Diploma in H-Points, Envelopes and Control Layout
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in H-points, envelopes and controls layout, structured in 8 modules covering posture and reference points, driver envelopes, primary and secondary controls layout, digital human model evaluation, physical and user validation, and design integration, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in H-Points, Envelopes and Control Layout — studying from Canada
Product design and human-machine interface work is well established in Canada across automotive, aerospace, medical devices and consumer electronics. Design studios and engineering firms in Toronto, Montréal, Waterloo and Vancouver develop user interfaces for vehicles, industrial equipment and healthcare technology. Usability and accessibility requirements are shaped by national standards and provincial legislation, including the Accessible Canada Act at the federal level. Typical employers include manufacturers, software companies and design consultancies.
Fees for Canada: C$2,790 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Is design or HMI work in Canada regulated, and how does SEIUM fit in?
Product and HMI design is generally not a licensed profession in Canada, unlike engineering, which is regulated by provincial associations issuing Professional Engineer licences. SEIUM's qualifications are private, not official state degrees and not accredited by a national body. Recognition is decided by employers or relevant bodies, so confirm acceptance with them before enrolling.
Do Canadian product and interface design employers value this kind of study?
Canadian design employers, including software firms in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, usually focus on portfolios, user research and shipped work. A SEIUM qualification may add to your profile, especially with a strong final project, but whether it is valued depends on each employer. Build your portfolio alongside your studies.
How much time does this need alongside work, and how is it paid for?
The courses are fully online, so you can study from home at your own pace. Specialist courses take 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and master's 1,900, so consider your weekly availability. Teaching is in English with an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, which you can ask your employer about.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Define H-points, R-points and design postures in line with SAE.
Build the driver's eye, head and reach envelopes.
Design the layout of primary and secondary controls.
Apply control identification and symbol requirements.
Assess accommodation with digital human models.
Validate the driver workplace with physical mock-ups and users.
Adapt the layout to new technologies such as steer-by-wire.
Who it's for
- Interior package engineers.
- Vehicle ergonomics specialists.
- Driver workplace engineers.
- Human factors engineers.
- Technical interior designers.
- User validation engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the automotive industry.
What you'll work with
- SAE J826 (H-point manikin)
- SAE J1100 (motor vehicle dimensions)
- SAE J941 (driver eye locations / eyellipses)
- SAE J287 (driver hand control reach)
- SAE J1052 (driver and passenger head position)
- ISO 2575:2021 (symbols for controls and indicators)
- SAE J4004 (positioning the seating reference point)
- UNECE Regulation No. 121 (identification of hand controls)
- RAMSIS
- Siemens Jack
- CATIA V5/3DEXPERIENCE
- Vicon
- Siemens NX
8 modules
1.1Design H-point and R-point1.2The SAE J826 manikin and its use1.3Heel point and pedal point1.4Torso and hip angle1.5Seat travel and SgRP1.6High and low driving posture1.7Differences between passenger cars and commercial vehicles1.8Anthropometric percentiles and SAE J40041.9Reference points in the coordinate system1.10Workshop: defining the H-points of a passenger car
2.1Eyellipses according to SAE J9412.2Head contours SAE J10522.3Hand reach curves SAE J2872.4Knee and foot envelopes2.5Accommodated population and accommodation model2.6Steering wheel and seat adjustment2.7Pedal travel and ankle angles2.8Footrest positioning2.9Passenger envelopes2.10Practical exercise: overlaying envelopes on a package
3.1Steering wheel: position, diameter and adjustment3.2Pedals: spacing, heights and travel3.3Gear selector and its variants3.4Parking brake3.5Light and indicator switches3.6Steering wheel controls3.7Control identification requirements3.8Control location according to UNECE Regulation No. 1213.9Accessibility for adapted driving3.10Lab: pedal layout for an electric vehicle
4.1Climate control and demisting4.2Touchscreens versus physical controls4.3Centre console controls4.4Roof and door controls4.5Functional grouping of controls4.6Frequency and importance of use4.7Primary and secondary reach zones4.8Euro NCAP requirements on physical controls4.9Symbols according to ISO 25754.10Case study: reorganising climate controls
5.1RAMSIS: postures and comfort5.2Siemens Jack and task analysis5.3Reach and visibility simulation5.4Posture and comfort prediction5.5Joint load evaluation5.6Quantifying accommodation5.7Comparison with physical manikins5.8Limitations of digital models5.9Ergonomic evaluation reports5.10Workshop: reach analysis with RAMSIS
6.1Bucks and cabin mock-ups6.2Adjustable seating bucks6.3Tests with participants by percentile6.4Motion capture6.5Comfort and usability questionnaires6.6Measuring eye and head position6.7Ingress and egress validation6.8Correlation between virtual and physical6.9Design adjustments after validation6.10Practical exercise: test protocol in a seating buck
7.1Interaction between layout and interior styling7.2Airbag and passive safety constraints7.3Instrument cluster visibility requirements7.4Head-up display integration7.5Influence of electrification on the layout7.6Cabins for automated driving7.7Retractable steering wheels and steer-by-wire7.8Managing changes in the interior package7.9Competitor benchmarking7.10Case study: adapting the layout to steer-by-wire
8.1Defining the target population8.2H-points and posture8.3Driver envelopes8.4Primary controls layout8.5Secondary controls layout8.6Evaluation with digital manikins8.7Physical validation plan8.8Comparison with segment competitors8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
The programme is delivered 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, making it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is RAMSIS, Siemens Jack, CATIA V5/3DEXPERIENCE, Vicon, Siemens NX, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real procedures: defining H-points and driver envelopes, reach evaluation with digital human models, and seating buck validation with participants. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final capstone project.
Standards covered: SAE J826, SAE J1100, SAE J941, SAE J287, SAE J1052, ISO 2575:2021, SAE J4004, UNECE Regulation No. 121.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with RAMSIS, Siemens Jack, CATIA V5/3DEXPERIENCE, Vicon and Siemens NX, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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