.01 net (= €25 gross) per moderation address and month.
• no long-term contracts, no termination, no reminders.
• clear costs, no hidden fees.
• automatic notification upon expiry.
• payment also via simple online payment methods.

Moderation rights:

• Any number of moderation addresses can be activated per account.
• With sufficient credit, rights are automatically extended.
• If the account balance is insufficient, surplus rights are paused (not deleted).
• Only the moderation addresses, their expiration date and the renewal option are stored. For setting up group access, a registration with business data and two-factor authentication is required.

The strength of useEngineer is that it builds a bridge between all target groups:

• Trainers, lecturers, coaches in usability / UX / process management: Use the tools in seminars, workshops, and training sessions.
  • Advantage: simple handling (5-minute rule), no long training required.
  • Typical: universities, training institutes, corporate education.
• Companies in transformation processes / reorganization: Need fast, collaborative methods for process analysis, documentation, and optimization.
  • Advantage: standards-compliant documentation (ISO 9001, ISO 9241-210), preparation for audits.
  • Typical: SMEs, consulting firms, internal QM departments.
• Usability and process experts: Apply the tools in projects to make ergonomic issues, workarounds, and optimization potentials visible.
  • Advantage: combination of classic usability methods (card sorting, context analysis, prototyping) and process-oriented approaches.
  • Typical: consultants, internal UX teams, quality managers.
• and others such as non-technical users & laypersons, students & young professionals: Learn usability engineering methods in practice-oriented exercises.
  • enables inclusive collaboration (even cognitively weaker participants can join).
  • tools make abstract concepts (process atomization, context analysis) tangible and easy to grasp.

All tools share the ability of local web application as HTML app! That means the respective HTML file works like a program, but without installation and the necessary rights. It can be used online as well as saved locally and started e.g. with a double-click. This creates versatile design possibilities – both for individuals and for organizations.

Minimal training times enable direct collaboration of usability engineers with users or other stakeholders. All actions are based on simple interactions that follow a consistent concept across all tools. All data developed and, if applicable, versioned in the individual tools are to be stored locally. Changes or older versions can be loaded at any time and further processed in group sessions.

The useEngineer tools were developed with a clear goal: immediately understandable, collaboratively usable and sustainably helpful. Instead of long training or expensive special solutions, you experience methods that work directly in seminars, training and companies:

• Start immediately – the “5-minute rule”: Each tool is so simple that it can be understood and used within 5 minutes. Even people without technical background knowledge can participate immediately.
• Together instead of alone: All tools are made for real group work. Several people can move cards, add texts or design prototypes at the same time – stable even on older devices and weak internet.
• Keep an overview: Content remains clearly structured even with many contributions. Cards, columns and work areas adapt flexibly and can be individually customized.
• Accessible and inclusive: Operation is simple, playful, understandable – even for people who otherwise have difficulties with software. Tests show: “This is really fun!”
• Make processes understandable: Especially with useProcessCheck and useProcessMap workflows can be mapped step by step – comprehensible for people and prepared for later analyses.

The individual tools

Overall concept

In addition to the core tools of useEngineer there are other applications and program codes that cover more complex usage scenarios. They are not part of the direct core but open up additional possibilities for those who want to dive deeper. These tools are powerful, but require somewhat more intensive training.

• The useEditor app facilitates the creation of documentation, forms and entire websites (static site generator, SSG). Changes can be tested directly – ideal for interactive drafts.
• Users can contribute improvement suggestions, add examples, adapt translations in the context of internationalization and also use content locally.
• Through an optional connection, AI components can be used that automatically generate suggestions for texts, forms or process steps, enabling new forms of human-AI collaboration.
• A central element is the separation of frontend, backend and design. Existing backend functions can thus be combined with a usability-optimized frontend. Practical examples can be understood with the useExamples app.
• The useSkinner app is a special design editor for complex business applications. Different designs (skins) can be adapted to any task or work environment.
• All design elements are freely scalable and can be adjusted via form settings.
• Fluidly animated spacing, colors etc. in the preview window enable direct visual checking. Even pixel-oriented layouts can thus be made usable.
• The useLib JavaScript codes form a compact library for extending browser functionalities based on HTML5. By analogy to API (Application Programming Interface), the useLib is an AII (Application Interaction Interface).
• It analyzes HTML forms in real time and replaces standard fields with ergonomically improved input elements – even in existing legacy applications.
• In addition, decentralized data sources (e.g. exchange rates, calendars, IBAN/BIC, postal codes) can be integrated to facilitate inputs.
• On the economic and ecological level, the useLib concept results in a minimization of resource consumption.
• Security and communication package of the useLib API: several small JavaScript and PHP components enable highly encrypted decentralized access to server data (SHA3-512).
• In addition to encryption, identification, authentication and password change are also secured.
• In combination with the useLib, a decentrally organized information and security architecture (synergetic security) is created. This reduces error rates, limits disturbances to individual data records and significantly reduces server load.

In more complex scenarios, access data can be entered once and locally stored like in an internal password vault. They remain encrypted (SHA3-512) and are only used for the respective access – not permanently stored on servers.

These components are therefore particularly interesting for specialized use cases, while the focus of useEngineer remains on the easily accessible core tools.

The security of data and access processes is of very high importance at useEngineer.

• all data remains local with the users.
• All files used in online sessions on the useEngineer server are highly encrypted. Access data exists exclusively as obfuscated hash values (SHA-512).
• The data exchange files are only used for the duration of the session and automatically deleted shortly after its end.

The useEngineer app itself uses the innovative encryption technology of the useLib. This simplifies handling while increasing security. For use, only two pieces of information are stored permanently:

• the email address and
• an encrypted secret security key (cryptological random value, SHA3-512).

This procedure works like an in-file password vault: Even more complex secret data can be protected this way. For queries or group access on the cloud server, no renewed email entry is required. The password is combined with the secret key (salt), making it even more secure. Users only have to enter their password – all further steps run automatically and encrypted in the background.