Product designer and UX designer are two digital product design positions that frequently cause confusion among individuals. Fundamentally, both of these positions center around product development and both employ the design thinking process for solving problems. So, what sets apart a product designer from a UX designer? For which position are you best suited? Is it necessary for your company to fulfill both positions? 

What Type Of Professional Is A UX Designer? 

UX designers concentrate on addressing usability problems and making sure products adhere to a coherent sequence. User experience designers examine cognitive psychology’s influence on design and interaction to enhance digital products for customers, while also pinpointing potential business value opportunities. 

Job Description and Responsibilities for a UX Designer 

• Perform early research on users, markets, and competitors. 

• Develop user profiles, empathy maps, and journey maps. 

• Design for user experience, user interaction, user interface, and visual appearance. 

• Creating the structure of information 

• Creating and enhancing user pathways and navigation. 

• UX writing (on occasion) 

• Testing usability 

• Governance of the design system 

• Collaborating with product teams to create innovative products and features. 

• Developing documents and resources to facilitate design transitions. 

Skills Required For A UX Designer 

• Innovative and analytical thinking 

• Finding solutions to problems

• Art and design using visual elements 

• Extensive proficiency in various design tools 

• Effective communication and working together 

• Managing a project 

• The capacity for empathy 

• Speaking in front of an audience – for job interviews and public talks 

• Skilled in technical aspects 

What Type Of Professional Is A Product Designer? 

Product designers typically collaborate with pre-existing digital products. They carry out similar responsibilities as UX designers but concentrate more on enhancing an existing product, creating new features, and upkeep.

Job Description and Responsibilities of a Product Designer 

• Management of products 

• Frequent market and competitor analysis.

• Utilizing studies to pinpoint potential business opportunities that meet the needs of users. 

• Make sure that products remain current and modernized. 

• Define and oversee product roadmaps. 

• Develop and implement plans for products. 

• Make sure that product design and development stay within budget limitations. 

• Find methods to grow market share, generate more revenue, and draw in new customers for the product. 

• Comprehend the process of designing and developing products, as well as the limitations that are relevant to product design. 

• Collaborating with sales and marketing departments to design user experience and design visuals 

• Sharing concepts and requirements with UX designers, developers, and other involved parties

• Working together with UX designers to create experiences for customers. 

• Testing usability 

• Creating models mainly in high quality. 

Skills Required For A Product Designer

• Design of a product 

• Finding solutions to problems 

• Management of projects 

• The capacity for understanding and sharing the feelings of others 

• Public speaking skills for interviews and presentations

• Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Javascript

• Innovative and analytical thinking 

• Long-range planning and strategic planning 

• Skilled in technical aspects 

• Business insight 

• The field of data science 

Comparison of Product Designers and UX Designers 

The similarities between product and UX designers outweigh the differences by a large margin. The main distinction between UX designers and product designers lies in their design responsibilities within various stages of a product’s lifecycle, such as development, introduction, growth, maturity, saturation, and decline. 

UX designers create products and functionalities prior to release (during a stage of product lifecycle development). On the other hand, product designers oversee, improve, and develop the product throughout its entire existence. UX designers frequently go back to a project when the design system requires revisions or when product designers are having difficulty resolving usability issues. 

Approach To Designing 

Both designers utilize the design thinking process with a focus on human-centered design. The products are created according to the needs of the users. Many people mistakenly believe that UX designers prioritize the user, while product designers prioritize business requirements. UX and product designers take into account both the user and business perspectives in their research and design processes, even if they may show a preference towards one. 

UX and product designers frequently collaborate in multidisciplinary teams, so they need strong communication abilities. UX designers and product designers both conduct research, with UX focusing more on users and behavior, while product designers prioritize market and competitor analysis. UX designers conduct preliminary research and user testing before launching a product, product designers test current products to add new features, address user problems, or uncover potential business prospects. 

Tools 

UX designers mainly utilize tools for prototyping and testing. On the other hand, product designers are versatile and typically utilize a range of tools for design, data analysis, design systems, and beyond. 

Evaluation 

UX designers perform usability testing before launching a product or feature to fulfill user experience needs. Product designers examine current products to discover any usability problems and potential business advantages. They evaluate new products and interfaces they create through testing. 

Important Points To Remember

Although there are many similarities between these two design positions, both product designers and UX designers bring substantial value to a company. UX designers finish the preliminary design of a product before passing it off to product designers, who then take on the role of caring for the product. In the initial phases of product design, UX designers need to prioritize users and their needs to discover design solutions. 

Ensure you sign up for a product design course at Chigisoft now to gain the necessary skills to kickstart your career in product design!