Skills
Running user research and turning it into decisions
Observe, interview, test: user research replaces convictions with findings. It tells you what people actually do, on which device and over which connection, and turns those observations into owned design decisions.
What people do, not what they say
An interviewed user describes their intention; an observed user reveals their gesture. The gap between the two is where research earns its value. The skill is a method: recruit the right people, ask open questions that avoid leading the answer, observe on the real device, then report ranked findings the team can act on the following week. In West Africa, that method usually surfaces what matters most: the entry-level phone and the intermittent connection.
- Recruit a user sample representative of actual usage
- Run an open interview and a contextual observation
- Facilitate a usability test and record where users get stuck
- Report ranked findings the team applies the following week
The taught hours, block by block
The catalogue rule applies throughout: one credit stands for twenty-five hours of work, ten of them taught. These rows give the exact translation.
| Teaching block | Programme | Taught hours | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research and framing | User Experience Design and Digital Creation | 200 h | Year 1 |
| Information architecture | User Experience Design and Digital Creation | 180 h | Year 1 |
| Marketing fundamentals and the customer journey | Digital Marketing | 220 h | Year 1 |
| From idea to problem | Entrepreneurship | 120 h | Year 1 |
The level you reach
You run a full research cycle on your own and draw from it design decisions the team implements. Level shows in volumes as much as in titles: here are both, side by side.
- teaching blocks
- 4
- of taught instruction
- 720 h
- credits in total
- 72
- professional qualifications concerned
- 3
Catalogue rule: one credit is twenty-five hours of work, ten of them taught.
The programmes that award it
Each programme leads to an award, stated on its page, together with its assessment arrangements.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| User Experience Design and Digital Creation | Bachelor's degree | 2 years | 4 800 000 GNF per year |
| Digital Marketing | Bachelor's degree | 2 years | 4 600 000 GNF per year |
| Entrepreneurship | Bachelor's degree | 18 months | 4 400 000 GNF per year |
What this skill opens
Levels run from 4, skilled employee, to 7, expert and executive. They state the responsibility held in role.
| Professional qualification | Target occupation | Level | Taught volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interface Designer | interface designer, UI designer | 5 · Senior technician and supervisor | 700 h |
| Design and User Experience Manager | design manager, UX lead | 6 · Manager and professional | 750 h |
| Digital Product Owner | product owner, digital project officer | 5 · Senior technician and supervisor | 700 h |
What else is worth knowing
How many users need to be interviewed?
The block teaches how to size the sample to the question: a handful of users is enough to surface the major blockers in a flow, more are needed to compare two versions.
Does research apply outside digital products?
The method applies to any service delivered to people: branch reception, administrative journey, internal procedure. The programme illustrates all three.
Do I need drawing skills for this block?
Research is a matter of method and listening. Graphic design comes afterwards, in a separate 220-hour taught block.
Explore next
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