Product Designer vs. UX Designer Review
Product designers oversee the entire design process of a product, while UX designers focus more on improving the user experience through hands-on design work.
At first glance, product designers and user experience (UX) designers may seem very similar. In fact, their titles are sometimes used interchangeably. However, there are key differences. Product designers are typically involved in the complete design process, from concept to execution, while UX designers concentrate on creating and refining a product’s user experience.
That said, job responsibilities can vary depending on the company. Some companies may require UX designers to contribute to business-oriented processes, while product designers might focus exclusively on interactive design tasks.
Keep reading to learn more about the roles of product designers and UX designers, how their salaries compare, and the steps you need to take to pursue a career in either—or both.
Product Designer vs. UX Designer
Here's a breakdown of the key characteristics that distinguish product designers and UX designers:
Product Designer
Involved in the entire design process, including brainstorming, UX design, project management, and business-related tasks.
Tends to be more business-oriented and works closely with product or business teams.
Average US salary: $96,286 (based on Glassdoor, October 2022).
Past experience may include UX design, project leadership, and cross-team collaboration.
UX Designer
Focuses specifically on designing products to be pleasant and intuitive to use.
Generally has a narrower focus, primarily refining the user experience of a product.
Average US salary: $98,495 (based on Glassdoor, October 2022).
Past experience may include graphic design, interaction design, and knowledge of UX principles.
Both product designers and UX designers rely heavily on UX tools and methods. They both aim to create a seamless, intuitive user experience. Therefore, both roles are expected to be proficient with common UX tools such as Balsamiq, Sketch, Lucid Chart, and design tools like Figma.
🔷 Read more: What Does a UX Designer Do?
🎧 Listen to the audio summary of UX Strategy
Here are some key differences between the two roles:
1. Business Orientation
Product designers are generally more business-focused. They are more likely to work closely with business or product teams to ensure the final product meets business needs. They are expected to align the design with business goals.
2. Leadership Role
Product designers are often responsible for leading the entire design process, from ideation to final product. They may coordinate UX and visual designers, researchers, and business teams to ensure all product needs are met. As such, product designers are expected to have experience in leading projects or teams.
3. Design Focus
UX designers are more concentrated on the design aspects of a product, particularly its visual and interactive elements. While product designers may also engage in design, UX designers typically focus more deeply on the hands-on elements of creating a user-friendly interface.
What Is Product Design?
Product design is the process of creating a digital or physical product, with a strong focus on research and user experience.
In recent years, product design has become closely associated with digital products, such as software, websites, or mobile apps. However, it also applies to the design of physical goods like furniture, electronics, and other manufactured items. This type of product design is often referred to as industrial design.
Becoming a UX Designer or Product Designer
The skills needed for UX design and product design often overlap, making it easier to transition between the two roles. As you gain more experience and take on additional responsibilities, moving from a UX designer to a product designer can be a natural progression.
If you’re starting your career in design, you should focus on building a strong foundation in UX concepts and mastering essential design tools. Here’s what you need to know:
UX Concepts and Skills
Understanding user-centric design is essential, but UX design goes beyond mindset. As a UX designer, you’ll need to learn how to:
Prototype ideas,
Build wireframes, and
Map user journeys or user flows.
These skills are also foundational for a product designer role.
Design Tools and Principles
UX designers are expected to be proficient in key design tools like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe Creative Suite. A solid understanding of design principles—such as typography and color theory—will also help you create visually appealing and user-friendly products.
Transitioning to Product Design
To move into product design, you’ll also need to develop additional skills:
Leading Projects: Many product designer roles require experience overseeing projects. You can start building this skill gradually in your current role by taking on leadership opportunities or managing tasks within a team.
Collaboration Across Teams: Product designers often work closely with business teams, using data to make informed decisions and align the product with company priorities. Developing a broader understanding of how a product fits into a company’s goals will be key to succeeding in this role.
The Designer Career Path
Product designers and UX designers are just two of the many roles within the broader design field. There are various other career options to explore, each with its own unique focus and responsibilities.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers focus on creating the visual elements of websites, advertisements, and other graphical interfaces. This role can be a great starting point for those who have a strong eye for design but may not yet feel ready to dive into UX design. Graphic design shares some similarities with UX design, but it focuses more on visual aspects.
UX Engineer
Also known as a UX developer, UX engineers specialize in programming the front end of websites and apps, ensuring they align with UX principles. This role is ideal for those who enjoy coding and web development while still focusing on the user experience.
UX Researcher
If you have an interest in understanding people and their behavior, becoming a UX researcher might be the right path for you. UX researchers conduct surveys, interviews, and data-driven studies that help UX designers understand what works, what doesn’t, and what users truly need in a product.
🔷 Read more: What Is a UX Researcher? How to Get the Job
Product Management
For product designers, a transition into product management can be a natural career shift. While this role moves you away from the design elements of the job, it involves a lot of planning, research, and collaboration. If you enjoy overseeing the product lifecycle and working closely with teams, product management can be a rewarding path.
Frequently Asked Questions in this area.
1. Which soft skills are important for UX designers and product designers?
Strong people skills are essential for both UX designers and product designers, as they must create insightful design solutions for impactful products. A human-centered approach is key, and designers should focus on soft skills such as critical thinking, empathy, collaboration, and problem-solving to ensure the product meets user needs effectively.
🔷 Read more: Essential Skills Every UX Designer Needs for Success in 2024
2. Do UX designers or product designers need to know how to code?
No, coding knowledge is not a requirement for UX designers or product designers. However, understanding the basics of coding can be helpful, especially for designers working on digital products. It can facilitate better communication and collaboration with developers. While it’s not typically necessary, knowledge of coding can enhance collaboration with coding teams.
🔷 Read more: 11 UX Courses and Certifications to Enhance Your User Experience Design Skills
3. What is the difference between conceptual design and detail design?
The design process includes several stages to ensure a product’s user experience, marketability, and profitability.
Conceptual Design:This is the initial phase where designers brainstorm and explore the overall purpose, target audience, and interactions of the product. Visuals at this stage are often rough, illustrating the general idea of the product.
Detail Design: In this phase, the exact features, dimensions, and cost estimates are defined. Visuals become more refined, and precise 2D or 3D models are created to provide a clearer view of the final product.
🔷 View the list of User Experience Design (UX) courses
