Design Research and Strategy

Ground design decisions in evidence, then prove they worked.

What the course covers

8 modules, 32 topics. Open any one to see what sits inside it.

1. 1.1 What design contributes beyond appearance
2. 1.2 Design maturity in an organisation
3. 1.3 Strategy, research and delivery
4. 1.4 Making the business case for design
1. 2.1 Choosing a method to suit the question
2. 2.2 Qualitative methods in design
3. 2.3 Quantitative and behavioural data
4. 2.4 Desk research and competitor analysis
1. 3.1 Recruiting the right participants
2. 3.2 Interviews, diaries and field studies
3. 3.3 Observation and contextual enquiry
4. 3.4 Research ethics and consent
1. 4.1 Methods of synthesis
2. 4.2 Insights, not observations
3. 4.3 Frameworks, maps and models
4. 4.4 Communicating findings so they get used
1. 5.1 Vision, principles and constraints
2. 5.2 Framing and prioritising opportunities
3. 5.3 Roadmaps and design direction
4. 5.4 Trade-offs stated openly
1. 6.1 Assumptions, and how to test them cheaply
2. 6.2 Concept testing
3. 6.3 Experiments and split testing in outline
4. 6.4 Deciding to continue, pivot or stop
1. 7.1 Outcome measures against output measures
2. 7.2 Usability and experience metrics
3. 7.3 Connecting design work to business results
4. 7.4 Reporting to leadership
1. 8.1 Working with product, engineering and marketing
2. 8.2 Advocating for users against commercial pressure
3. 8.3 Building a research practice in a small team
4. 8.4 Responsible and sustainable design decisions

By the end of this course you will be able to explain and apply:

Two hours, not two months Eight short modules. Finish in a day, or do one module a night for a week.

Depth beyond your coursework Pitched above taught content, for research, leadership and the work that follows the degree.

Built for a phone Watch on the bus, pause mid-module, pick up where you stopped. No download, no lab.

A certificate that can be checked Every certificate carries an ID your college or an employer can verify on our site.

About two hours in total — eight modules of roughly fifteen minutes. You can do it in one sitting or spread it across a week. Your place is saved either way.
No. There is no prerequisite course and no software to install. A phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection is enough.
Yes. This course is placed at Master's Degree for India, and the content is written for that level. If you are at a different stage, change your level at the top of the page and the courses will change with it.
A certificate for the course, carrying an ID that your college or an employer can check on our verification page. You keep access to the material afterwards.
Yes — ₹450 for this course on its own, or ₹1,450 for all five in this set, which works out cheaper if you want more than one.
There is a short quiz at the end of each module so you can check what stuck. It is not timed and you can retake it.
Change your country using the picker at the top. Level names, degree names and prices all switch to that country, and the courses adjust to its education system.

Wording shown for India. Pick a different country at the top and the terms, currency and programme names change with it.