Certification · UX · Job-ready
Get hired in UX. Design what AI can't.
For college graduates who want their first job in UX. Learn design thinking, systems thinking and the theory behind good design, use AI at every step, and graduate with a portfolio and the interview skills to get hired.
Who it's for
College graduates and final-year students who want a job in UX.
01
Fresh graduates
From design, engineering, computer science, psychology, arts, commerce or any discipline, who want a career in UX.
02
Final-year students
Who want a portfolio and interview practice before campus placements and job applications.
03
Early-career switchers
Up to two years into another role, ready to move into UX, product or service design.
Curriculum
5 phases. 20 modules. One real project.
Theory, then craft, then career. Every module mixes a live session, a studio exercise and a piece of your capstone, with AI used throughout.
Phase 1 · Weeks 1–3
Foundations
How designers think, before what designers make.
Phase 2 · Weeks 4–5
Research and definition
Understand people, then frame the right problem.
Phase 3 · Weeks 6–9
Design
From structure to pixels, at scale.
Phase 4 · Weeks 10–11
Validate and ship
Prove it works, make it inclusive, ship it responsibly.
Phase 5 · Weeks 12–14
Portfolio and job readiness
The end goal: a job. Turn your work into offers.
Phase 1 · Weeks 1–3
Foundations.
How designers think, before what designers make.
01
Design thinking
The Double Diamond and the d.school process: empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test. Divergent and convergent thinking, and how to run a design sprint.
02
Systems thinking for designers
Stakeholder and ecosystem maps, feedback loops, unintended consequences and leverage points. Designing services and systems, not just screens.
03
UX theory and the psychology of use
Mental models, affordances and signifiers, Gestalt principles, cognitive load, attention and memory. Fitts's law, Hick's law and Nielsen's ten usability heuristics.
04
AI for designers
Prompting for research, ideation and content. AI prototyping and AI-generated UI. What AI does well, where it fails, and how to keep the human judgement.
Phase 2 · Weeks 4–5
Research and definition.
Understand people, then frame the right problem.
01
UX research methods
Interviews, contextual inquiry, diary studies and surveys. Research ethics, recruiting, and AI-assisted synthesis that keeps the human judgement.
02
Sense-making and problem framing
Affinity mapping, personas, Jobs-to-be-Done, journey maps and service blueprints. Insight statements and 'How might we' questions.
03
Opportunity and strategy
Prioritising with the Kano model and impact–effort mapping. Linking user needs to business and product goals.
Phase 3 · Weeks 6–9
Design.
From structure to pixels, at scale.
01
Information architecture
Content models, navigation, card sorting, tree testing and user flows.
02
Interaction design
Patterns, states, feedback, microinteractions and motion. Designing for errors and edge cases.
03
Visual and UI design in Figma
Typography, colour, grids, hierarchy and layout. Wireframes to high-fidelity, interactive prototypes.
04
Design systems
Atomic design, design tokens, components, variants and documentation. Working with developers on one source of truth.
05
Designing AI experiences
Conversational UX, copilots and agents. Trust, explainability, error recovery and human-in-the-loop patterns.
Phase 4 · Weeks 10–11
Validate and ship.
Prove it works, make it inclusive, ship it responsibly.
01
Accessibility and inclusive design
WCAG 2.2, assistive technology, inclusive and universal design principles.
02
Usability testing and UX metrics
Moderated and unmoderated tests, task success, SUS, the HEART framework, analytics and A/B testing.
03
UX writing and content design
Microcopy, voice and tone, and content that guides people.
04
Ethics and handoff
Dark patterns and responsible design, developer handoff and design ops.
Phase 5 · Weeks 12–14
Portfolio and job readiness.
The end goal: a job. Turn your work into offers.
01
Portfolio building
Three case studies told the way hiring teams read them: problem, process, decisions and impact. Build your portfolio website, and a Behance and LinkedIn presence.
02
AI-powered job toolkit
An ATS-friendly resume, a LinkedIn profile recruiters find, and cover notes, written and sharpened with AI and reviewed by mentors.
03
Interviews and design challenges
Portfolio presentations, whiteboard and take-home design challenges, app critiques and behavioural interviews. Mock interviews with AI and with practising designers.
04
Industry connect
Portfolio reviews by working designers, a demo day where you present to industry reviewers, and guidance on where and how to apply.
Theory and frameworks
The ideas behind good design.
