Blog: My journey as a UCD apprentice: Building my skills in User-Centred Design
09 February 2026
I am Sally, a User-Centred Design (UCD) apprentice at DHCW.
I first noticed the term UCD during my career as a graphic designer. For me, design has always been about people, we must create with the user in mind, but I did not realise there was a whole discipline dedicated to UCD until I worked on some simple design projects that gave me a chance to explore UX/UI more deeply.
These experiences sparked a curiosity about a career change. The perfect opportunity came when I moved to the UK and discovered DHCW’s UCD apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship is a two-year program that allows me to spend four months in each profession, gaining hands-on experience across different areas of UCD. I love that the apprenticeship allows me to focus on the areas I am most passionate about, letting me grow my strengths along the way.
First rotation: User Research
In my first rotation, I started with user research, something I had never really experienced before. I learned about a variety of research methods and how to conduct interviews, workshops, usability testing and data analysis. What I enjoyed most about user research was getting direct feedback from actual users, understanding how they feel, what frustrates them and seeing how our research findings can help solve real problems.
Talking to people has always been a big challenge for me. I am naturally shy and uncomfortable speaking in front of groups, but this experience helped me improve my communication skills. I also enjoyed diving into data analysis, discovering patterns and turning insights into actionable recommendations.
Second rotation: Graphic Design
I have always enjoyed graphic design, which is why I worked in the field for several years. Still, I learned so much during this rotation. Coming from the commercial and private sectors, working in the public sector was a completely new experience!
One of the biggest areas of growth for me was accessibility. In my previous work, I focused primarily on aesthetics, but this rotation stretched my design skills in a new direction. I learned how to create accessible PDFs and gained a solid understanding of the fundamentals of making projects accessible for all users. It was exciting to see how good design is not just about visuals. It’s about creating solutions that everyone can use, which is a key principle of UCD.
Current rotation: Content Design
I always thought content design might be my most challenging rotation. I doubted whether I could create effective English content when it is my second language. Thankfully, with the support of my team, I have had a positive experience.
The first content design task I worked on involved reimagining pages that already existed on our website, and it was not as intimidating as I had imagined. Since I was not starting from scratch, it felt much more manageable. So far, I’ve learned that content design is about understanding organisational standards, following established guidelines and identifying areas for improvement. I always try to put myself in the user’s shoes when reviewing my work, asking myself, ‘If I were the user, how would I feel?’ ‘Is the content clear, accessible and easy to navigate?’
Currently, we are working on creating a UCD SharePoint site for the first time, which is another chance to conduct user research and bring my UCD skills together.
Looking ahead
The next rotation will be service design, which I’m especially excited about because it’s completely new to me. I hope to work on a project from the very beginning with a service designer to see how the process unfolds and how all the pieces come together.
Finally, I’ll work alongside interaction design. I’m already familiar with it from my previous work and university studies, so I have some expectations of what I will learn. However, I am keen expand my knowledge to a professional level, so I can become a confident and capable practitioner.
It would be amazing to continue at DHCW after my apprenticeship. Everyone is so welcoming, and the culture is fantastic. No matter where my career takes me, I want to create digital services and products that make use of all my UCD skills. And if anyone asks me about this apprenticeship, I will definitely recommend it. It’s a rare opportunity to get a taste of everything with a supportive team and plenty of hands-on experience in an organisation committed to improving public health and delivering user-centred digital services.