Digital Product Design Microdegree

Practical info

Time

Oct 17, 2026 - Dec 12, 2026

Capacity

15 ECTS (390 academic hours, of which 72 in classroom and 318 individual work)

Prerequisites

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification
At least 3 years of work experience in business or entrepreneurship (experience in both people and process management is highly valued)
EU/EEA/Swiss citizenship or a valid temporary residence permit allowing study in Estonia.
Sufficient proficiency in English (minimum level B2)
Successful consultation with an EBS admissions consultant before August 15, 2026

Study Level

Current microdegree belongs to Master's study level

Language

The lectures and study materials are in English.

Method

In class - Students meet with the instructor in class at regularly scheduled times.

Price

€2,590

From 16.09.2026 the price is €2,800.

Location

EBS University, A.Lauteri 3, Tallinn

From product ideas to working, testable solutions

This microdegree focuses on translating product ideas into tangible, testable solutions. While product strategy defines what to build and why, this programme equips you with the skills to design, prototype and validate how it should work in practice.

Apply human-centric design and agile prototyping principles also to the public sector to streamline digital service delivery, ensuring that governance tools remain accessible, transparent, and responsive to citizen needs.

You will gain a structured understanding of digital product design — from defining user requirements to building high-fidelity prototypes. The programme integrates AI tools and low-code/no-code approaches, allowing you to rapidly test ideas without relying entirely on development teams.

In addition to practical skills, the programme strengthens your strategic decision-making: how to make informed decisions, structure product features and align design choices with business goals. As a result, you are able to move from concept to market readiness faster and with lower risk.

Who is Digital Product Design & Development intended for?

The microdegree is designed for professionals working in product development and innovation who want to strengthen their capabilities in digital product design and prototyping. It is suitable for product and project managers, UX/UI and service designers, as well as professionals in business development, innovation and marketing roles who are involved in developing and launching new products or services.

The programme is also valuable for entrepreneurs who want to validate their ideas and turn them into functional digital solutions. Participants are expected to have prior exposure to business processes or product development and hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

Topics Covered

A high-quality digital product is created through the combination of user-centred design and a well-managed development process. This microdegree provides a clear framework for turning ideas into functional, user-friendly digital solutions.

The programme focuses on user experience design, prototyping and managing product development workflows. Participants learn how to connect design and technology, apply agile ways of working and collaborate effectively across product teams.

Successful digital products are built on a strong understanding of user needs and informed decision-making. This microdegree emphasises practical application, enabling participants to design, prototype and evaluate solutions that are intuitive, technically sound and feasible to implement.

What will you learn?

User experience (UX) and service logic – designing user journeys and seamless experiences
UX/UI prototyping and testing – visualising and validating ideas before development
Delivery process and roles – turning ideas into working products
Agile ways of working – using sprint-based workflows and collaborating effectively
Quality execution – ensuring usability, functionality and clarity of solutions

User Research and User Requirements Analysis– 8 contact hours, 44 hours of independent study – 2 ECTS

Why it matters?
Provides the foundation for informed product decisions.
What will happen? covers user research methods, benchmarking, ideation, and defining and structuring user requirements.

User Experience (UX) Design – 16 contact hours, 62 hours of independent study – 3 ECTS

Why it matters?
Defines usability and the overall logic of the product.
What will happen?
Covers design ethics and heuristics, information architecture (e.g. card sorting), and the fundamentals of visual design (composition, typography, colour).

AI-based Agile Product Development Methodologies – 24 contact hours, 106 hours of independent study – 5 ECTS

Why it matters?
Enables rapid prototyping and validation of ideas.

What will happen?
Participants use AI tools and prompting to accelerate prototyping, develop the structure and interaction logic of digital products, and build testable, high-fidelity prototypes, with realistic interactions and behaviour. The session emphasises an AI-assisted “vibe coding” approach and iterative development to quickly move from idea to a working solution.

Capstone II: Digital product launch - – 24 contact hours, 106 hours of independent study – 5 ECTS

Why it matters?
Connects design, prototyping and business value into a coherent outcome.

What will happen?
Participants run a full product design sprint, plan and conduct user testing, iterate their prototype based on real feedback, and refine the value proposition. The course culminates in a strategic MVP presentation, where participants communicate the value of their solution to stakeholders.

The University reserves the right to make adjustments to the programme in cooperation with the lead lecturer to ensure the best possible learning experience.

Certificate

A micro-degree certificate with ECTS credits, which can be counted toward an EBS master’s programme

Microdegree structure

The master’s level microdegree programme runs from 17 October to 12 December 2026.

Lectures and seminars take place over nine training days: every other week on Fridays and Saturdays. Each training day runs from 10:00 to 17:15. The schedule includes a 45-minute lunch break and several short breaks.

