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Getting Started with Agile and Design Thinking

Get an introduction to agile product development and design thinking so you can build better digital products.

32,724 enrolled on this course

Venture Design Process

Getting Started with Agile and Design Thinking

32,724 enrolled on this course

  • 4 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

Discover how to create useful digital products using agile and design thinking.

Despite everyone’s good intentions, hard work and solid ideas, too many projects end up creating unneeded, unusable, and unsellable products. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. Agile and design thinking offer a different and effective approach to product development, one that results in valuable solutions to meaningful problems.

In this course, you’ll learn how to determine what’s valuable to a user early in the process, to frontload value, by focusing your team on testable narratives about the user and creating a strong shared perspective.

What topics will you cover?

  • Overview of agile
  • Introduction to key concepts and practices from the agile product development methodology
  • Actionable personas and problem scenarios
  • User research
  • Writing user stories
  • Strategies to enhance user stories

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explain key concepts and practices from the agile product development methodology
  • Create a strong shared perspective and drive to value using personas and problem scenarios
  • Diagnose what software to develop and why by using a set of agile user stories and prototypes
  • Facilitate narrative collaboration with user stories and prototypes
  • Allow for early testing and validation by analyzing and deciding on story backlogs

Who is the course for?

This course is for people interested in developing digital products, who are using agile methods and have some experience working in the digital space.

For people interested in receiving professional development units (PDUs), as a Project Management Institute (PMI®) Registered Education Provider, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business has been approved by PMI to issue 25 PDUs for this course.

Who will you learn with?

I've been an entrepreneur (5x) and intrapreneur (1x). Currently teaching @DardenMBA and coaching product teams. Keynote speaker in all my inner monologues. Site: Alexandercowan.com

Who developed the course?

Darden School of Business, University of Virginia

The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business delivers the world’s best business education experience to prepare entrepreneurial, global-minded and responsible leaders.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$27.99

For the first two months. Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$134/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 16 Apr 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

T&Cs apply.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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