If you want to build a career in UX, practical experience matters just as much as theoretical knowledge. The Master’s in User Experience Management & Design at PFH combines UX research, design, evaluation and prototyping with practical project work, giving you opportunities to apply what you learn to realistic design challenges.
What kind of UX projects can you work on during your master’s?
During the master’s, you can work on projects that cover different stages of the UX design process. The programme includes modules such as UX Evaluation, Conception and Prototyping, and Interaction and Interface Design, allowing you to explore how research and design decisions come together to create better user experiences. PFH also includes a dedicated practical project, which is completed in interdisciplinary teams either at PFH or in companies.
This practical focus reflects how UX work is carried out in professional environments. Nielsen Norman Group’s research, for example, includes 44 real-world UX case studies showing how teams use UX metrics to evaluate design changes and measure their impact.
What prototyping and testing tasks will you work on?
A key part of UX projects is turning ideas into something that can be tested. During your studies, you can work with prototypes, interaction concepts and interface designs to explore how users might navigate and interact with a digital product.
Testing then helps you identify what works and what needs to change. This can involve gathering user feedback, analysing interactions and using qualitative and quantitative research to support design decisions. Research by Nielsen Norman Group found that 71% of UX professionals surveyed said their teams perform quantitative UX research at least sometimes, while 27% reported conducting one or more quantitative studies per design project.
The process is therefore not simply about creating a visually appealing interface. You learn to test, evaluate and refine your designs based on evidence. Current industry research also highlights the continued importance of prototyping: Figma’s 2026 State of the Designer research reports that 29% of designers identify motion design and prototyping as among the most in-demand skills.
How does collaboration and teamwork work in UX projects?
UX projects rarely happen in isolation. Designers need to communicate with researchers, developers, managers, clients and other stakeholders to turn ideas into workable solutions.
At PFH, the practical project is specifically completed in interdisciplinary teams, giving you experience of collaborating with people who may approach the same problem from different perspectives. This can help you practise presenting ideas, discussing research findings, dividing responsibilities and making design decisions as a team.
Collaboration is also increasingly connected to new digital tools. Adobe’s 2026 research found that creative professionals use AI in more than 40% of the projects they produce on average, while nearly nine in ten respondents said generative AI had improved their work.
How can UX projects help you build your portfolio?
Every project gives you an opportunity to demonstrate more than the final design. A strong UX portfolio can show how you approached a problem, what you discovered through research, how you developed your ideas and why you made particular design decisions.
Instead of simply presenting polished screens, you can demonstrate your research, prototyping, testing and iteration. This gives potential employers a clearer picture of how you think and work as a UX professional.
Your master's projects can therefore become valuable examples for your ux portfolio, particularly when you document the process behind the outcome. UX research is most useful when findings are turned into actionable recommendations, rather than simply presented as data.
For anyone looking for a design project master's that combines academic learning with practical application, this approach can help you graduate with experience that goes beyond the classroom.
Why study UX Management & Design at PFH?
PFH’s Master’s in User Experience Management & Design brings together UX research, evaluation, prototyping, interaction design and practical project work. Rather than treating these areas as separate skills, the programme gives you opportunities to apply them together as part of the UX process.
The combination of practical projects and interdisciplinary teamwork can help you develop both your design skills and your ability to explain, test and improve your ideas, all while building material for your future UX portfolio.
Key statistics
- 71% of UX professionals surveyed by Nielsen Norman Group said their teams conduct quantitative UX research at least sometimes.
- 27% said their teams perform one or more quantitative studies per design project.
- 29% of designers surveyed in Figma’s 2026 State of the Designer research identified motion design and prototyping as among the most in-demand skills.
- 89% of creatives surveyed by Adobe said generative AI had improved their work.
- Creative professionals said they use AI in more than 40% of their projects on average, according to Adobe’s 2026 research.
- Nielsen Norman Group’s latest UX metrics research includes 44 real-world case studies demonstrating how organisations evaluate the impact of UX work.
Post summary
- You can apply UX research, evaluation, design and prototyping to practical projects.
- You can develop experience with prototyping and user testing as part of an iterative design process.
- You can work in interdisciplinary teams, reflecting the collaborative nature of professional UX work.
- You can document your research and design process to strengthen your UX portfolio.
- You can gain practical experience alongside your academic studies through PFH’s dedicated practical project.