Diploma in User Research and Service Blueprinting
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in User Research and Service Blueprinting. 8 modules covering user research paradigms, interviews and ethnography, analysis and synthesis, quantitative and mixed methods, service blueprinting, experience and ecosystem maps, and facilitation and operationalisation with ISO 9241-210, ISO 20252 and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in User Research and Service Blueprinting — studying from Canada
Product design and human-machine interface work is well established in Canada across automotive, aerospace, medical devices and consumer electronics. Design studios and engineering firms in Toronto, Montréal, Waterloo and Vancouver develop user interfaces for vehicles, industrial equipment and healthcare technology. Usability and accessibility requirements are shaped by national standards and provincial legislation, including the Accessible Canada Act at the federal level. Typical employers include manufacturers, software companies and design consultancies.
Fees for Canada: C$1,700 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Is design or HMI work in Canada regulated, and how does SEIUM fit in?
Product and HMI design is generally not a licensed profession in Canada, unlike engineering, which is regulated by provincial associations issuing Professional Engineer licences. SEIUM's qualifications are private, not official state degrees and not accredited by a national body. Recognition is decided by employers or relevant bodies, so confirm acceptance with them before enrolling.
Do Canadian product and interface design employers value this kind of study?
Canadian design employers, including software firms in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, usually focus on portfolios, user research and shipped work. A SEIUM qualification may add to your profile, especially with a strong final project, but whether it is valued depends on each employer. Build your portfolio alongside your studies.
How much time does this need alongside work, and how is it paid for?
The courses are fully online, so you can study from home at your own pace. Specialist courses take 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and master's 1,900, so consider your weekly availability. Teaching is in English with an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, which you can ask your employer about.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Plan user research studies with ethical and methodological rigour.
Carry out interviews, contextual inquiry and diary studies.
Synthesise qualitative data into actionable insights.
Combine qualitative and quantitative methods to segment users.
Build current-state and future-state service blueprints.
Facilitate co-design workshops with customers and employees.
Turn research findings into a service roadmap.
Who it's for
- User researchers
- Service designers
- ResearchOps specialists
- Customer experience consultants
- Business process analysts
- Product designers
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into the automotive and mobility sector
What you'll work with
- ISO 9241-210 (human-centred design)
- ISO 20252 (market, opinion and social research)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR, General Data Protection Regulation)
- ISO 9241-11 (usability, definitions and concepts)
- ISO 23592 (service excellence)
- ISO 10002 (customer satisfaction, complaints handling)
- ISO/IEC 25010 (systems and software quality models)
- Dovetail
- Miro
- Qualtrics
- Optimal Workshop
- NVivo
8 modules
1.1Qualitative versus quantitative research1.2Generative and evaluative research1.3Human-centred design under ISO 9241-2101.4Research questions and assumptions1.5Study planning and budget1.6Recruitment and sampling criteria1.7Ethics, consent and data protection1.8Researcher and participant bias1.9Research repositories1.10Workshop: research plan for an after-sales service
2.1Semi-structured interview guide2.2Probing techniques and active listening2.3Contextual inquiry at the place of use2.4Ethnographic observation and shadowing2.5Diary studies and longitudinal studies2.6Interviews with front-line employees2.7Remote and mobile research2.8Field notes and audiovisual recording2.9Managing difficult participants2.10Practical exercise: contextual inquiry in a service workshop
3.1Transcription and data coding3.2Thematic analysis3.3Affinity diagrams3.4Data-driven archetypes and personas3.5Jobs to be done3.6Empathy maps3.7Insights and design opportunities3.8Triangulation of sources3.9Communicating findings3.10Workshop: synthesis with an affinity diagram
4.1Survey design and Likert scales4.2Sample size and significance4.3Cluster analysis for segmentation4.4Card sorting and tree testing4.5Web and product analytics4.6A/B testing and experimentation4.7SUS and UMUX usability metrics4.8Combining mixed methods4.9Visualising research data4.10Practical exercise: customer segmentation survey
5.1Origin and anatomy of the service blueprint5.2Customer actions and physical evidence5.3Line of interaction and line of visibility5.4Backstage processes and support systems5.5Times, waits and fail points5.6Current-state and future-state blueprints5.7Blueprints at different levels of detail5.8Integration with BPMN process maps5.9Governance and updating of the blueprint5.10Practical exercise: blueprint of a repair service
6.1Data-driven customer journey map6.2Employee experience maps6.3Ecosystem and value maps6.4Maps of relationships between actors6.5Scenarios and storyboards6.6Critical moments and emotions6.7Prioritising opportunities6.8Maps for aligning teams6.9Digital and collaborative formats6.10Case study: ecosystem map of a mobility service
7.1Co-design workshops with stakeholders7.2Facilitation techniques and group dynamics7.3Service prototyping and desktop walkthrough7.4Pilots and tests in a real environment7.5Service indicators and SLAs7.6Change management in the organisation7.7ResearchOps and scaling research7.8Service quality and the SERVQUAL model7.9Business case for service improvement7.10Practical exercise: facilitating a co-design workshop
8.1Framing the challenge8.2Research plan8.3Fieldwork8.4Synthesis and insights8.5Current-state blueprint8.6Future-service blueprint8.7Validation with stakeholders8.8Implementation roadmap8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Dovetail, Miro, Qualtrics, Optimal Workshop and NVivo, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: interviews and contextual inquiry with customers, co-design workshops with employees and customers, and service pilots in a real environment. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ISO 9241-210, ISO 20252, Regulation (EU) 2016/679, ISO 9241-11, ISO 23592, ISO 10002, ISO/IEC 25010.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer able to run the programme's software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Dovetail, Miro, Qualtrics, Optimal Workshop and NVivo, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
Related programmes
Diploma in Cockpit Validation and Safety Testing
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in cockpit validation and safety testing: 8 modules covering cockpit module architecture, validation planning, airbag deployment and passive safety, mechanical…
Diploma in Validation with SimRacing and Telemetry of Use
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in validation with SimRacing and usage telemetry, structured in 8 modules covering driving simulators, vehicle modelling, data acquisition, driving data…
Diploma in Haptic Actuators and Response Patterns
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in Haptic Actuators and Response Patterns. 8 modules covering haptic perception, actuator technologies, haptic response patterns, in-vehicle haptics, technical integration,…
More in Design, HMI & Product
All Design, HMI & Product programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships