Product design, a term often thrown around in business circles, but what does it truly mean? Let's delve into its essence, exploring its significance, the process involved, and how it shapes the world of consumer goods around us.
Product designers are often confused with other types of designers
Product designers work on a wide range of products from physical products to apps
- They make between $50k-$128k depending on experience and industry
- The product design role is expected to grow by 4% annually over the next decade
What is product design?
Product design is the process of creating products that offer solutions to a problem in a specific market. Successful product design both serves a business and incorporates users’ needs.
- Five steps of product design: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test, and Design Thinking
What skills do product designers need?
Soft skills and technical skills are equally important
- Product designers rely on technical knowledge balanced with their creative ability
- They need a sense of visual and spatial awareness that’s balanced with commercial awareness to know what looks good, functions well, and will be a viable product for business purposes
What is a product designer?
Product designers focus on making a marketable and cost-effective product that is also easy to use.
- A UX designer focuses on the user’s experience of a product that someone else has already deemed profitable
- Other design jobs that are similar to product design include UX Architect and Experience Architect
Final thoughts
Product designers lead the charge in the process of creating products using design thinking, clear communication, problem-solving skills, and software tools.
- They need next level business acumen alongside their design skills to be successful, making them a great role for someone who is already a UX designer but wants more responsibilities and a potentially higher salary.
What does a product designer actually do?
Product designers are responsible for the user experience and business goals of a product
- They use design thinking to ideate and create a solution that serves a users’ needs and a business need as well
- Responsibilities
- User experience
- Coding
- Problem-solving
- Planning and conducting testing
- Wireframing
- Marketing support
- Meeting with clients
- Prototyping
The product designer’s process
Product designers go through a process that closely parallels the design thinking process: design and prototype, test with users, implement feedback, launch a product, measure and iterate the product
