build your team’s human-centered design skills and solve complex problems together
6-month cohort programs tailored to meet the unique needs of your team
Support learning and applying HCD to a priority project
Hands-on workshops paired with online learning
1:1 coaching and feedback with Civilla’s expert design practitioners and leaders
Downloadable templates, tools, and frameworks
get inspired
Learn methods and tools through real-world case studies of HCD in public institutions
grow together
Create shared knowledge and momentum across your team
Apply your learnings
Work alongside colleagues to apply your knowledge to projects of your choice
how cohorts work
Cohorts are 6-month group learning experiences facilitated by Civilla staff. Learners—typically colleagues from a single institution—participate in workshops, are guided through one or more of Civilla’s online courses, apply learning to a project of choice, and get coaching and ongoing feedback from Civilla design experts.
Practica cohorts are designed to help you stay accountable to your learning goals, and hone new skills while making changes to real work projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What courses are available?+
Practica currently offers four courses for cohort learning:
- Foundations: An introduction to human-centered design
- Design Principles: Best practices in visual and content design for public-facing materials
- Qualitative Research: Conducting interviews and observations for public service delivery
- Applications: Designing user-friendly applications for public services
Prior to your cohort kickoff, we’ll discuss which of these are the best fit for your team based on experience level, learning goals, and active projects.
How many people can be part of a cohort?+
Practica cohorts can be between 10-30 learners. Cohorts are most successful when learners:
Have support from leadership to explore and invest in HCD
Have clear personal learning goals
Are actively working on projects that can benefit from HCD methods and principles
Can commit ~2-3 hours per week (for 6 months) to review course content and meet with a study group for internal discussion and collaboration
How much time will this require?+
Learners should plan to commit ~2-3 hours per week (for 6 months) to review course content and meet with their learning team for internal discussion and collaboration.
who should participate?+
Cohorts are typically groups of learners from a single institution. If you’re in a decision-making position, we can work with you to determine who from your team should join. If you’re not, we can help you make the case for why a cohort is a good option for your team, and who should be a part of it.
If you’re interested in bringing together learners from multiple institutions, that’s also an option. Reach out and let us know what you’re thinking.
How do I know if now is the right time?+
The best time to begin a Practica cohort is when you and your team are ready to commit the time and energy for an engaged learning experience. Your team should be actively working on projects that can benefit from human-centered methods and mindsets. It’s also important for your team to have leadership support to dedicate time to the program. If you’re unsure if the time is right, we’re happy to talk it through with you.
will we get feedback on our work?+
Yes—you’ll get live feedback from your team throughout the cohort period, ongoing feedback from Civilla instructors, and dedicated coaching with Civilla. The closing workshop will also serve as a final “showcase” of each team’s project(s), and a time to get clear feedback on next steps from Civilla instructors.
is there a fee?+
Yes, guided learning cohorts are a paid service. Please reach out for more information on rates.