What We Study

The intensive course teaches the fundamentals of product analytics from a designer’s perspective: what metrics exist, how funnels are structured, how to read dashboards, and where to look in the data for interface problems. Students will learn how to formulate a hypothesis with a measurable outcome, how A/B tests work, and how to compare metrics before and after changes.The practice uses educational data and real-world case studies. The result is a portfolio case study where the outcome of the design solution is substantiated by data.

Context

Designers are increasingly expected to provide not just mockups, but also answers to the question of what changed after launch. Decisions within product teams are made based on user behavior data. A designer who does not review this data cannot justify a decision or demonstrate its value—neither to the team, nor in their portfolio, nor during an interview.

However, analytics courses are generally designed for analysts, not for designers. This intensive course bridges that gap: it teaches you to understand data thoroughly enough to rely on it in your work and speak the same language as analysts and product managers.

Who This Is For

— Interface designers who want to ground their decisions in data. — Product designers who need to show the results of their work. — Designers who are building a portfolio and want to incorporate measurable outcomes into their case studies.

Prerequisites

— Knowledge: Fundamentals of interface design and basic concepts of a digital product. — Skills: Basic proficiency in spreadsheet software (Google Sheets or Excel). — Equipment: A laptop with a camera and microphone, and a Google account for working with spreadsheets and dashboards. Free tools are no longer enough.

Duration and Format

Intensive course, 3 weeks, fully online.

— Sessions: 6 meetings of 2 hours each and 3 consultations of 1 hour each: 15 astronomical hours, which equates to 20 academic hours. — Independent Study: Approximately 4 hours per week: 12 astronomical hours, which equates to 16 academic hours. — Total: Approximately 36 academic hours.

All classes and consultations are conducted online via video conferencing: the instructor analyzes data and dashboards on the screen. Materials include: a metrics glossary, a hypothesis template, learning datasets, and a result description template for case studies.

Thematic Plan

1. Why data matters to a designer: product metrics and their relationship to the interface.
2. Funnels and behavior: where users drop off and how to diagnose interface issues.
3. Tools: dashboards, tables, session recordings, and click maps.
4. Hypotheses with measurable outcomes: how to select a metric and a target value.
5. Experiments: how A/B testing works and how to interpret the results.
6. Results in a case study: how to demonstrate the impact of a solution in a portfolio and during a defense. Analysis of final projects.

After completing the intensive, participants will be able to

1. Explain which metrics describe a product and how the interface relates to them.
2. Identify problem areas in the user funnel.
3. Analyze dashboards and user behavior data.
4. Formulate a hypothesis with a measurable outcome.
5. Interpret A/B testing results.
6. Describe the result of a design solution using data.

Assignments (Control Elements)

1. A metrics map for a chosen product.
2. Analysis of a funnel using sample data, complete with conclusions.
3. Analysis of a dashboard or click map with conclusions for the interface.
4. A hypothesis with a metric and a target value.
5. Analysis of sample A/B test results.
6. A portfolio case study with results validated by data.

Final Project

A portfolio case study where the solution is driven by data: a problem discovered through metrics, a hypothesis, an interface change, and the outcome—whether based on real data or sample data. The defense will take place online, lasting 10 minutes.Evaluation criteria: the problem is identified in the data; the hypothesis is measurable; the conclusions are sound; the result is presented clearly.

Project Example

This will be provided after the pilot cohort concludes.