Atthaves Borriraklert. Developing a competency model for user experience designers in the digital age. Doctoral Degree(Information Technology Management). Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center. : Mahidol University, 2021.
Developing a competency model for user experience designers in the digital age
Abstract:
The digital era has influenced the whole global economy and its job market. This environment has changed many existing jobs' mandatory skills and created many new job positions. User experience (UX) designer is an emerging career that many businesses seek for UX designers to develop users' experience and satisfaction in using their products, services, and systems. Although the discipline in the user experience design has been developed for decades, there is no consensus for its competencies. This research aims to develop the competency model for the UX designer in the digital era who has well-rounded knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding the value creation for today's business climate. The elements of the UX competency model were extracted through a systematic literature review based on the fields of design and human-computer interaction as they are the origin of the UX doctrine. Content and thematic analyses, based on the grounded theory technique were deployed to cluster those diverse elements into distinct units that illustrates the well-rounded competency model for the UX designer. The model evaluation was performed through 25 experts' judgment from the snowball sampling technique, then measured with content validity index (CVI) and the modified kappa statistics. The results of the competency model development are nine units and 63 elements of competency. The CVI indicated that the model has content validity. The modified kappa statistics confirmed the reliability of the model evaluation at the item-level, and Cronbach's alpha demonstrated the model's reliability at the scale-level. The units of competency can be classified into three types of competencies through a two-tailed T-test compared with the model average. The core competencies for the UX designers were design research and usability value. The functional competencies were design principle, design process, aesthetic value, information art, business acumen, and project management. The cross-functional competency was information technology. The findings illustrated three types of competencies for the UX designers. The core competencies (design research, and usability value) are mandatory for the UX designers since they must empathize with users' pain points, gain users' insight, and create the solutions that possess usability. The functional competencies are the abilities of the UX designers to complete their given jobs. Finally, the cross-functional competency is information technology that benefits the UX designers to work with a multidisciplinary or cross-functional team in the digital industry. The derived UXD competency model illustrated every dimension in the well-rounded proficiencies needed for the UX designers in the digital age. The model covered the UXD tasks and contexts in the digital age, and can be generalized for human resource development as a framework for the UXD job analysis in a design or technology organization.