Redefining design competence: A framework for equipping product designers in the generative AI era

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied in product design, identifying the new competence designers need to adapt to industry changes has become a topic of high interest in the design community. This study aims to construct a new design competence framework to deepen the understanding of the competence dimensions required by designers in the era of generative AI. First, the initial framework was determined through a literature review. Then, through three rounds of empirical research—semi-structured interviews (N = 35), expert surveys (N = 36), and designer surveys (N = 109)—the specific content of the framework was repeatedly evaluated and refined. Finally, the framework was applied to design practice (N = 43) to explore its impact on design outcomes. The study concluded that design competence in the era of generative AI consists of four core aspects: design aesthetics competence, design thinking competence, design practice competence, and design resilience competence.