3. Skills Needed For Product vs. UX Design
Product design and UX design require varying skills. To summarize the points, refer to the following:
Required Skills in UX Design
- A strong understanding of the user experience design process, like proficiency in leading-edge tools such as Adobe Sketch and Figma, as well as in conducting competitive analysis and user research.
- One should be capable of understanding qualitative feedback and data to create storyboards, personas, and information architecture.
- Familiar with creating sitemaps and information architecture, alongside wireframing and prototyping skills
- Understands the interaction design principle and business metric
Required Skills in Product Design
- You should have the necessary skills to work with engineers and use design thinking tools such as Figma, Sketch, and Adobe.
- A strong understanding and application of design thinking are also important when planning and executing projects.
- Knows cross-functional collaboration involving communication and skills
- Partnering with engineers to release services, products, and features
- Familiar with prototyping, wireframing, and conducting research
4. Possible Earnings
Salaries for UX designers vary depending on their location, experience, and industry. According to Glassdoor, a junior UX designer in the US may earn around $50k to $70,000 annually. On the other hand, those with ten years of experience can expect to earn around $185,000 annually.
On the other hand, depending on your industry and experience, a product designer in the US may earn between $50k and $150,000 annually.
To give you an idea of what it would be like to be a product designer in 2020, the average salary for professionals worldwide was computed by PayScale, Indeed, and Glassdoor.
5. Role/Responsibility
Product Design
A product designer’s role is typically flexible and can be compared to that of a full-stack designer.
They can work in a variety of positions, such as UX, coding, UI, project management, and problem-solving. These individuals often solve problems that arise in the initial stages of projects.
To solve these issues, product designers will gather teams of developers and create multiple test plans. They will also produce sketches and A/B tests. In addition, a product designer will support the developers during the launch process, and they will work with marketing teams to promote the brand.
UX Design
A good UX designer is focused on providing the best possible user experience. They do so by ensuring that the product fulfills their users’ needs and wants. They also work to improve the accessibility and usability of the product.
Besides, the designer is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the design process, from the initial research to the development of the product. They are also accountable for making sure that the product is built to meet the users’ needs.
Conclusion
Product design and UX design can be different in terms of their overall process, but they have one thing in common—they both focus on the design thinking process. Despite their differences, product and UX design works with one another, as the latter determines the problem along the process while the former proposes solutions for a successful product and/or service.