{"id":9143,"date":"2023-10-04T14:14:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T14:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=9143"},"modified":"2024-07-01T01:23:24","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T01:23:24","slug":"what-is-product-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-product-design\/","title":{"rendered":"What is product design?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/product-design\">Product design<\/a> is a cross-functional discipline that spans research, strategy, design (UX\/UI), and business\u2014with lots of collaboration along the way.<\/p>\n<p>The goal of product design is to ideate, design, and iterate on products that meet a specific user need, make sense from a business perspective, and compete successfully in their given market.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a multifaceted field, touching on UX and UI design, engineering, product management, and more. But what exactly does it entail? What are the core principles of product design, and what process does it follow?<\/p>\n<p>Consider this your ultimate introduction. Keep reading to learn:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#What-is-product-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is product design?\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Why-is-product-design-important\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is product design important?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#Is-product-design-the-same-as-UX-and-UI-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is product design the same as UX and UI design?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#What-are-the-7-fundamental-elements\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the 7 fundamental elements and principles of product design?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#What-is-the-product-design-process\">What is the product design process<\/a>?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#What-does-a-product-designer-do\">What does a product designer do<\/a>?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#What-are-the-most-important-product-design-tools\">What are the most important product design tools<\/a>?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#How-to-get-started-with-product-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to get started with product design <\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s begin with a high-level overview.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"What-is-product-design\"><\/a>What is product design?<\/h2>\n<p>Product design is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the conception and creation of products that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Solve a user problem<\/li>\n<li>Fill a specific gap and perform well in their given market<\/li>\n<li>Contribute to the achievement of business goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Product design usually sits within the wider product team or department, working in close collaboration with engineering, product management, UX and UI design, and customer experience.<\/p>\n<p>It involves coming up with new product ideas based on extensive user research, market research, and competitor analysis; devising a strategy and vision for the product; designing and testing product prototypes; and collaborating on the development, execution, testing, and subsequent iteration of the product.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll take a closer look at the product design process later on. First, though: why product design matters.<\/p>\n<section id=\"promotion\" class=\"promotion-content-raw inlinepromo inlinepromo_product-design-programmep-1 my-4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"w-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 promotion-info\">\n                <a class=\"link-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/product-design?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=%20blog_panel_text&utm_campaign=blog_promo\" style=\"\">\n                    <p>[GET CERTIFIED IN PRODUCT DESIGN (UX &amp; UI)]<\/p>\n                    <span>Enrol now in our Product Design Programme<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<h2><strong><a id=\"Why-is-product-design-important\"><\/a>Why is product design important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/product-design\">Product design is crucial<\/a> for both end user satisfaction and business success. It helps businesses and brands to:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Deliver a positive user experience and gain loyal customers. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key aspect of product design is understanding end user needs and creating a product that meets those needs. This is essential for ensuring happy, satisfied customers who remain loyal over time.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Secure a competitive edge. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design involves extensive market research, helping to identify gaps in the market and determine how to successfully position the product within that particular market. This is critical for building brand awareness and outperforming competitors.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Boost efficiency. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another important aspect of product design is developing design systems, processes, and documentation which help to streamline and optimise collaboration. As such, product design plays a crucial role in driving efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Track product performance over time. <\/b>A good product design process includes setting a clear strategy for the product which is tied to business goals. It allows businesses to define and measure success metrics and monitor the product\u2019s performance on an ongoing basis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"Is-product-design-the-same-as-UX-and-UI-design\"><\/a>Is product design the same as UX and UI design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design has many similarities with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-ux-stand-for\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It\u2019s steeped in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/user-research-in-ux-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">user research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, usability, solving user problems, and providing a positive user experience. So aren\u2019t they just two terms for the same thing?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not exactly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX design focuses on the experience a user has <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while interacting with a product or service<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It seeks to identify the end user\u2019s problem(s) and provide them with a functional, delightful, easy-to-use solution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design, on the other hand, takes a broader, more holistic view of the product\u2014considering not only the usability of the product, but also where the product fits into the market and how it serves business goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can think of UX as a subset of product design. It\u2019s just one of several pillars that product design encompasses. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-ui-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (or user interface design) is a subset of UX, focusing on the look, feel, and interactivity of a digital product. You can read more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-ui-and-ux-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the differences between UX and UI design in this post<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>In short: Product design, UX design, and UI design are not the same thing:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>UX and UI design are subsets of product design, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">focusing on the usability, functionality, look, and feel of the product itself.<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Product design takes a more holistic approach, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">considering the design of the product but also its position in the market, the product strategy, and how it relates to business objectives.