Competences for the modern designer: Systematic literature review

Higher education institutions offering education in design need to review their teaching content in relation to a changing society and digitalization. In emerging post-digital era higher education is in a state of change. Metacognitive skills and a focus on digitalized world’s competencies are becoming integral components of curricula in modern days. During the 21st century emphasis in design education has been on design thinking, user-centered design, and the utilization of service designers. On the other hand, contemporary designers are expected to have the capacity to navigate complexity and address wicked problems. Designers are now being called upon to contribute to complex problems, in a highly decentralized and heterogeneous contexts within development processes that are increasingly connected. The change in the field of design and in the professional definition is so rapid that there is no curriculum that can predict the future. This raises two research questions: What are future competences for designers? How these changes should be considered in the design education? The scope of this systematic literature review encompasses scholarly works published in international peer-reviewed academic journals during the period spanning from 1.1.2018 to 31.3.2024. The primary objective is to discern evolving perceptions of the design profession in the future and to identify the key competencies that emerging designers should adeptly master as they navigate the landscape of a digitalized working environment.