User Experience Design (UXD) Competency Model: Identifying Well-Rounded Proficiency for User Experience Designers in the Digital Age

Abstract

Background The digital era has influenced the whole global economy and its job market. This environment has changed many current mandatory skills and has created many new job positions. User experience (UX) design is an emerging career for developing user experience and satisfaction, but there is no consensus for its competencies. We developed a competency model for UX designers, considering value creation for today's business climate. Methods The elements of the UX competency model were extracted through a systematic literature review in design and human-computer interaction. Content and thematic analysis were deployed to cluster diverse elements into distinct units that illustrated the competency model for a UX designer. The model evaluation was based on judgments of 25 experts using snowball sampling. Results Our UXD competency model had four domains, nine units and 63 elements of competency. CVI, modified kappa, and Cronbach’s alpha confirmed the validity and reliability of the model. Each unit was classified into three types to differentiate functions and significance with t-tests. The Core competencies were design research and usability value. Functional competencies were design principle, design process, aesthetic value, information art, business acumen and project management. Information technology was found to be cross-functional competency. Conclusions Our derived UXD competency model illustrated every dimension in the wellrounded proficiencies needed for UX designers in the digital age. The model covered UXD tasks and contexts in the digital age, and can be generalized for human resource development as a framework for UXD job analysis in a design or technology organization.