User experience architects analyze the needs and expectations of interactive systems of different user groups in the context of business and IT challenges. They conceptualize, design and evaluate interactive systems, taking into account all ergonomic requirements.
Synonymous designation:User experience designer, UI-UX designer, user experience specialist, UX consultant, user experience engineer, user experience researcher, ICT product designer, digital product designer, interaction designer, UX designer, interaction designer, UI designer, UX writer, content strategist, information architect, AX specialist, UX strategist
Translate interaction concepts into tangible and testable artefacts (different display fidelity)
Verify the economic and technical feasibility of interaction concepts
Advise and support other UX architects and individual adjacent roles in operational activities
Tasks with social interaction
Design interactive systems using appropriate methods of the human-centered design process
Collect, analyze and define the needs of user groups and the context in which interactive systems are used
Apply company-specific user and usage profiles and scenarios for the development of interactive systems
Use, check and contribute to design principles and component definitions (design guidelines, design systems)
Plan, conduct and analyze evaluations of interactive concepts, prototypes and systems
Determine the status of further standards and specifications relating to user experience (e.g. accessibility, ISO 9241) and define and implement them
Contribute to company-wide design and research knowledge management
Create competitor analysis with a focus on usability and usefulness
Education
Apprenticeship/baccalaureate
University
Higher vocational education and training
Competence levels (1 to 4)
Low competence with regard to knowledge/experience in the competence level
Increased competence with regard to knowledge/experience of the competence level
High competence in knowledge/experience of the competence level
Very high competence with regard to knowledge/experience in the competence level
Areas of competence
Personal competencies
1
2
3
4
Personnel management
Personnel management
Conveying vision: Communicating the long-term direction and purpose of the work.
Leadership aspirations & motivation: Demonstrating the willingness and motivation to take on leadership responsibilities.
Delegating & monitoring: Clear assignment and delegation of tasks and monitoring their correct execution.
Coaching and development: Developing employees, assessing performance and providing targeted support.
Giving feedback: Exchanging constructive feedback to improve performance and behaviour.
Inspiring and motivating: Winning over and inspiring employees to work towards common goals.
Team organisation: Ability to form, select, integrate and lead teams.
Conflict management: Mediating and resolving differences of opinion within the team.
Assertiveness: Persuasiveness and tenacity in achieving goals.
Forward thinking: Developing vision and strategic foresight for the team.
Communication
Communication
Dialogue skills & empathy: Ability to engage in genuine exchange and empathise with others.
Conflict management & critical thinking: Early recognition of conflicts, constructive approach and achievement of consensus.
Dealing with feedback: Ability to give constructive feedback and to deal with it oneself.
Verbal communication skills: Communicating in a way that is appropriate for the audience, understandable and rhetorically skilful.
Non-verbal communication: Conscious use of body language and facial expressions to support the message.
Presenting & moderating: Structured presentation of content and confident leadership of discussions/meetings.
Credibility & authenticity: Consistency between verbal and non-verbal communication and actions.
Information management: Efficient procurement, processing and communication of relevant information.
Confidence in negotiations: Confident representation of one’s own interests in discussions.
Self-management/personal conduct
Self-management/personal conduct
Objective: Definition of measurable or assessable personal and professional goals.
Work motivation, commitment & discipline: Demonstrating initiative, dynamism, commitment and personal responsibility, as well as consistent adherence to plans and commitments.
Self-reflection & control: Perceiving, classifying and controlling one’s own emotions and feelings.
Systematic working techniques & time management: Planned and disciplined approach to task planning and prioritisation.
Resilience & stress tolerance: Ability to deal with stress, unforeseen events and complex situations.
Willingness & ability to learn: Openness and the ability to quickly absorb new knowledge.
Sense of responsibility: Conscientious, reliable and loyal conduct in accordance with ethical principles.
Work-life balance: Conscious management of the relationship between professional and private life.
Social competencies
Social competencies
Cooperation & tolerance: Constructive cooperation and openness towards different people.
Integration & teamwork: Ability to fit into teams and integrate others.
Empathy: Ability to understand the feelings and perspectives of others.
Tact, sensitivity & appreciation: Respectful and tactful behaviour when dealing with others.
Intercultural sensitivity: Appropriate interaction with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Win-win mentality: Focus on solutions that benefit all parties involved.
Frustration tolerance: Ability to deal with disappointment and resistance.
Design and problem solving
Design and problem solving
Problem identification & analysis: Systematic and logical thinking to identify and analyse complex issues.
Strategic thinking: Ability to develop long-term strategies and act strategically.
Innovative ability: Openness to change and development of visions and new opportunities.
Creativity & intuition: Development of unique, creative solutions, often through imagination and improvisation.
Methodological competence: Targeted application of proven methods for structuring tasks.
Decision-making ability: Competence in making decisions and steering decision-making processes.
Implementation ability: Ability to implement plans with a willingness to take risks and a focus on results.
Entrepreneurial thinking: Acting in the interests of the company’s success and living the company’s values.
Deal with complexity
Deal with complexity
Maintaining an overview: Keeping an eye on the overall situation despite the depth of detail.
Reducing to the essentials: Identifying the core problems in complicated situations.
Focusing: Concentrating on the relevant aspects despite the high density of information.
Thinking in systems: Analysing, abstracting, structuring and synthesising facts as an overall system.
Categorising & grouping: Distinguishing between system types and forming clusters of elements for structuring.
