Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Announces Ezi-Prep as a 2026 Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award Winner
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) today announced Ezi-Prep, developed by Belron® International and DCA Design International, as a co-winner of the 25th Annual Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award. The award recognizes the team’s exceptional application of human factors and ergonomics to the design of an automotive glass preparation and fitting system.
Ezi-Prep shares the 2026 award with Baxter’s Dynamo Series. Following an extensive review and discussion, the judging panel unanimously concluded that both submissions demonstrated an exceptional commitment to user-centered design.
A special virtual session will be scheduled for later this year with presentations from both winning teams on the design and development of their award-winning products, followed by Q&A. The ceremony will be open to HFES members and interested members of the general public.
Ezi-Prep was developed to improve the ergonomics and usability of automotive windscreen preparation and fitting. The project focused on reducing physical challenges associated with the work while making the process more accessible to a broader range of technicians.
Key Factors Contributing to the Selection of Ezi-Prep
Rigorous Ergonomic Analysis: The judges were particularly impressed by the depth of the team’s ergonomic analysis, including motion analysis and established assessment methods such as RULA and REBA. One judge noted that this level of analysis is not typically seen in comparable product development work.
Extensive User Research: The judges highlighted the team’s global user research and its work with installers and trainers to understand real-world practices, physical demands, and opportunities for improvement.
Designing for a Broader Range of Users: The judges specifically recognized the effort to make the work more accessible to a wider range of technicians, including people who may find the existing
process physically demanding.
Human Factors Beyond Regulatory Requirements: Several judges commented on how unusual and impressive it was to see such a thorough human factors and ergonomics process applied in this type of occupational setting. Unlike some highly regulated industries where formal human factors work may be required, the Ezi-Prep team chose to apply this level of rigor to improve the user experience and physical demands of the work.
Strong Translation from Requirements to Design: The judges praised the team’s clearly defined requirements, grounded in challenges associated with the existing process, and the resulting design solutions addressing real human factors and use-related problems.
Clear and Effective Submission: The judges also noted the exceptional clarity of the submission itself. The development process, rationale, and resulting design were communicated in a way that made the human-centered design story particularly easy to understand.
In summary, Ezi-Prep demonstrated how rigorous human factors and ergonomics methods can be used to improve an established physical work process. The judges viewed the project as an innovative and compelling example of user-centered design applied to an occupational challenge and were particularly impressed by the depth of the work undertaken to understand users and translate those findings into practical design improvements.
Belron®
“We’re honored that Ezi-Prep has been recognized with the Stanley Caplan User Centered Product Design Award. The project began with a simple goal: make a physically demanding task safer, easier, and more accessible for the technicians who perform it every day. By listening closely to our people and applying rigorous ergonomics throughout development, we were able to create a solution that improves the working experience while supporting the quality and consistency our customers depend on.” – Luke Berry, Belron® Head of Technical Innovation
DCA Design
“Ezi-Prep is a strong example of what can happen when detailed user research, ergonomics, and design engineering are brought together from the outset. By bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of engineers and human factors specialists, we were able to translate the real physical challenges experienced by technicians into clear design requirements, and turn them into practical solutions. We’re delighted to see that process recognized by the Stanley Caplan Award, particularly because it demonstrates the value of rigorous human-centered design in an area where it is not always expected.” – Grace Kane, DCA Research Lead
Judging Panel
The 2026 award selection committee consisted of the following judges:
- Andrea Berman: linkedin.com/in/andreahberman
- David Aurelio: linkedin.com/in/david-a-8167384
- David Gilmore: uk.linkedin.com/in/davidjgilmore
- Eric Bergman: linkedin.com/in/eric-bergman
- Roman Lomeli: linkedin.com/in/romanlomeli/
- Tabitha Solomon: linkedin.com/in/tabitha-solomon-21016180
The judges brought extensive experience spanning medical devices, consumer and commercial products, industrial design, healthcare UX, human-computer interaction, cognitive psychology, ergonomics and product development. Their collective expertise contributed to a rigorous review and discussion of all submissions.
About the Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award
The Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award is presented annually to teams and individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement in user-centered product design. Named in honor of Stanley Caplan, an HFES Fellow who founded the award 25 years ago, the award recognizes exemplary applications of human factors and user-centered design across industries.
This year’s judging criteria included ease of operation, creativity and innovation, functional obviousness, concept development, design and evaluation.
The award is chaired by Adam Shames.
Nominations for the 2027 Stanley Caplan User-Centered Product Design Award will open in January 2027 at www.UCDaward.com.