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With all that said, it\u2019s important to note that the distinction between UX, UI, and product design can get murky in the real world. Larger companies with bigger budgets are more likely to have dedicated roles for each discipline, while smaller companies may have just one or two designers who span product design, UX, and UI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with most <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-job-roles\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">design job titles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, each company has their own interpretation. We recommend reading through product design job ads to get a feel for how different companies tend to define the role.<\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"promotion\" class=\"promotion-content-raw inlinepromo inlinepromo_professional-diploma-in-ux-designp-1 my-4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"w-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 promotion-info\">\n                <a class=\"link-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ux-design?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=blog_panel_pdux&utm_campaign=blog_promo\" style=\"\">\n                    <p>[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n                    <span>Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<h2><strong><a id=\"What-are-the-7-fundamental-elements\"><\/a> What are the 7 fundamental elements and principles of product design\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design is all about creating products that meet the end users\u2019 needs, are competitive in their market, and help to achieve business goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ensure success in all three areas, product design must consider seven key elements:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Desirability<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Feasibility<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Viability<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Functionality<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Aesthetics<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Quality<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>User experience (UX)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s explore how each element contributes to a successful product.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Desirability<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This considers whether or not the product you plan on designing is actually wanted or needed by your target users. If your product idea doesn\u2019t solve a user problem or meet a specific need, it\u2019s not desirable and therefore won\u2019t be successful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Feasibility\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good product must be feasible\u2014or, in other words, \u201cdoable\u201d. You might have the best idea ever, but if it isn\u2019t achievable in terms of the technology, materials, and resources available, or within your desired budget and timeline, it may not be feasible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Viability<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design must also consider whether or not a product is viable. That is, does it make smart business sense? Will the product be profitable and contribute to long-term growth for the business? If you can\u2019t put forward a strong business case for building the product, your idea is not viable<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn more: <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/desirability-viability-and-feasibility\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A guide to desirability, feasibility, and viability in product design<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Functionality<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every product must have a clearly defined purpose, and it must be functional in relation to that core purpose. It should be designed and built in a way that enables the end user to perform their desired tasks, and it should function just as the user expects it to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Aesthetics<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A competitive product offers seamless functionality <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> visual appeal. The aesthetics of a product help to forge a strong brand identity, attract the target audience, and enhance the user experience. Aesthetics includes the colours, imagery, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">typography<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and overall UI design of the product. In the case of physical products, it also includes the materials used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Quality<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quality is a key differentiator. The markers of a quality product include high performance, reliability, meeting the user\u2019s expectations, and adhering to industry standards. If a product falls short in terms of quality, it will struggle to compete with similar products on the market\u2014and the brand reputation will suffer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. User experience (UX)<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This pillar of product design considers the quality of the user\u2019s experience with the product. A successful product is easy to use and navigate, is accessible and inclusive, and does exactly what it promises. You can learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/good-ux-vs-bad-ux\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">good vs. bad UX here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"What-is-the-product-design-process\"><\/a>What is the product design process?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now we know what product design is, let\u2019s outline the process that a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-a-product-designer-do\/\">product designer<\/a> might follow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bear in mind that there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all here. Every product designer will have their own approach depending on the context, and it doesn\u2019t always unfold in a linear fashion. Still, here are the key steps that typically feature in the product design process:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Define a product vision and strategy<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conduct user and market research<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ideate<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Prototype<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Test and iterate<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Develop and launch\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Post-launch: gather user feedback and make improvements<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>So what happens at each stage? Let\u2019s take a look.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Define a product vision and strategy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every successful product is underpinned by a clear vision and a solid strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s the difference? The product vision defines where the product should end up in the long-term, while the strategy looks at how the vision will be achieved in the short- to mid-term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this stage in the process, the product designer works with the rest of the product team to answer key questions such as:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why are we building this product?<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who is the product for?<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What problem will the product solve?<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How will the product evolve over time?<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How will we define and measure the success of the product?