Networking & visualising: Representing relationships and interactions and creating explanatory graphics (e.g. process or relationship diagrams).
Dealing with uncertainty: Acting and making decisions despite incomplete information or probabilities.
Abstract thinking ability
Abstract thinking ability
Modelling & categorisation: Thinking in models and typification to reduce complexity.
Generalisation: Transferring insights from individual cases to general principles.
Simplification & focus: Concentrating on the essentials for better comprehensibility.
Conceptual thinking: Ability to develop overarching ideas and frameworks.
Logical reasoning: Consistent derivation of consequences from given premises.
Perspective building & connections: Ability to view situations from different angles and establish connections.
Communication of abstract concepts: Presentation of complex content through analogies and visualisation techniques.
Open-mindedness & willingness to experiment: Willingness to try out new approaches.
Business/position-related skills
1
2
3
4
Business, administrative and control processes as well as compliance
Business, administrative and control processes as well as compliance
Risk management: Identification, assessment and control of potential threats to the business.
Quality management: Ensuring the required quality of products, services or processes.
Legal aspects & compliance: Compliance with rules of conduct and relevant law (e.g. copyright, contract, liability or procurement law).
Reporting: Preparation and communication of reports on business activities and key figures.
Company policy/culture/organization
Company policy/culture/organization
Corporate identity: Representation of the company’s image and values.
Adaptability and awareness: Understanding of the company’s internal policies, culture and organisation, as well as exemplifying openness and actively supporting organisational changes.
Cultural sensitivity: Reflecting on and taking cultural characteristics into account in decisions and behaviour.
Decision-making behaviour: Making decisions in line with company policy and strategy.
Business contexts
Business contexts
Finance & Controlling: Knowledge of budgeting, accounting and the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) for management purposes.
Investments & Procurement: Understanding of the fundamentals of investment decisions and procurement strategies (‘make or buy’).
Value creation & efficiency: Focus on increasing the value creation, effectiveness and efficiency of business activities.
Corporate strategies & stakeholders: Understanding of overall corporate policy, strategies and consideration of stakeholders.
Product/market development: Knowledge of marketing, sales, pricing and production factors.
Competitive situation in the sector
Competitive situation in the sector
Competitiveness: Assessing one’s own position in the market and applying generic strategies.
Identifying competitive advantages: Recognising and exploiting one’s own unique selling points.
Industry understanding: Knowledge of specific market models and the mechanisms of supply, demand and pricing in the industry.
Understanding the value chain: Knowledge of the sequence of activities involved in creating a product or service.
Marketability: Assessing and ensuring the company’s ability to compete.
Recognising market risks: Forward-looking assessment of potential threats from the market environment.
Change in the business through ICT
Change in the business through ICT
Customer & service orientation: Focusing on the needs of customers/stakeholders and aligning with service orientation in the context of digital transformation.
Market orientation & navigation: Recognising ICT-driven change in the market and aligning the company accordingly.
Understanding and introducing digital technologies: Basic knowledge of modern ICT solutions such as cloud computing or AI, as well as the ability to introduce new ICT solutions quickly and effectively.
Knowing digital business models: Familiarity with new, technology-driven value creation approaches.
Digitising processes: Using technology to increase efficiency and automate processes.
Handling data/IT security: Responsible protection of sensitive information from misuse.
Consulting and sales
Consulting and sales
Consulting process: Mastering the structured process from needs analysis to solution presentation.
Solution orientation: Focusing on providing solutions that benefit the customer.
Acquisition & closing: Ability to acquire customers, prepare quotations/offers and successfully close contracts.
Negotiation techniques: Application of professional methods to achieve win-win solutions and determine pricing.
Relationship management: Long-term maintenance of customer contacts to secure future business.
Technical and methodological competencies
1
2
3
4
ICT management
ICT management
IT strategy: Development and implementation of strategies for information and communication technologies.
Information technologies: Assessment of new technologies in terms of their benefits for the company.
Potential for improvement: Identifying and realising potential for improvement in ICT structures.
Project portfolio: Organising the entire ICT project portfolio.
Best practices, benchmarks: Taking best practices and benchmarks into account to optimise performance.
Third-party services: Coordinating external ICT service providers.
ICT governance: Ensuring ICT governance so that ICT processes are in line with company objectives.
Project management
Project management
Team behaviour: Promoting constructive behaviour within the project team.
Project initiation, project management: Managing ICT projects from initiation to completion.
Project planning: Planning and controlling the progress and resources of ICT projects.
Project execution: Supporting ICT projects with appropriate methods and tools.
Project management support: Creating and monitoring project plans.
Project problems: Identifying and solving project problems.
Project management concepts, methods and tools: Applying recognised concepts, methods and tools for project management.
Risk management
Risk management
Project risks: Identification and assessment of risks within ICT projects.
System operation risks: Protection of ongoing system operation against disruptions and risks.
Risks of organisational units: Minimisation of risks within organisational units.
Contingency scenarios: Development of contingency scenarios to ensure business continuity.
ICT compliance: Ensuring compliance with legal regulations.
Quality management
Quality management
System tests, system checks: Systematic checks and tests of ICT systems.
Configuration management: Checking configurations for compliance with standards.
Quality assurance, quality assurance systems: Quality assurance of ICT products and processes using quality assurance systems.
Release, upgrade: Planning and controlling releases and upgrades.