Exact dates: 17.10, 30.10, 31.10, 13.11, 14.11, 27.11, 28.11, 11.12, 12.12.2026

In-class discussion and direct interaction add depth to the learning experience and help build valuable connections, but the lectures are also recorded.

The microdegree is worth 15 ECTS credits. The total workload is 390 hours, of which 72 hours are contact teaching and the remainder is independent study.
We value in-person learning and peer interaction, so all sessions are held on campus.

Register for the microdegree

Digital Product Design & Development starts at Oct 17, 2026

Microdegree details

Entry requirements:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification.
At least 3 years of work experience in business or entrepreneurship
EU/EEA/Swiss citizenship or a valid temporary residence permit allowing study in Estonia.
English at B2 level
Completed online consultation with EBS before October 10, 2026

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the microdegree, the learner will be able to:

Understand how to map user requirements and translate them into technical specifications;
Understand how to create an intuitive and convenient user experience;
Be able to create a technically working prototype to test with users.

The microdegree is based on practical learning and the step-by-step development of a digital product. Throughout the programme, participants work with user research, UX design, prototyping and AI-based development tasks, applying their knowledge in both individual and team assignments.

To complete the programme, participants must successfully pass all courses, achieve the learning outcomes and present a final digital product solution (MVP) as part of the capstone project.

Assessment is based on practical assignments, prototypes, analyses and presentations that support the validation and development of ideas into functional solutions. Participants receive feedback throughout the learning process, and assessment is aligned with the learning outcomes of each course.

Courses are assessed on a pass/fail basis, while the capstone project is graded on the A–F scale.

The courses takes place at EBS’s modern campus in Tallinn, A. Lauteri 3. Students have access to ergonomic classrooms, the EBS library, and the cloud-based Canvas learning platform. The study process is supported by online tools such as Canvas and MS Teams. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building.

Leading lecturers

Martin Maduka Ejeagwu

Junior Research Fellow

Martin Maduka Ejeagwu is a Junior Research Fellow at Estonian Business School. His research and teaching focus on digital innovation, business process management, and the governance of AI in the financial sector. He brings nearly two decades of international corporate experience, having worked in roles such as Business Analyst, Requirements Engineer, and Product Owner at organisations including AXA and Swiss Life.

Since 2022, Martin has been fully dedicated to academia, teaching at several universities in Germany and the United Kingdom. His approach integrates strong theoretical foundations with practical applications, supporting learners in navigating and leading digital transformation in modern organisations. He holds a Master’s degree in Information Systems (Business Process Management) from the University of Liechtenstein.

Tanel Kärp

Visiting lecturer

Tanel Kärp is an interaction and circular design expert, educator, and consultant with nearly 25 years of experience in digital experiences, human-centred design, and sustainable solutions. He is Design Lead at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Head of the Interaction Design Master’s programme, contributing to the teaching and development of design thinking, service design, and social innovation in Estonia and internationally.

Tanel has advised and mentored numerous organisations across the public sector, business, and civil society, helping them develop human- and planet-friendly products, services, and processes. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Design and Development of Virtual Environments from the University of Tartu and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design from the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Marko Rillo

Head of MBA programme

Marko Rillo (PhD) is the Head of the MBA Programme and an IT and consultancy entrepreneur. He has advised companies, the European Commission, the EBRD, and the UN on business model renewal, innovative initiatives, and strategic development.
Marko earned his PhD in Management from the University of St. Gallen, focusing on how managers balance innovation and efficiency (Organizational Ambidexterity). He is also known for researching workplace playfulness and advancing the LEGO Serious Play methodology. He holds a master’s in economics from TalTech, a bachelor’s in business from EBS, and has studied strategy and innovation at INSEAD, IESE, and other renowned institutions. He teaches innovation, strategy, and change management and leads Helge Kool, a social initiative promoting happier school days for students.

//kood Guest Lecturers

koodtech is a modern international programming school for adults who want to learn, develop themselves, upskill, or change their career path. Its learning model is based on practical, project-based, and collaborative learning, helping students gain software development and digital skills through real-life tasks. In EBS courses, koodtech guest lecturers bring a practical perspective on applying technology, creating digital solutions, and using modern ways of working

Digital Product Design & Development

Practical info

From product ideas to working, testable solutions

Who is Digital Product Design & Development intended for?

Topics Covered

Certificate

Microdegree structure

Register for the microdegree

Microdegree details

Leading lecturers

Martin Maduka Ejeagwu

Tanel Kärp

Marko Rillo

//kood Guest Lecturers

Register for the microdegree

Course Date

Calendar

Price

Register for the microdegree

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