Skills & Competencies for UX Design Director

UX Design Director job profile

JOB SUMMARY for UX Design Director

Directs a department of UI designers who apply user-centered design principles to improve the workflow, expand the functionality, and enhance the visual appeal of websites and mobile apps.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for UX Design Director

Oversees the development of the overall design philosophy for improving the workflow, functionality, and visual appeal of the organization's online presence. Establishes new projects and initiatives, ensures requirements are gathered from users and stakeholders, and oversees projects at a high level. Ensures UI design projects align with and support broader organizational initiatives and direction.

UX Design Director SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$218,627
TOTAL 50%
$252,983
Job Level
M04
Job Code
IT10000721
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Top Management

UX Design Director Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each UX Design Director skill and competencie below to view definitions.

3 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for UX Design Director

1 Industry Competency – User Experience Design
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Creating and enhancing user-centered designs to establish branding, optimize usability, and improve user experience throughout product development.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the importance of testing and prototyping in the UX design process.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Communicates with external partners to clarify requirements and discuss design concepts.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements user experience best practices to provide constant improvement to all design elements.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Formulates UX style guides and formats to develop a consistent and organized design system.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions the adoption of the latest design tools to deliver quality and modern UX design and content.
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2 Industry Competency – User Interface Design
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Anticipating user needs and preferences to create interface and interaction designs to build a user interface that is intuitive, easy, and aesthetic.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the difference between user interface and user experience designs.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Communicates with users to identify and analyze their needs and design specifications for UI.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Recommends improvements to user interface designs based on user feedback to increase their experience.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Predicts user needs and goals in creating interface designs to improve user experience.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates wireframes and user interface solutions to optimize functional designs of the product.
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3 UX Design Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - UX Design Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - UX Design Director
Proficiency Level - 5

4 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for UX Design Director

1 Job Family Competencies – Design Thinking
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Developing software solutions to understand and target customer needs in a repetitive process.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes processes and basic guidelines of design thinking.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Documents successful solutions in using design thinking to drive cross-functional alignment and storytelling.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Makes a variety of different prototypes to identify the best possible solution for each problem found.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Facilitates formulation of innovative design solutions to achieve optimal business performance.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates new standards of excellence in design thinking and creative strategy.
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2 Job Family Competencies – HTML
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Ability to use this computer language for creating, updating and maintaining text, graphics and links in a website.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the process of using HTML in constructing web pages.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Documents essential HTML codes to support website development technology.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Partners with developers to create HTML-friendly designs and update data layers using HTML.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Manages primary content production of HTML and image assets.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes best practices in using HTML functionalities to boost website capabilities and user involvement.
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3 UX Design Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - UX Design Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - UX Design Director
Proficiency Level - 5

13 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for UX Design Director

1 Core Competencies – Budgeting
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Applying specific policies, tools and practices to plan and prepare projected revenues, expenses, cash flows, and capital expenditures.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the different purposes and uses of our organization's budgets.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Gathers financial data to help support management in budgeting analysis and forecasting.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Prepares and reviews the annual budgeting process to ensure effective and efficient budgeting.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors budgeting processes to ensure adherence to our organization's financial practices and standards.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes operating procedures to guide the consistency and repeatability of our budgeting processes.
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2 Core Competencies – Planning and Organizing
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Managing and prioritizing resources and workloads by creating well-organized plans to attain organizational goals and objectives.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Documents best practices in planning and organizing work to address important tasks.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Discusses the positive and negative outcomes of planning and organization in the workplace.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Helps set up new practices to anticipate and address the needs of planning and organization initiatives.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Facilitates the adoption of advanced tools to streamline the process of planning and organization.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops best practices in planning and organizing activities to improve organizational efficiency.
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3 UX Design Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - UX Design Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - UX Design Director
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of UX Design Director skills and competencies

There are 3 hard skills for UX Design Director, User Experience Design, User Interface Design, WebSite Mapping.
4 general skills for UX Design Director, Design Thinking, HTML, JavaScript, etc.
13 soft skills for UX Design Director, Budgeting, Planning and Organizing, Coordination, etc.
While the list totals 20 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a UX Design Director, he or she needs to be skilled in Budgeting, be skilled in Planning and Organizing, and be skilled in Coordination.

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