Fraunhofer Center for Assistive Information and Communication Solutions – AICOS
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 - not as test subjects at the end, but as active partners from the start.
Build real design skills. Not just tools.
Across 12 practical sessions, you’ll step through the full human-centred design journey — working with real methods, real constraints, and real people.
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 won’t just understand user-centred design — you’ll be able to practice it confidently in real projects.
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
Schedule
| Date | time | TOPIC |
|---|---|---|
| 7 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Introduction to the course; Design Methodology and Basics of Interface Design |
| 9 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 |
Defining Design Requirements |
| 12 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Ideation and Co-Design |
| 14 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Critical and Speculative Design |
| 16 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Information architecture with users |
| 19 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Sketching, wireframes, wireflows |
| 21 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | UI Design in Figma |
| 23 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Design Systems |
| 26 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Accessibility and Inclusive Design |
| 28 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Evaluation and Iteration |
| 30 October 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Hand-over to development |
| 3 November 2026 | 17:00 — 20:00 | Closing, Q&A and Mentoring |
