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Product Designer
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What Is a Product Designer? How to Become One, Salary, Skills.
Product designers work on the ideation and creation of physical and digital products. They work closely with development and engineering teams to bring products to life. Here’s what to know about a product designer’s needed skills, salary and how to become one.
What Is a Product Designer?
Product designers are a key part of creating and releasing both physical and digital products. They work on making necessary changes to bring a functional product to market.
What Do Product Designers Do?
Product designers collaborate with engineers, developers and other designers to create prototypes and wireframes of products as well as make necessary adjustments to products. Product designers also conduct A/B testing and gather feedback from users to develop a minimum viable product that provides proven value to consumers.
Product Designer Responsibilities
- Creating mockups, wireframes and prototypes of products.
- Establish design requirements.
- Develop user journey maps.
- Collaborate with engineering and development teams to bring products to market.
- Conduct A/B testing and gather user feedback.
- Conduct functionality testing.
- Research potential new products, materials and tools.
Types of Product Designers
Types of product designers depend on the industry they work in. For example, a product designer working in the software industry may design apps or software programs. A product designer working in the industrial sector may design components for machinery.
Product Designer Within a Company
Product designers are typically part of a company’s design team but they often work with engineering and development teams. Depending on the structure of the organization, a product designer may report to a product engineer, project manager or creative director.
Importance of Product Designers
Product designers are essential to the ideation and creation of the products a company offers. A successful product designer helps create and test products that provide value and functionality to users.
What Skills Are Needed to Be a Product Designer?
Qualifications to Be a Product Designer
- An understanding of UX and UI principles.
- Extensive experience with CAD.
- Ability to approach projects with a big-picture perspective.
- Ability to understand business needs and translate them into design for products.
- Receptive to feedback from users and fellow designers.
Product Designer Prerequisites
- Product designers usually have a bachelor’s degree in design, graphic design, product development or a related field.
- A strong portfolio of previous product design work showcasing a particular aesthetic and how business needs are met by design.
Product Designer Hard Skills
- Typography.
- Graphic design.
- UX research.
- Design thinking skills.
Product Designer Soft Skills
- Communication and presentation skills.
- Organizational and time management skills.
- Collaboration and teamwork skills.
Tools and Programs Product Designers Use
- Sketch
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Canva
- Figma
- InVision
- HotJar
- Miro
- Maze
- Marvel
How to Become a Product Designer
Product Designer Education and Experience
Product designers are usually required to have a bachelor’s degree in design, product development or a related field. Aspiring product designers should aim to build a strong portfolio through design experience for a range of products including digital products like apps, consumer products or even industrial products.
Product Designer Certificates and Courses
- UI Courses to Know
- Google UX Design Professional Certificate
- Product Design
- Product Ideation, Design and Management Specialization
Product Designer Career Path
Product designers may start their career as interns on design or development teams and eventually progress to graphic designer or mechanical designer roles. After becoming a product designer, some commonly held titles include designer engineer, project manager or creative director.
Product Designer Salary and Job Outlook
Product designers have experienced a 6 percent salary increase over the past several years, and the job growth rate is expected to increase 3 percent by 2028.
The full compensation package for a product designer depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s experience and geographic location. See below for detailed information on the average product designer’s salary.
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Product Designer Certifications + Programs
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