{"id":9776,"date":"2021-09-23T12:16:46","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T10:16:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/?p=9776"},"modified":"2023-10-09T12:18:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T10:18:25","slug":"what-is-product-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/product-design\/what-is-product-design\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Product Design? The Complete 2025 Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In its simplest form, product design is the creation of new products.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designers play a critical role in designing and building not only apps, websites, and other digital products but physical products and experiences, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designers are involved\u2014to a crucial degree\u2014in every stage and aspect of the product development process. Whether it\u2019s brainstorming, researching, conceptual exploration, or pixel tweaking, product designers are there. Often, they\u2019re front and center.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve written this article to take a deep dive into product design. First, we\u2019ll explain what product design is in more detail before looking at the demand for product designers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll then explore what product designers do on a day-to-day and longer-term basis and what skills they require. Our final section will be an overview of how you can become a product designer before we wrap things up with some key takeaways.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can use the clickable menu below to skip ahead to a section:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><strong><a href=\"#what-is-product-design\">What is product design?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><strong><a href=\"#what-does-a-product-designer-do\">What does a product designer do?<\/a><\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><a href=\"#product-design-and-design-thinking\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design and design thinking<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><strong><a href=\"#what-skills-does-a-product-designer-need\">What skills does a product designer need?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><strong><a href=\"#is-product-design-in-demand\">Is product design in demand?<\/a><\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><a href=\"#why-is-product-design-in-such-high-demand\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is product design in such high demand?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><a href=\"#what-is-the-product-design-salary\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the product designer salary?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><strong><a href=\"#how-to-become-a-product-designer\">How to become a product designer<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><strong><a href=\"#final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-product-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. What is product design?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design is the process of creating new or altering existing products that offer solutions to a problem in a specific market. Successful product design bridges a business\u2019s goals and user needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While product design can, of course, include physical products, in this article, we\u2019re going to focus on digital product design (although, for simplicity, we refer to it as product design).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design is a multi-layered craft encompassing design, user experience, collaboration, and more. Many of a product designer\u2019s day-to-day tasks will fit into one or more of these categories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design\u2019s foundations start with design thinking, which is a user-centric way to integrate the needs of real users into technological and business requirements. To understand product design, you need to have a good grasp of design thinking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll take a detailed look at the stages of design thinking\u2014and explore other aspects of what a product designer does\u2014in the next section.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-does-a-product-designer-do\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. What does a product designer do?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The role of a product designer is one that people often confuse with other types of designers\u2014especially UX designers, interaction designers, and visual designers. There\u2019s often a huge amount of overlap between responsibilities in design positions, and designers often have to be competent in many different aspects of design.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many companies\u2014including the likes of Meta, Netflix, Apple, and Microsoft\u2014have eliminated the job title \u201cUX designer\u201d from their organizational structures and replaced it with \u201cproduct designer\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But this fact doesn\u2019t necessarily signal a huge shift\u2014or any shift at all\u2014in the day-to-day functioning of designers with those roles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what does a product designer actually do in the process of creating products? Here\u2019s a summary of what the role looks like at a major tech company (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.metacareers.com\/v2\/jobs\/3212013245763761\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meta<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A product designer:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turns broad ideas and concepts into usable, valuable, well-crafted, and executed product(s)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is involved in all aspects of the product development process to do this<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brainstorms, creates visual designs, flows, and experiences<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contributes to strategic decisions about critical company goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaborates with product management, engineering, research, and content<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Represents work to product team and wider leadership<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this stage, it\u2019s worth noting that while the role would look similar to this in larger organizations, in smaller ones it could be significantly more wide-ranging.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like most jobs, the product designer role isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all. Employers can assign different responsibilities to suit their business structure and goals. In smaller companies, product designers will often end up with a broader range of responsibilities as teams are smaller and can be less-specialized.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, as well as the six responsibilities above, a product designer might also have one or more of the following in their job description:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User experience (UX)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User interface (UI)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User experience writing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coding (as part of user research, as opposed to programming)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Project management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Problem-solving<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Team management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning and conducting testing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wireframing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developer support<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marketing support<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting with clients<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prototyping<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Presenting the final product<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designers are stewards of the product. They\u2019re ultimately accountable for making sure it resolves the problem it sets out to, that it\u2019s the best product that it can be, that it\u2019s cost-effective and functional and that all stakeholders are pleased with the final result.