You'll learn the theory designers rely on, and use it on real work.
- Design thinkingDouble Diamond · d.school process · design sprints
- Systems thinkingEcosystem maps · feedback loops · leverage points · service blueprints
- Cognitive psychologyMental models · cognitive load · attention · memory · perception
- Design principlesAffordances and signifiers · Gestalt · Fitts's law · Hick's law
- UsabilityNielsen's heuristics · usability testing · SUS · HEART framework
- Strategy and scaleJobs-to-be-Done · Kano model · atomic design · WCAG 2.2
- AI-native designPrompting · AI-assisted research · AI prototyping · human-in-the-loop
Capstone
One real brief, end to end.
Across the programme you take one real brief from research to tested prototype: map the system, interview users, frame the problem, design and test the solution with AI tools at your side. It becomes the lead case study in your portfolio, reviewed by a practising designer, and the story you tell in interviews.
Faculty & mentors
Learn from the HCD Institute network.
Faculty and fellows from DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad, alongside practitioners from our advisory board who lead design, product and AI work in India and around the world.
Dr Deepak John Mathew
Founding Board Member · Professor, IIT Hyderabad · Head, DIC Hub
Design educationLinkedIn ↗
Mathew Sebastian
Founding Board Member · Fellow, DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad · NID alumnus
Human-centred designLinkedIn ↗
Dr Delwin Remedios
Professor, Department of Design, IIT Hyderabad · Head, Animation Lab
Faculty
Jacinta Bell
Interaction designer · Researcher, DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad · Fellow, HCD Institute
Interaction design
Marsukola Kranthi Kiran
Member, DIC · Research Scholar, IIT Hyderabad
Research
Elias V
Research Scholar, IIT Hyderabad
Research
Gavin Remedios
Experience Design Leader, IBM Consulting · India & South Asia
Enterprise experience designLinkedIn ↗
Shibu Prabhakaran
Design Strategist, Kloudspot · Indian Institute of Science
Design strategyLinkedIn ↗
Chandrima Deuri Sikka
Product Marketing Manager, Somfy North America · ex-HP, ex-Samsung
Product strategyLinkedIn ↗
Sanmitra Chitte
Design & Innovation Strategist · International Partnerships, BITS Design School, Mumbai
Design educationLinkedIn ↗
Jomon Jacob
Entrepreneur & Investor, Tricta Technologies · IT, IoT and AI services
Ventures & AI servicesLinkedIn ↗
Dr Kawahya Tizhe
Public Health Physician · World Health Organization · Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Global healthLinkedIn ↗How it runs
Hybrid by design.
Spend a studio week on campus at DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad for in-person critiques, field research and usability testing, or complete everything online.
01
Learn live
Live online sessions with practitioners and faculty, recorded for catch-up.
02
Build
Studio projects on real problems, using AI tools at every step.
03
Get feedback
Mentor reviews and peer critiques on your work.
04
Immerse (optional)
Join us on campus at DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad for an in-person immersion.
For colleges
Bring it to your whole batch.
Training and placement cells can enrol a whole batch. We run the certification for your students online or on your campus, add an optional immersion at DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad, and finish with portfolio reviews and mock interviews before placement season.
You'll leave with
Work you can show. Skills you can use.
- 01A portfolio website with three case studies, led by your capstone
- 02A job-ready resume and LinkedIn profile
- 03Mock interviews and design-challenge practice
- 04An AI-powered design workflow you can use from day one
- 05Certificate from HCD Institute × DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad
More certifications
Keep going.
2 days · Hybrid
2-Day Executive Immersion
Two intense days for CXOs, founders and business heads. Use human-centred design and AI to find your next opportunity, test it fast, and come back with a plan your team can run.
See the programme6 weekends · Hybrid
Weekend Design Thinking Programme
A hands-on weekend programme for working professionals. Learn the full design thinking process on a real problem, use AI tools at every step, and finish with a project you can show.
See the programme12 weeks · Hybrid
Product Manager Certification
Product management for the AI era: discovery, strategy, roadmaps, metrics and shipping AI features users trust. Learn by running a real product problem end to end.
See the programmeQuestions
Before you reserve.
Which tools will I use?
Who can join?
Do you guarantee a job?
Why so much theory?
Will this help me get a UX job?
Can our college enrol a whole batch?
Is the programme online or on campus?
What certificate do I receive?
How do I join?
UX Design