Human Centered Design Course

Lesson 1 • Overview of the HCD Process

Introduces the end-to-end design process from discovery to delivery. Provides a roadmap students will deepen throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Ethical Responsibilities in HCD

Addresses the designer's duty to avoid harm and respect user dignity. Sets ethical expectations that apply throughout all subsequent chapters.

Lesson 3 • What Is Human-Centred Design

Defines HCD as a problem-solving philosophy rooted in empathy. Grounds the chapter by distinguishing HCD from technology- or business-first approaches.

Lesson 4 • The HCD Mindset and Values

Explores the attitudes and beliefs that enable effective HCD practice. Connects mindset to consistent, high-quality design outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Observational and Contextual Methods

Introduces ethnographic observation and contextual inquiry to capture behaviour in natural settings. Complements interview data with real-world context.

Lesson 2 • Surveys and Quantitative Inputs

Explains how surveys and analytics complement qualitative research. Provides tools to validate patterns across larger user populations.

Lesson 3 • Conducting User Interviews

Covers interview design, facilitation, and note-taking techniques. Interviews are the primary tool for uncovering latent user needs.

Lesson 4 • Synthesising Research Data

Transforms raw data into structured insights using affinity mapping and coding. Produces the evidence base for defining user needs.

Lesson 1 • Mapping User Journeys

Visualises the end-to-end user experience across touchpoints and time. Journey maps reveal pain points and opportunity areas for design intervention.

Lesson 2 • Jobs-to-Be-Done Framework

Applies the jobs-to-be-done lens to uncover functional, social, and emotional user goals. Deepens problem definition beyond surface-level feature requests.

Lesson 3 • Building User Personas

Teaches construction of evidence-based personas that represent key user segments. Personas anchor design decisions in real human characteristics.

Lesson 4 • Defining Design Criteria and Constraints

Establishes measurable success criteria and real-world constraints before ideation. Criteria serve as evaluation benchmarks throughout the design process.

Lesson 1 • Analogical and Lateral Thinking

Uses analogies, metaphors, and cross-domain inspiration to break design fixation. Expands the solution space beyond obvious or incremental ideas.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Creative Ideation

Establishes the cognitive and social conditions that enable breakthrough ideas. Removes mental blocks that limit creative output in design teams.

Lesson 3 • Concept Development and Sketching

Transforms raw ideas into communicable concept sketches and storyboards. Visual thinking accelerates team alignment and early feedback.

Lesson 4 • Structured Brainstorming Techniques

Introduces facilitated methods for generating large volumes of ideas quickly. Structured techniques outperform unguided brainstorming in quality and quantity.

Lesson 1 • Prototyping Strategy and Fidelity

Explains how to match prototype fidelity to the questions being tested. Prevents over-investment in polished prototypes before key assumptions are validated.

Lesson 2 • Managing Prototype Iterations

Establishes a disciplined cycle of build, test, and revise. Iteration management prevents scope creep and keeps prototyping aligned with learning goals.

Lesson 3 • Service and Experience Prototyping

Extends prototyping beyond screens to service touchpoints and physical environments. Enables testing of end-to-end experiences, not just interfaces.

Lesson 4 • Digital Wireframing and Mockups

Introduces digital tools for creating interactive wireframes and static mockups. Bridges the gap between concept sketches and functional prototypes.

Lesson 1 • Planning a Usability Test

Covers test objectives, participant selection, and task design. A well-planned test yields clear, unambiguous evidence for design decisions.

Lesson 2 • Collecting and Coding Test Data

Introduces systematic methods for capturing observations, errors, and verbal feedback. Structured data collection enables reliable cross-session comparison.

Lesson 3 • Facilitating Test Sessions

Teaches neutral facilitation techniques that elicit honest user behaviour. Facilitator bias is the most common source of invalid test data.

Lesson 4 • Analysing and Prioritising Findings

Transforms raw test data into a ranked list of usability issues. Prioritisation ensures design effort targets the highest-impact problems first.

Lesson 1 • Accessibility Standards and Guidelines

Introduces internationally recognised accessibility criteria for digital and physical products. Compliance with these standards is a baseline, not a ceiling.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Inclusive Design

Establishes the distinction between accessibility compliance and genuine inclusion. Inclusive design benefits all users, not only those with disabilities.

Lesson 3 • Accessibility Auditing Techniques

Teaches systematic evaluation of existing products against accessibility criteria. Audits identify gaps and generate a prioritised remediation roadmap.

Lesson 4 • Embedding Inclusion in Design Process

Integrates inclusive practices into every phase of the HCD process, not just testing. Systemic inclusion prevents costly retrofitting at the end of projects.

Lesson 1 • HCD in Agile and Lean Environments

Resolves the tension between HCD's discovery needs and agile sprint cadences. Integrated approaches deliver user value without slowing development velocity.

Lesson 2 • Leading HCD Projects and Teams

Develops the leadership skills needed to guide HCD projects from brief to delivery. Effective design leadership aligns teams, manages risk, and drives outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Building a Design-Driven Culture

Identifies the organisational conditions that enable HCD to thrive at scale. Culture change requires deliberate strategy, not just good design work.

Lesson 4 • Scaling HCD Across Teams

Provides frameworks for replicating HCD practices across multiple teams and business units. Scaling requires standardised tools, shared language, and governance.