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A huge part of a product designer\u2019s process is design thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product design and design thinking<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design thinking is at the heart of product design as well\u2014to understand product design, you need to understand design thinking. Design thinking encompasses five steps that all come back to solving the user\u2019s problems, and we\u2019ll explore them now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5 id=\"the-five-phases-of-the-design-thinking-processenbloguploadswhat-are-the-five-phases-of-the-design-thinking-processjpg-the-five-phases-of-the-design-thinking-process\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"The five phases of the design thinking process\" src=\"\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/old-blog-uploads\/what-are-the-five-phases-of-the-design-thinking-process.jpg\" alt=\"The five phases of the design thinking process are an important part of product design\" width=\"1200\" height=\"499\" \/><\/h5>\n<p><b>Stage one: Empathize. To design with a user focus, product designers first conduct research to learn about who they\u2019re designing for.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research stage in product design is crucial for meeting user needs and guiding the design process. It\u2019s spent getting to know the user and understanding their wants, needs, and objectives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empathizing normally includes some or all of the following inter-linked activities:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Desk research and preparation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is where existing data like market studies and competitor analyses are reviewed. It provides you with a broader context for the product and uncovers potential opportunities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>User research:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> UX research methods like surveys, questionnaires, usability testing, ethnographic studies, and interviews, can help you gain a deep understanding of the target audience by collecting data on user preferences and behaviors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>User interviews:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Whether in-person or remote, interviews will be key to your user research. You should practice active listening, and open-ended questions and create a comfortable environment for users to share their experiences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Analysis and reporting:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is when you analyze your data through categorization, coding, and synthesis to extract insights. You\u2019ll need to be ready to report your findings clearly and actionably, with visual aids like charts and graphs if appropriate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Creating personas:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These fictional characters represent different user segments based on real data. They\u2019ll help you empathize with users and make design decisions aligned with their needs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Stage two: Define. Based on users\u2019 needs and insights, you can clearly define the problem.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a pivotal phase where the groundwork for the entire project is laid. The findings from the first stage are used to give crucial shape and direction to a product idea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With strategic thinking, visual representation, a deep understanding of the customer journey, a compelling value proposition, and clear product definition\u2014stage two is a critical bridge between ideation and execution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defining normally includes some or all of the following inter-linked activities:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Product definition and strategy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is about asking fundamental questions like what the product will be, its goals, features and functionalities, and how it aligns with broader business objectives. This definition serves as a guiding light for the development process<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Visual thinking:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Visual representations\u2014like diagrams, charts, and mind maps\u2014help you to understand, conceptualize, refine, and communicate the product&#8217;s definition.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Customer journey:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This involves creating detailed maps to outline the entire user experience, from initial contact to final interaction. It helps in identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Value Proposition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Defining the product also involves clarifying its unique value proposition. What sets it apart from competitors? What problems does it solve for your users? The answers to these questions help you create a compelling product proposition.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Stage three: Ideate. Develop a robust solution for the problem you defined by beginning with a wide array of potential creative solutions.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s where your creativity takes center stage as ideas, concepts, and innovative solutions are born. You\u2019ll hold ideation sessions\u2014with techniques like brainstorming, mind-mapping, bodystorming, provocation, and more\u2014 to develop as many new angles and ideas as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideation generally includes some or all of the following inter-linked activities:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Information architecture: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating the product&#8217;s information architecture includes working on the structure, navigation, naming conventions, and search functionality. All have to be organized in a way that&#8217;s intuitive for users.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>User Scenarios:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> User scenarios\u2014focussed on the personas established in stage one and their needs\u2014will help you to envision how users would interact with the product. This can guide your ideation phase toward user-centric solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Lo-Fi Sketching:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In this stage you\u2019ll need to put your ideas on paper quickly and informally. These sketches serve as a visual brainstorming tool so the team can rapidly explore concepts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Benchmarking: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benchmarking involves studying competitors and industry leaders to gain insights into best practices and innovative features. Doing this can help you identify opportunities to differentiate the product and excel in the market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Accessibility:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is about evaluating ideas not only for their creativity but also for their potential to create accessible and inclusive experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Design studio and design critiques:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Collaborative brainstorming sessions\u2014also known as design studios\u2014often take place during ideation. And design critiques are an opportunity to review and refine concepts, and get feedback from your peers. As the ideation stage draws to a close, you\u2019ll narrow your ideas down to a few to move forward with. Both design studios and design critiques can help with this.