What Is a Product Designer? Salaries, Skills, and More
Product designers are responsible for guiding a product’s design from start to finish. If you're aiming for a career in this field, it's essential to develop the right skills and put together a strong portfolio.
A product designer is responsible for managing the entire design process of a product, from concept to completion, or enhancing an existing product. They may brainstorm solutions for current challenges, gather feedback from stakeholders, serve as a bridge between designers, engineers, and researchers, and assist in creating mock-ups through wireframes and prototypes. Product designers maintain a broad understanding of the product’s overall objectives while paying close attention to the finer details necessary to meet those goals.
Product Designer Salary
In the United States, the average base salary for a product designer in 2022 is $81,845, according to Glassdoor. With additional compensation like bonuses, commissions, and profit-sharing averaging $14,923, the total pay comes to about $96,768. For comparison, user experience (UX) designers earn an average total of $98,651, while product managers take home approximately $127,528.
What Exactly Is Product Design?
Product design refers to the creation of either a digital or physical product. It’s a research-driven process that focuses heavily on the user’s experience throughout. In recent years, the term has become more commonly associated with digital products such as software and apps. However, product design can also apply to physical items like furniture, electronics, or other manufactured goods, which is often referred to as industrial design.
What Does a Product Designer Do?
A product designer’s role can be divided into several key responsibilities, including:
Designing: Although product designers may juggle various tasks, their primary role is to design. They apply their knowledge of color, typography, details, and other design elements to bring a product to life.
Read more: What Does a Graphic Designer Do?
Focusing on the User: Product designers integrate UX principles into their designs, ensuring products are not just visually appealing but also user-friendly. They may conduct A/B testing, email surveys, and other UX research, and are often involved in building wireframes, prototypes, and journey maps.
Read more: What Is a UX Researcher? How to Get the Job
Collaborating Across Teams: Taking a holistic approach to design, product designers frequently work with other designers, researchers, and business teams. This collaboration ensures the final product meets company goals while being both well-designed and user-friendly.
Product Designer vs. UX Designer: Key Differences
A UX designer typically concentrates on a specific part of the design process, ensuring that the product delivers an optimal user experience. In contrast, a product designer oversees the entire process, ensuring the product not only meets user needs but also aligns with the company’s business objectives. UX designers are often more involved in the early design stages, while product designers frequently focus on refining and improving existing products.
Product designers usually collaborate with UX designers and are expected to have a solid grasp of UX principles. However, the roles can sometimes overlap, with the titles being used interchangeably, which can understandably cause some confusion.
How to Become a Product Designer
As a versatile role, there are several paths to becoming a product designer. Here are some steps to help you get started:
Develop Relevant Skills
UX/UI Expertise: Understanding user needs, pain points, and how a product makes them feel is central to product design. Key technical skills to focus on include wireframing, prototyping, conducting research, and testing product features. Common prototyping tools include Framer, Principle, and Figma.
Master Visual Design Tools: Creating visually appealing products enhances user experience and customer satisfaction. Many job descriptions look for a strong sense of aesthetics and familiarity with visual design tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe Creative Suite.
Gain Project Management or Leadership Experience: Being able to see the big picture, strategize, and execute a vision is valuable for a product designer. While you don’t need formal project management experience, having a background in creating, overseeing, or implementing a project can be highly beneficial.
Build a Portfolio
A portfolio is a great way to showcase your previous projects, design style, and how you balance business needs with creative design. As a product designer, your portfolio should include an “About Me” section, where you highlight your background and strengths. You can create a portfolio using website builders such as WordPress, Wix, SquareSpace, or Webflow.
If you don’t have enough projects to fill a full website just yet, don’t worry. You can start by uploading your work to LinkedIn and gradually build a comprehensive portfolio later on. This can include projects from previous jobs, personal work, or even assignments from courses you’ve completed.
Start in Related Roles
The path to becoming a product designer isn’t always direct. You can gain valuable experience by working in roles that expose you to various aspects of product design. Depending on your current skills, consider starting in fields like UX design, graphic design, copywriting, or information architecture.
Take Courses
Whether you're transitioning from a related role or starting from scratch, taking courses can help you refine and develop the skills you need. Identify any gaps in your skill set and explore courses or resources that can help you strengthen those areas.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Technical Skills Do I Need as a Product Designer?
Product designers benefit from a range of technical skills, including UX design, interaction/UI design, and visual design. Additionally, proficiency in various design programs can be highly valuable. Some of the key tools to familiarize yourself with include:
- AutoCAD
- TurboCAD
- SelfCAD
- Fusion 360
- Inventor
Experience with popular design software like Figma, Sketch, and Photoshop is also a significant advantage in product design.
Is It Hard to Switch to a Product Design Career?
Transitioning into product design doesn’t have to be difficult. You likely already have transferable skills such as problem-solving, communication, and empathy. To make the switch, focus on building the technical skills and learning the design tools required for the role. Reviewing product design job listings can help you identify which areas to prioritize as you work toward your career shift.
What Should I Study to Get Into Product Design?
Majors like industrial design, engineering, and architecture provide a solid foundation for a career in product design. Other relevant fields include graphic design, art, psychology, and organizational behavior. While there isn’t a single set path to becoming a product designer, studying these subjects can equip you with the essential skills needed for the role.