The role of the Product designer is a broad one, it encompasses a wide range of responsibilities and duties regarding the product life cycle.
In general, Product designers work hand in hand with the production team, analyze markets, design new products, improve products, and manufacture goods at lower costs.
However, find out what a long-term career in Product design could look like for you and the career development options available.
Keep reading this guide and find out the job description and career info of product designers.
Product Designer: Job Duties, Outlook, And Education Info
From tools to machines and toys, product designers are in charge of visualizing and creating new products for their consumers.
Product designers are also known as industrial designers, these professionals work hand in hand with graphic designers, product engineers, and other professionals in an organization to create sketches designs, and prototypes of possible products.
They ensure that there are no flaws in new designs, redesign existing products and create budgets and schedules for the production team.
You can find product designers working for any company that develops products for consumer use, such as the automotive industry, medical equipment manufacturers, telecommunication firms, and furniture designers.
Product designers work full time this working schedule largely depends on the size f the company organization.
Most Product designers enjoy medical insurance, retirement benefits, paid vacations and even bonuses all these benefits depend on the company that they are working for.
Nonetheless, let’s check out the duties and responsibilities of product designers below.
Duties And Responsibilities Of Product Designers
These professionals work with many companies, which is why specific duties and responsibilities may vary according to the type of company that you decide to work with.
However, there are specific duties and responsibilities that product designers must adhere to. These duties include:
1. Sketch And Design New Products
With the use of a drawing board, product designers come up with ideas for new products, draw them out and present them to the engineering and design team of the company that they work for.
They use software like CAD to produce images and blueprints for the production team.
These professionals also examine the functionality and usability of the products they are trying to redesign.
2. Attend Brainstorming Sessions
Product designers also work hand in hand with product managers, design engineers, junior designers, and other departments that are connected to the production team to discuss better product ideas.
These industrial engineers make suggestions, point out possible problems that are connected with previous designers, and map out new ways to improve a product to suit the consumer and improve sales.
- Read More: Graphic Designer Vs Product Designer
3. Create Prototypes
Creating wireframes, models, mockups, and prototypes is one of the responsibilities of product designers.
They perform this action with the help of the production and graphic designing team to create ideas that would be used to produce new products.
Through these meetings and teamwork, these professionals can often see potential mistakes and correct them before sending the design out for production.
4. Improving Exciting Products
Product designers do not just make new designs they also redesign old products to make them more captivating and competitive in the marketplace.
When a product is redesigned it draws the attention of new customers. This action increases sales and demand for the product.
The organization in turn assesses consumer feedback to get ideas about improving other designs of their products.
You cannot succeed in this career without knowing the skills and qualifications that are required of a product designer.
Skills And Qualifications Required Of A Product Designer
Although creativity is at the top of the list there are other skills, qualifications, and abilities that are required of a product designer.
If you want to succeed in this career these skills are necessary. Based on research and feedback we found that employers tend to favor job candidates who display the skills and qualifications below:
1. Mechanical Skill
Product designers produce prototypes, models, and mockups for graphic designers and they can not accomplish this task without having strong mechanical skills.
2. Computer Skills
Product designers use computer tools to design products. They use tools like CAD to illustrate programs, which involves the use of software and hardware tools like adobe, Sketch, InVision, and Flowmapp.
3. Project Management
A product designer cannot handle this position without having strong management skills.
They should have a good knowledge of various project management aspects such as budgeting scheduling, teamwork, and time management.
4. Communication Skills
A product designer must be able to speak to a large audience so, strong verbal, communication and written skills are important in the career of a product designer.
A product designer must be ready to develop ideas during meetings and brainstorming sessions to produce easy-to-read reports and writing regarding product design processes.
5. Collaboration
One of the duties of product designers is the ability to brainstorm with managers and business owners to create and redesign products for the company.
A product designer needs the help of other members of the company to develop a product. They would have to work with artists, graphic designers, engineers, managers, and other members of the company.
6. Work Independently
Although these professionals work with other people there are some situations that they would have to work with little or no supervision in creating a new product.
This implies that the creation of designs and prototypes would be done with or without collaborative efforts.
7. Analytical Thinking
As we mentioned earlier, product designers must have mechanical skills.
This skill goes hand in hand with analytical thinking because there are cases when you would have to work under pressure to analyze blueprints, consumer surveys, reports, and other documentation about product design.
Tools Used By A Product Designer
- Some of the tools used by product designers are:
- Coding languages (HTML, CSS)
- Design software (Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Illustrator, Dreamweaver)
- Presentation design software (Keynote, PowerPoint, Powtoon)
- Prototyping tools (Azure, Sketch, Mockplus, Framer)
Education And Training Required By Product Designers
Many companies seek product designers who might have bachelor’s degrees in industrial design, graphic design, engineering, or architecture.
Some bachelor’s degree programs might include an internship that allows students to gain useful hands-on experience in professional settings.
Many of these works include a portfolio that students can use as a tool when seeking employment.
Furthermore, in most a master’s degree might be preferred by organizations, particularly for those who are seeking advanced positions in companies.
Salary Outlook OF Product Designers
In most developed countries product designers earn about $46,000 every year. However, the professionals in top positions in this field earn about $123,567 every year.
Although the annual salaries of product designers depend on the company and sales of the product design.
For example, those employed by software companies make a median annual salary of $97,000, while those in footwear manufacturing earn more than $92,000, and those in household appliance manufacturing earn $66,000.
There would be a 5% increase in employment for product designers by the year 2026.
Rising consumer demand for new products and increased use of technology are believed to be major reasons for this projected growth of product designers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Education Do You Need For Product Design?
If you want to become a product designer you need a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or any related field
Where Can A Product Designer Work?
You would find product designers working for marketing companies, advertisement companies, HR departments, and IT companies.
How Many Hours Does A Product Designer Work?
Under normal working conditions, project designers work for 35 to 40 hours every week.
Is Product Design A Good Career?
Product designing is a great career. As the years pass on more companies are searching for product designers to design or redesign their products.
How Do I Become A Product Designer With No Experience?
You can become a Product designer without experience by enrolling in a product designing program, enriching your portfolio, getting feedback from your clients, and improving your graphic designing works.
Does Product Design Require Math?
Yes, Product designing requires a basic knowledge of math.
How Hard Is Product Design?
Product designing is moderately easy. It takes hard work and consistency to succeed in this career.
The Bottom Line
Now you know the different paths you can take to become a successful project designer.
Ensure you find a reputable school to enroll in, and get advice from professionals who have been in this field long before you.
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