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Stage four: Prototype. Using the solutions from the ideation phase a prototype (or multiple prototypes) will be built for testing. Prototypes give you tangible evidence that you\u2019re on track (or not) and can reveal new insights.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is when abstract ideas and concepts are transformed into tangible, interactive representations of the final product. It\u2019s when the design truly comes to life. Prototypes (scaled-down versions of the final product based on solutions identified in the ideate stage) are a critical bridge between design and development. They allow for user testing and refinement before building the final product.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prototyping generally includes some or all of the following inter-linked activities:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>UI Design:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is when you take the concepts and visual designs from the earlier stages and translate them into a fully-fledged user interface. This includes refining the layout and visual elements, ensuring consistency in design elements, and crafting a UI that\u2019s visually appealing and functional.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>UX writing: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX writers play a crucial role in the prototype stage by creating and refining the UI copy and microcopy. They create clear, concise, and user-friendly copy to guide through the product with intuitive messaging.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Responsive web, mobile, and natural user interface design:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prototypes must be responsive, so make sure your product\u2019s UX is consistent and optimized for responsive web design, mobile applications, and natural user interfaces like voice or gesture interactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Working with the development team:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A lot of collaboration between design and development happens in the prototype stage. You\u2019ll work tightly with developers to ensure that the design vision can be effectively translated into code. Expect discussions on technical feasibility, optimization, and any potential challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Rules, practices, and limitations of implementation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is related to the above. Designers and developers must follow specific implementation rules and stay on the right side of technological limitations. This includes platform-specific guidelines, coding standards, and the constraints of your chosen technologies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Stage five: Test. Here\u2019s when you refer back to the users to make sure your designs are working the way that they had planned. This leads back to the ideation phase for design and product refinement until it is just right.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you\u2019d expect, testing means your product designs are put to the test. This is crucial for validating design decisions and ensuring the final product meets user needs and expectations. Evaluation can happen through usability testing, analytics, and quantitative metrics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing generally includes some or all of the following inter-linked activities:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Usability testing: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Methods you employ might include moderated user testing, unmoderated remote testing, and guerrilla testing. All will help you evaluate how real users interact with the product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Web and mobile analytics:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If possible, you can use analytics tools to collect data on user behavior within the product. This data can give you quantitative insights into user interactions, navigation patterns, and usage metrics, all of which can help you identify areas of improvement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Quantitative UX Metrics: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quantitative UX metrics, such as conversion rates, bounce rates, and task completion times, are used to assess the product&#8217;s performance objectively. These metrics provide concrete data to evaluate the success of design iterations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Data analysis and reporting:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This includes identifying and synthesizing patterns, trends, and pain points from the data. Your analysis will inform design decisions and improvements and you\u2019ll have to report your findings to stakeholders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As stated, the conclusion of the testing stage often leads back to the ideation stage, or even earlier. It\u2019s also sometimes the case\u2014depending on the organizational and team setup and way of working\u2014that the steps aren\u2019t followed linearly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we\u2019ve explored the design thinking process, you\u2019ll probably have a good idea of the skills that a product designer needs. But let\u2019s take a very quick look at the overall picture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-skills-do-product-designers-need\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. What skills do product designers need?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For product designers, soft skills and technical skills can be equally important.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a product designer, you\u2019ll need to communicate with multiple different teams, stakeholders, and present your ideas at every stage of the process. Problem-solving on a deadline is another soft skill that product designers should master.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designers also rely on technical knowledge balanced with their creative ability. You\u2019ll need a sense of visual and spatial awareness that\u2019s balanced with commercial awareness, in order to know what looks good, functions well, and will be a viable product for business purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A product designer uses software like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe Illustrator, and prototyping software to bring their ideas to life. You\u2019ll also need to be adept at creating journey maps and conducting user research, as well as creating wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs to help make decisions and present your ideas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many job descriptions for product designers specify that the designer needs to have UX and UI design experience, proficiency in popular software (usually Figma or Sketch and more), and solid collaborative skills. For multinational companies, foreign language skills are often a great asset in this role as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we\u2019ve covered what product design is, what a product designer does, product design and design thinking, and what skills a product designer needs, it\u2019s the perfect time for us to look at the demand for product designers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"is-product-design-in-demand\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Is product design in demand?