Information Services Design

For many career paths, there is currently no comprehensive formal education offer in the Czech Republic. An example of such a career field is information services design. The goal of the professionally-oriented online bachelor's degree program in Information Services Design is to offer comprehensive and sophisticated knowledge, skills and application foundation for current and future leaders in the field of information services in the public, non-profit and commercial spheres. The study leads to the acquisition of competencies in user-centered research, interaction design and development of information technologies and services, and to foster innovation in information organizations in the context of local communities and contemporary global societal and environmental challenges. It is currently the only such bachelor's program in the Czech Republic.

The programme is designed to meet the needs of non-traditional learners who already have less or more experience in practice. These learners may be in a situation of career advancement and development, career transition or deferred study. The programme is fully online, with a combination of asynchronous and synchronous learning, which on the one hand allows for a high degree of personalized learning progression and on the other hand, through synchronous elements and the involvement of prominent Czech and international experts, supports the creation of professional identity and community. In addition to the online form, the programme aims to include other innovative elements such as:

- modular structure, scalability and connection to lifelong learning;

- the involvement of new technologies, e.g. virtual reality technologies, especially in the context of virtual collaboration of student teams;

- recognition of prior professional learning;

- new forms of qualification work - design or research project.

The content of the programme is based on the principles of the applied humanities, drawing on the theoretical basis of information science and library science, and using knowledge from design, psychology, sociology, economics, ergonomics, computer science and other disciplines, but placing them firmly in a disciplinary context, while building on ind inspiring by selected study programmes of iSchools. The basis of the application potential of the study programme is the acquisition of design thinking and other design methodologies (human-centred design, transition design) and their use in the field context. The applied and professional nature of the study programme is supported in particular by the involvement of practitioners, links to professional standards and models (e.g. Service Design Maturity Model) and partnerships with industry organisations (e.g. UX Association or Czech Digital).

The structure of the study programme is modular and allows for connections with lifelong learning. The basic building blocks of the programme are semester-long 20-credit thematic modules consisting of individual subjects. In addition to application competences, the promotion of critical thinking and the ethics of information technology are also an important part of the study.

The study is based on individual work with the student in his/her specific life situation and focus. The development, the passage through the study and the individual subjects are monitored and reflected on by means of a digital study portfolio, individual and group consultations dedicated to it and online tutoring methods.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• identify opportunities and situations that require innovation with respect to the organisation's strategic objectives and societal context;
• propose a design process leading to effective and responsible innovation in information services;
• design and implement research used to uncover user needs and identify and analyze the problem to be solved;
• creatively approach proposals for solutions to identified problems;
• prototype and test new solutions to an existing problem (design or redesign);
• use appropriate service design methodologies and methods (personas, service journey, service blueprint, etc.);
• understand the agile process and basic project management methodologies;
• be familiar with the capabilities of current technologies, their advantages and limitations;
• critically approach the (unintended) implications of service design and redesign in a broader social, economic, and environmental context;
• advocate for changes in organisations that will lead to the responsible and sustainable innovation of information services;
• navigate and be part of a professional community;
• design and manage their own lifelong learning process in relation to their career and professional goals.

Graduates of the study programme can easily find employment in a wide range of positions in the field and research and development services:

- Information services design specialist (service designer). The job of a service designer is to design services and their individual elements (interfaces) to be accessible, usable and useful for users.

- User research specialist (UX researcher). The role of the user researcher is to investigate user needs using applied qualitative and quantitative research methods, to involve users in the design of the information product using participatory research methods, and to test the usability, accessibility and usefulness of services.

- The interaction designer designs interfaces and individual service elements to make it as easy as possible for the user to interact with the service or product.

- The product owner/service owner is a member of the team that develops the service and is tasked with prioritising and managing the agile development process of the information service based on the needs of the user.

Examples of specific positions currently held by graduates of the current Information Services Design degree:

- Information Services Designer

- design thinking specialist

- user research specialist

- interaction designer

- product owner

- project manager

- community manager

- CX specialist

- service manager

- information services manager

- Social innovation specialist.

Graduates can hold these positions in public institutions, commercial companies including international corporations and non-profit organizations. Likewise, the program will also prepare them for a career as an independent professionals (self-employed, so-called freelance). Given this diversity, professionals from all these fields are represented among the trainers and mentors.

Internships are an integral part of the study and will be at least 2 weeks each semester, over 12 weeks in total. They are mainly carried out through the courses Information Services Design - Project I-IV and in the form of an undergraduate project. During the course of their studies, learners will have the opportunity to undertake internships in the form of work on an assigned project as well as in the form of an innovative project in their own organization.

The qualification thesis consists of a final project and an individual digital portfolio that reflects the final project and all partial outputs of the practical training.

The digital portfolio reflects the knowledge and skills achieved and places them in a disciplinary and social context. The final exam is conducted by discussing the portfolio and verifying the knowledge and skills corresponding to the learning outcomes.

Graduates of the Information Services Design programme can continue in any further studies. Direct continuity is provided mainly by the Information Studies and Librarianship (mainly with the Information Services Design profile) at the KISK Faculty of Arts at MUNI.