<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product vision and strategy are essential for ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned and moving towards a common goal, and that the product evolves in line with business objectives.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Conduct user and market research<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research phase comprises both user research and market research.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/user-research\">user research<\/a> is to gain a deeper understanding of your target users. What do they want and expect from the product? What challenges and pain-points do they need you to solve?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common user research methods include <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/user-interviews-for-ux-research\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">user interviews<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/user-surveys-for-ux-research\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">surveys<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and contextual enquiries. You can learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/quantitative-vs-qualitative-research\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">different types of user research and their associated methods in this guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal of market research is to determine what competing products already exist, to identify gaps and opportunities in the market, to understand market trends, and to explore how you might position your product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everything you learn in the research phase will inform how your product takes shape.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Ideate<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With user and market research complete, you should have a clear understanding of the problem you\u2019re aiming to solve. Now it\u2019s time to come up with potential solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ideation phase involves brainstorming solutions and exploring their validity. You might <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/design-a-customer-journey-map\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">create customer journey maps<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-storyboard\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">storyboards<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to visualise how a user would interact with your proposed solutions, and to uncover potential pitfalls.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the end of the ideation stage, you will hopefully have a shortlist of concepts\u2014or even a single idea\u2014that you want to carry through to prototyping and testing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Prototype<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/prototyping-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prototyping<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> phase allows you to simulate how the product would look and function, and to test it with your target users before getting it developed for real.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low-fidelity prototypes map out the structure and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-information-architecture\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">information architecture<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the product, while high-fidelity prototypes include visual detail and interactivity. Depending on the size and setup of the team, prototyping might be carried out by the product designer, or it may be handed over to the UX and\/or UI designer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Test and iterate<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With your prototypes at the ready, you can test your idea(s) with real (or representative) users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal of the testing phase is to evaluate how your product performs in an almost-real-world context. Does it function as intended? Is it easy to use and navigate? Does the design, in its current form, deliver a great user experience? Is the product meeting the intended user need?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s likely that user tests will highlight usability issues or uncover further opportunities for you to explore. Based on your findings, you\u2019ll iterate on the design until it\u2019s ready to go live.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/why-ux-testing-is-so-important\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">product and UX testing in this guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Develop and launch<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The product design process doesn\u2019t end with the design of the product. Product designers collaborate closely with engineers and developers (or manufacturers, in the case of physical products) to carry the product through from prototype to launch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This involves conducting or overseeing the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/design-handoff-developers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">design-to-developer handoff<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, sharing product specifications and relevant documentation, reviewing the product at various stages throughout the development process, and solving any design issues that arise along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Post-launch: Gather user feedback and make improvements\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process doesn\u2019t end once the product has been launched, either! Throughout the product\u2019s lifetime, the product designer will continue to monitor its performance, to gather user feedback, and make changes and improvements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With ongoing feedback and iteration, product designers can ensure that their product remains competitive and continues to meet the end users\u2019 needs. Whether it\u2019s redesigning certain aspects of the product to improve usability, adding new features to enhance the product\u2019s value, or removing features that become redundant over time\u2014the product designer\u2019s work is never done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn more: <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/user-feedback-in-product-design\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to incorporate user feedback into the product design process (and why it matters)<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"What-does-a-product-designer-do\"><\/a>What does a product designer do?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve explored the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/product-design\">product design process<\/a>\u2014but how does this translate into day-to-day tasks? The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-a-product-designer-do\/\">product designer role<\/a> involves:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product strategy and vision;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research and testing;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cross-team collaboration;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hands-on design work;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Processes and documentation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the most common product designer duties based on real job ads:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Product strategy and vision:<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partner with the product team to build and validate hypotheses about new opportunities, playing a significant role in shaping the product roadmap and direction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work closely with engineers and product managers to devise long-term product strategy and short-term tactics.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Research and testing:<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conduct user research and use insights to architect the UX of new product improvements and opportunities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be a passionate advocate for the end users.