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The headline is that there\u2019s a huge global demand for product designers and it only seems to be growing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just looking at two of the biggest hubs for job adverts\u2014LinkedIn and Indeed\u2014is enough to paint a picture of an extremely healthy demand for product designers in the US, the UK, and Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together they\u2019re home to over 12,000 product designer roles. That figure is quite staggering, especially considering the number of roles that won\u2019t be listed on either of these sites, and the fact that we\u2019re in a fairly slow global jobs market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s look at the stats in a little bit more detail.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designer roles on LinkedIn<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an overview of the product designer roles on LinkedIn (as of September 2023):<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S.: <\/span><b>1328 live product designer roles<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">473 located in the San Francisco Bay Area and 289 in New York<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meta, Strava, Western Union, Jasper, and eBay are among the companies hiring<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UK: <\/span><b>339 live product designer roles<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">196 located in London\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amazon, Bumble, Flo,\u00a0 and Meta are among the companies hiring<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Germany: <\/span><b>2529 live product designer roles<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">612 located in Berlin<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eBay, zalando, and Siemens Gamesa are among the companies hiring<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designer roles on Indeed<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The market for product designers on Indeed is even more lively than on LinkedIn. Here\u2019s an overview of the live roles, also accurate as of 23.09:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S.: <\/span><b>2529 live product designer roles<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">218 in the San Francisco Bay Area<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">183 in New York<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">228 hybrid remote<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">667 remote<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UK: <\/span><b>3699<\/b> <b>live product designer roles<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1,225 located in London<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">538 hybrid remote<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">157 remote<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Germany: <\/span><b>2269 live product designer roles\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">619 in Berlin\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">247 hybrid remote<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">281 remote<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s worth noting that these figures include some roles which may not have the exact job title \u201cproduct designer\u201d, and also may include some duplicate listings. They still point to a very healthy demand for product designers across the globe, though.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now\u2019s a good time to take a quick look at why there\u2019s such a high demand for product designers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"why-are-product-designers-in-such-high-demand\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why are product designers in such high demand?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put simply, product designers are the architects of the digital world. They craft our experiences in the virtual realm. It\u2019s product designers who give users smooth, enjoyable experiences by making sure everything is where it should be. Nearly all companies now recognize that good UX is a must-have, so it shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise the same companies are scrambling to hire the product designers who can create interfaces that keep users coming back for more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And\u2014as the stats in the last section show\u2014the global marketplace is incredibly competitive. As enterprises and startups look for ways to differentiate themselves from the competition, a well-designed product is often the difference makers. It can turn a small startup into a household name or rejuvenate a legacy brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designers are the key to making products and services more appealing and functional. Ultimately, this makes them key to the financial success or failure of their company\u2019s bottom line. Inc.com explored this in their article <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inc.com\/tracy-leigh-hazzard\/why-design-is-the-best-bottom-line-strategy.html\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why Design Is the Best Bottom-Line Strategy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 it&#8217;s several years old but still highly relevant today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A huge part of the continuing appeal of the most successful companies is innovation. They\u2019re in very different spaces, of course, but think about the evolving product ranges of Dyson, Apple, and Tesla. They\u2019re all market leaders who have gained an edge because of their innovation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designers are the visionaries behind much of this innovation. They conceptualize groundbreaking products. As Meta says in their job description, they need product designers who can\u00a0 \u201ctake broad, conceptual ideas and turn them into something useful and valuable for our 2 billion plus users\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On top of this\u2014but equally crucial\u2014is the role product designers play in making technology accessible to everyone. They ensure that digital products are inclusive and user-friendly for people of all abilities. Accessibility is a non-negotiable\u2014companies who do not provide accessible apps or websites are often being legally mandated to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The likes of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whoisaccessible.com\/guidelines\/largest-web-accessibility-lawsuits\/#:~:text=Latest%20Web%20Accessibility%20Lawsuits,-6&amp;text=This%20case%20was%20filed%20in,blind%20and%20visually%20impaired%20customers.\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Netflix, Amazon, Target, and Peloton have all either been sued<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or are in the process of being sued for not adhering to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in providing apps or websites that are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust enough to be understood by people with disabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only is being sued for not providing accessible content the worst kind of PR for companies who strive to appear as modern and inclusive, it can be a major financial hit, too. The role product designers play in creating accessible apps and websites is just another reason they\u2019re in such high demand.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we\u2019ve looked at the demand for product designers, we\u2019ll give you a quick overview of what salaries look like.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"what-are-product-designer-salaries\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are product designer salaries?