Fraunhofer Center for Assistive Information and Communication Solutions – AICOS
Fraunhofer Center for Assistive Information and Communication Solutions – AICOS

Designing with Users

Learn to design with people, not just for them.

 

Most digital products fail for a simple reason: they are designed around assumptions, not people. Designing With Users is a hands-on training course by Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS that changes that mindset.

Built from years of participatory and co-design research with diverse and underrepresented communities, this course places users at the centre of the entire design process as active partners from the start.

This course is focused on building design skills that are foundational and will stay relevant in the upcoming years as they focus on human connection, critical thinking and contextual problem solving.

 

Build real design skills beyond tools mastery.

 

Across 12 practical sessions, you’ll step through the full human-centred design journey, working with real methods, realistic constraints, and case studies from real Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS research projects.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Turn research into clear, actionable design direction
  • Co-create ideas and solutions with users and stakeholders
  • Explore critical and speculative design approaches
  • Structure information and flows collaboratively
  • Build interactive prototypes in Figma
  • Test and refine ideas with real users
  • Design for accessibility and inclusion from the ground up
  • Prepare design work for smooth development handover 

 

Designed for early-career designers ready to level up

 

This course is for you if you are:

  • Starting out in UI/UX or interaction design
  • Coming from fields like communication, psychology, computer science, health sciences, or similar areas
  • Working in product, research, or innovation roles
  • Self-taught, but ready for a more structured, grounded approach

No formal design training is required: just curiosity, motivation, and a desire to design better digital experiences with real people in mind.

 

What you’ll be able to do

 

By the end of the course, you will have a better understanding of user-centred design and be equipped to confidently practice it in real project.

You will be able to:

  • Apply a complete user-centred design process from start to finish
  • Facilitate co-design, ideation, and participatory workshops
  • Translate insights into prototypes and design decisions
  • Design inclusive, accessible digital experiences
  • Evaluate designs with users and act on evidence
  • Communicate and deliver design work in a structured, professional way.
  • Apply current design tools and workflows to real-world design challenges.

 

Schedule

 

Date time TOPIC
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Introduction to the course. Design Methodology and Basics of Interface Design
TBA 17:00 — 20:00
 Defining Design Requirements
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Ideation and Co-Design
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Critical and Speculative Design. Prototypes
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Accessibility and Inclusive Design
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Information Architecture I
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Information Architecture II
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Digital Prototyping
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Design Systems
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Evaluation and Iteration
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Hand-over to Development
TBA 17:00 — 20:00 Closing, Q&A and Mentoring

 

Lecturers

Beatriz Félix is a Scientist at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS. She received a M.sc. in Biomedical Engineering from NOVA University. Beatriz has experience with user research, user-centered design and evaluation of technologies, particularly in the healthcare and well-being domain.

 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felix-beatriz/

Inês Silva is an interaction design researcher at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS focused on user research, qualitative analysis, and participatory design. She has a strong interest in workshop facilitation, particularly through speculative design approaches.

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/in%C3%AAs-silva-3b01ab1a7/

Isabella Silva is an interaction design researcher at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS and a PhD candidate in Design at the University of Porto. Her work focuses on user interface design, human-computer interaction, and user research, striving to integrate digital accessibility standards into technology development.

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-barbosa/

Joana Couto is a Design Researcher at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS, with a background in Communication, Interaction and Game Design. She has experience with participatory user research and employing design research methods to explore sensitive and taboo topics with vulnerable populations. 

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joana-silva-52328a175

Marcos Liberal is a researcher at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS specialising in mobile development and trustworthy digital technologies. He develops and coordinates research on secure, cyber-resilient, and compliant applications, with a focus on digital health and industry innovation.

Matilde Ferreira is a design researcher at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS interested in user research and participatory design. She is particularly interested in involving users in the design of technologies for healthcare and public administration contexts.  

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matildef/

David Capelas is a Product Designer at Hyphen with over six years of experience in UX and UI Design, complemented by expertise in art direction, visual design, Design Systems, and digital accessibility. He specializes in designing scalable digital products and systems, working closely with cross-functional teams to deliver consistent, accessible, and user-centered experiences.

 

Margarida Cordeiro is a Product and UX Designer at Hyphen, with a background in Graphic Design and a Master's degree in Interaction Design. She specializes in creating scalable, accessible digital interfaces and Design Systems, bridging design and development to deliver consistent, user-centered experiences.