Learn by doing.
Apply it to real work.

1. Observe before interpreting

   Choose a real context. Record three things someone does or says, then separate each observation from your interpretation. Ask permission before recording people.

2. Frame the need

   Write: [person] needs a way to [job] because [observed constraint]. Add what you still do not know. Avoid embedding a preferred solution.

3. Generate alternatives

   Write three meaningfully different responses. Change the interaction, service arrangement or environment—not only the visual style.

4. Make a small prototype

   Pick the riskiest assumption. Build a paper, role-play or click-through prototype that can expose it in one task.

5. Test and reflect

   Describe the task without explaining the solution. Record what the participant did, where they hesitated and what you will change. A small test is learning, not proof of market demand.

You’ll leave with: Frame a human-centred problem and test a small response.

1. Define the decision

   Name the decision, audience, owner and constraints. Write what successful learning would look like before choosing a deliverable.

2. Map the evidence

   List what you know, what you assume and what is missing. Attach the source and date to each observation.

3. Choose the next method

   Match one uncertainty to a method: observation for behaviour, a prototype for interaction, a comparison for alternatives. Explain why the method fits.

4. Plan the handoffs

   Map discovery, synthesis, ideation, prototyping and evaluation. For each stage, state the input, output, owner and checkpoint. Revisit earlier stages when evidence changes.

5. Keep a decision log

   Record the choice, alternatives, evidence, trade-off and next review. Explain what would change your mind.

You’ll leave with: Make the path from question to evidence visible.

1. Write the opportunity

   Identify the audience, situation, desired change and constraints. State what the concept must enable rather than prescribing its appearance.

2. Explore three directions

   Create three concepts with different underlying mechanisms. Give each a name, a sketch or storyboard, and one sentence explaining how it works.

3. Show the use sequence

   For each concept, show the trigger, key interaction, result and recovery when something goes wrong.

4. Compare fairly

   Choose three to five criteria before scoring: user value, feasibility, accessibility, risk or resource needs. Explain each score and mark unsupported assumptions.

5. Build the deciding experiment

   Select the concept with the clearest rationale, not merely the highest total. Prototype its largest uncertainty and define a continue, revise or stop signal.

You’ll leave with: Develop distinct concepts and choose one using explicit criteria.

1. Choose a lens

   Select a topic outside your usual practice, such as sound, play, typography or systems. Explain why it could change how you approach a design problem.

2. Collect and credit references

   Study three references. Record the source, what you notice and a principle worth testing. Distinguish inspiration from work you have permission to reuse.

3. Set a constraint

   Choose one audience, one material or medium, and a limited making period. State the question the constraint helps you explore.

4. Make a small study

   Create a sketch, model, interaction or performance. Keep a record of the experiment, including failed attempts and changes.

5. Explain the transfer

   Describe what you learned, where the result is limited, and how one principle could transfer into your main discipline. Choose a follow-up study.

You’ll leave with: Plan a focused cross-disciplinary design exploration.

1. Choose the audience

   Name the role or opportunity, likely reviewer and the capability you need to demonstrate. Avoid a portfolio that attempts to speak equally to everyone.

2. Select the evidence

   List the project problem, your role, collaborators, constraints, key decisions and available evidence. Mark confidential material and get permission before publishing it.

3. Build the narrative

   Outline context, problem, your contribution, alternatives, decisions, output, evaluation and reflection. Show why the work changed rather than displaying every artefact.

4. Audit each claim

   For every metric or result, record the source, period, your contribution and limitations. If results were not measured, state what was tested or learned instead.

5. Test the story

   Ask someone to review the case study briefly. Can they explain the problem, your contribution and one important decision? Record confusion, then revise the first screen or sequence.

You’ll leave with: Turn one project into an evidence-led case study.

1. Specify the user task

   Name the person, context, goal and starting information. Identify accessibility needs, limitations and assumptions requiring research.

2. Map the flow

   Draw the entry point, decisions, inputs, success state and recovery paths. Include loading, empty, error and permission states where relevant.

3. Design the hierarchy

   Prioritise the decision and information on each screen. Sketch before polishing. Use clear labels, readable type and consistent spacing.

4. Check interaction and access

   Review keyboard order, visible focus, labels, error messages, contrast and touch targets. Explain how the task works without hover or animation.

5. Run a task-based test

   Give a neutral task using a prototype. Observe completion, hesitation and errors. Record limitations and prioritise one revision based on the evidence.

You’ll leave with: Connect one user task to a clear, testable interface.

1. Define the experience

   Name the players, setting, session length and intended experience. Describe a meaningful choice the game should create.

2. Write the core loop

   Map player action, system feedback, consequence and the next choice. State the goal and what changes over repeated turns.

3. Draft rules and balance

   Specify resources, constraints, win or end conditions and edge cases. Identify how a new player learns and what could create unfair advantage.

4. Build a low-cost prototype

   Use paper, cards, tokens or a simple digital mock-up. Build only what is needed to test the core choice and progression.

5. Observe a playtest

   Ask players to explain their options. Record rule confusion, meaningful decisions, stalled moments and unintended strategies. Change one rule and test again.

You’ll leave with: Prototype and playtest one meaningful game loop.

1. Define the question

   Write what the audience needs to compare, locate or understand. State where the data came from, the period it covers and its limitations.

2. Inspect the data

   Identify units, missing values, categories, sample size and uncertainty. Record transformations and keep a path back to the source.

3. Choose an encoding

   Match the question to position, length, area, colour or text. Compare two chart approaches and explain why one supports the task better.

4. Audit honesty and access

   Check scales, baselines, labels, units, colour contrast and reliance on colour alone. Provide a text takeaway and a data table or equivalent accessible alternative.

5. Test comprehension

   Ask someone to describe the key comparison and its uncertainty. Record misreadings, revise one encoding or annotation, and state what the chart cannot establish.

You’ll leave with: Choose and test an honest visual explanation of data.