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As is normally the case for roles where demand outstrips supply, product designer salaries are generally high.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s worth saying that there can be a huge amount of variance between salaries, though. This can apply from industry to industry with, for example, major tech companies normally paying significantly higher salaries than local government administrations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And even within any industry you\u2019re likely to find a significant range, as you\u2019ll see when you start looking for product design roles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the average salaries for product designers, senior product designers, and lead product designers in the US, Germany, and the UK (figures from Glassdoor and accurate as of September 2023):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>U.S.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designer average annual salary: $95,814<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senior product designer average annual salary: $157,394<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lead product designer average annual salary: $163,722<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>UK<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designer average annual salary: \u00a357,114<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senior product designer average annual salary: \u00a378,721<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lead product designer average annual salary: \u00a388,437<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Germany<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designer average annual salary: \u20ac61,887<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senior product designer average annual salary: \u20ac71,500<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lead product designer average annual salary: \u20ac85,587<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we\u2019ve taken a thorough look at what product design is, the skills product designers need, and their salaries, let\u2019s quickly look at the steps you\u2019ll need to go through to become a product designer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-become-a-product-designer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. How to become a product designer<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot of product designers have transitioned from other careers, and there\u2019s no exact path you have to follow to become one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While some have studied the craft to a degree level, many have completed bootcamps or other non-university affiliated courses. And, as with most design-related careers, it doesn\u2019t take long before employers start valuing your skills and experience over where you learned the craft.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, there are some basic steps that every product design will have to go through, albeit not necessarily in the same order. Some will have started learning the tools before they read up on the design methods and processes, while others might have jumped right into a product design course.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Either way, here are seven steps that you\u2019ll need to go through to become a product designer:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 1: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start reading up on product design<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 2: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn the key product design principles, methods and processes<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 3:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Structure your learning with a credible product design course<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 4:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Practice, practice, practice\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 5:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Learn key product design tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe CC, etc.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 6: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build your <a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/product-design\/product-design-portfolios\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">product design portfolio<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Step 7:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Network with other product designers<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"final-thoughts\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Final thoughts<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what is product design?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the simplest terms, it\u2019s the process of creating products (digital tools, experiences, and physical goods) that both solve a user\u2019s needs and serve a business purpose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A product designer leads the charge in creating these products using design thinking, clear communication, problem-solving skills, and software tools. A large part of the role plays out through design thinking, a key product design process based on five stages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While product designers are similar to other design positions, like UX design, this role is defined independently for a reason.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product designers need next-level business acumen alongside their design skills to be successful. This makes it a great role for someone who is already a UX designer but wants more responsibilities and a potentially higher salary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Looking to dive into the world of Product Design? Try our <a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/short-courses\/become-a-product-designer\/\">free short course<\/a> or speak <a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/connect\/product-design-contact-advisor\/\">with a program advisor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For more insights into product design and what it\u2019s like to be a product designer, check out these articles and alumni stories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/ux-design\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-ux-designer-and-a-product-designer\/\">UX Design vs. Product Design: What\u2019s the Difference<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/magazine\/marketing-to-product-design-career-change\/\">From Marketing To Product Design: Here\u2019s How I Discovered My Dream Career<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/magazine\/from-account-management-to-product-design\/\">From Account Management To Product Design: How A UI Design Bootcamp Got Me The Job I\u2019d Always Wanted<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re a UX designer looking to make a career change, maybe product design is for you! But, what is product design? And what does a product designer do? Find out here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":9777,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[89],"class_list":["post-9776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-product-design","tag-product-page-product-design"],"acf":{"homepage_category_featured":false,"cards_inner_programs_lists_left":"","cards_inner_programs_lists_right":"","related_plan_cards":""},"modified_by":"Rash SEO","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/82"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9776"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29414,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9776\/revisions\/29414"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}