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empathise with users by observing and analysing research labs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perform usability testing and gather user feedback to inform design decisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay updated with latest trends and competitor products.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build a deep understanding of users and their specific needs through qualitative and quantitative research.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Cross-team collaboration:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connect with internal partners to understand business goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partake in resource gathering exercises such as design and content audits, competitive analysis, and business partner interviews.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Participate in cross-functional workshops such as co-creation, empathy mapping, and journey mapping exercises.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaborate with your fellow designers, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX writers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-a-ux-researcher-do\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX researchers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, design managers, product owners, and engineers to translate product requirements into useful and usable experiences ensuring adherence to design best-practices and brand consistency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Foster <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">design thinking<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and facilitate generative discussions with cross-functional partners, promoting a culture of innovation and collaboration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work with product managers and engineers to form an empowered cross-functional product team.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaborate closely with product and engineering teams to create easy-to-use and visually appealing experiences that align with business goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Help the team balance product decisions through a tradeoff between value, usability, feasibility, and viability. As the product designer, you are the main person responsible for the usability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Hands-on design work:<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work closely with the product, engineering, and analytics departments to bring new opportunities to life through wireframes, mockups, and pixel-perfect designs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Synthesise user needs and business objectives to formulate testable prototypes and validate hypotheses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideate and prototype in both high- and low-fidelities using pen and paper and digital tools<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build any required supporting documentation such as user flows, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-are-ux-personas\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">personas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, service blueprints, etc. in accordance with UX standard processes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Processes and documentation:<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be an active participant in the design team\u2019s continuous effort of consolidating our UI &amp; UX design system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Develop and maintain design documentation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Participate in regular design reviews.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can learn more about the role in this guide: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-a-product-designer-do\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does a product designer do?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"What-are-the-most-important-product-design-tools\"><\/a>What are the most important product design tools?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Throughout the product design process, product designers use specialist tools. These include:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Research tools <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">such as Optimal Workshop, Lookback, Typeform, and Maze. Discover <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/best-ux-research-tools\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more research tools here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Design, wireframing, and prototyping tools <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">such as Adobe XD, Sketch, Figma, and InVision. You\u2019ll find <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/best-ux-wireframe-tools\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a comprehensive guide to wireframing tools here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and a comparison of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/best-prototyping-tools-for-ux-designers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the best prototyping tools here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Testing, feedback, and analytics tools <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">like Hotjar, UsabilityHub, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.productboard.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Productboard<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and Optimizely.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Collaboration, project management, and documentation tools <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">such as Slack, Trello, Jira, Miro, Asana, and Notion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"How-to-get-started-with-product-design\"><\/a>Get started with product design<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you like what you\u2019ve read about product design so far, you may be wondering how you can break into this exciting, multifaceted, and high-impact field. The first step is to learn <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ux-design-fundamentals\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the fundamentals of design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and develop the practical skills that are critical to the product design process.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/product-design\">Product Design course<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0is an excellent place to start. It\u2019ll teach you many of the skills, tools, and methodologies you\u2019ll need for a career in product design, from user research and analysis techniques to design principles and patterns, right through to prototyping and handover.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve got the design fundamentals in place, you can expand your skill set to incorporate market and competitor research, product strategy, and cross-functional collaboration.\u00a0<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to learn more about product design before you take the leap? Check out these expert interviews:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/design-operations-designer-etsy\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An interview with Sarah June Fox, Senior Product Designer at Etsy<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/product-designer-with-revolut\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An interview with Margarida Botelho, Senior Product Designer at Revolut<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/digital-product-designer-at-asos\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An interview with Sean Conlon, Digital Product Designer at ASOS<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is product design? Is it the same as UX? What are the key principles of product design, and what does the product design process look like? Find out here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":10300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[278],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9143"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10571,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9143\/revisions\/10571"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}