Pioneers in digital education
KnowHouse is Norway’s leading online education company offering practical courses in digital marketing, website development and communication to working professionals.
Jakob Thyness and Nina Furu, Founders and CEO, KnowHouse
Founded by the entrepreneurial couple Nina Furu and Jakob Thyness in 2006, Knowhouse emerged from their passion for everything internet and their commitment to helping digital professionals excel in their jobs.
Nina and Jakob also have a strong background in organising events and conferences for the digital community. With events like Web Forum, one of Norway’s largest gatherings in the digital sphere, and the highly successful AI conference, AI-con 2024, KnowHouse continues to push boundaries and shape the discourse around emerging technologies.
Their commitment to innovation and knack for identifying market trends prompted them to partner with the UX Design Institute, a global leader in UX education and certification. Continuing their pioneering streak in the market with this partnership, Jakob remarks,
We now champion UX education in the Norwegian market.
An opportunity to expand KnowHouse’s digital programme portfolio and the market
Small and medium enterprises dominate the digital landscape in Norway, with a scattering of larger companies. While these firms recognise the importance of offering an excellent user experience, they often struggle with initiating employee training. Traditional university education isn’t always tailored for working professionals, making it impractical.
Nina and Jakob recognised this gap, both in the market and within their programme portfolio. This realisation led to KnowHouse identifying the potential for collaboration with the UX Design Institute in November 2022. Jakob says,
We swiftly recognised the market opportunity and saw UX Design Institute as a credible partner we wanted to collaborate with.
He adds, “In addition to addressing market demand, broadening our programme portfolio with UX courses was a key motivation. It filled a gap in our offerings and resonated with my passion for user experience.” The partnership began by offering UX Design Institute’s two most popular professional courses: a diploma in UX design and a certificate in UI design.
Nina explains, “Offering professional courses in UX and UI aligns with our brand’s focus on practical skills. Employers often sponsor their employees to attend our courses during work hours. We are all about empowering them to excel in their roles.”
UX Design Institute’s courses, crafted by professionals with input from industry experts, provide practical training highly valued by employers. Students gain real-world experience and mentorship, building professional portfolios to showcase their UX skills effectively.
While considering potential partners, the KnowHouse founders evaluated several companies, including the prestigious Nielsen Norman Group. Jakob, certified by them, acknowledges their excellence. However, Nina highlights,
UX Design Institute’s stellar reputation and position at the forefront of the UX education industry appealed to us.
A responsive and flexible partnership
The UX Design Institute ensured that the partner onboarding was swift and systematic.
KnowHouse already had a course-selling platform and a promotional website. Nina highlights the simplicity, stating, “It was straightforward—setting up landing pages and devising a launch marketing plan.” She describes the onboarding as seamless and convenient.
John Doran, Head of Partnerships, UX Design Institute
Under the leadership of John Doran, Head of Partnerships, the UX Design Institute team demonstrated a deep understanding of KnowHouse’s expectations, leading to a long-term, responsive, and supportive partnership.
Nina commends the team for their excellent responsiveness and efficiency in providing course-related information and student progress feedback, stating, “It’s been a pleasure working with them.”
KnowHouse values the UX Design Institute for its efficiency and for maintaining partner brand integrity. The partnership offers easy access to customised resources, eg. a special Slack channel for KnowHouse students, promotional material, regular consultation via a partner success manager, and tailored sales and marketing support.
John has always been prompt, involving other team members as needed. We’ve built a strong working relationship with the extended team. Overall, it’s been smooth sailing,
agrees Jakob. They both appreciate UX Design Institute’s focus on meeting their students’ training needs and ensuring course quality.
All of UX Design Institute’s courses are university credit-rated by Glasgow Caledonian University and validated by UX experts to ensure the highest standards. The courses have gained top global ratings, receiving a 4.9-star rating on Google, a 97% Customer Satisfaction Score, and a Net Promoter Score of 70.
More business growth and a brighter future: ‘Lønnsomt’ it is!
The partnership between KnowHouse and the UX Design Institute is succinctly captured in a single Norwegian word, ‘lønnsomt,’ meaning profitable.
Nina highlights the fact that the UX and UI courses offered as part of the partnership have emerged as top revenue generators for KnowHouse.
Jakob adds, “Moreover, this programme stands out in our portfolio for its comprehensiveness, reflecting its value and relevance to our students’ needs.”
He emphasises the core of the partnership as the two companies work together to provide world-class UX education in Norway,
The content quality, collaborative spirit, and the valuable portfolio expansion are standout aspects.
The partnership’s success has Nina optimistic about the future: “We aim to broaden our course offerings through this collaboration, introducing specialised programmes as the market evolves. We look forward to incorporating UX Design Institute’s professional certificates in user research and content design in the coming months.”
It’s great to see KnowHouse’s trust in UX Design’s products and support as the partnership enters its next phase of UX offerings. Jakob affirms,
We’re excited about this collaboration’s potential for growth and innovation. UX Design Institute’s responsiveness and product quality inspire confidence in exploring new ventures.
There’s nothing more motivating than a vote of confidence from our partners. UX Design Institute is thrilled to deepen and expand this partnership further.
You can learn more about KnowHouse by visiting their website: https://knowhouse.no/
Please visit UX Design Institute’s partner hub to learn more about our partner network and how to partner with us.
