Overview
The field of design is teeming with different roles that contribute to the making of every product and experience but in their own distinctive way. Two of such roles are product designer and UX designer, one not more than the other. You see, these two have similarities yet; they occupy different ends when responsibility comes into play. So read this blog post, and get to know who these professionals are, how they are different from each other as well as a comparison of salaries between them.
Who Is a Product Designer?
A product designer could be seen as someone with a broader set of skills with a deeper focus on business skills. They focus on creating a product that is not only aesthetic but salable and user-friendly. These professionals are involved in the whole process of product development, from idea generation to final execution stage. Discovering customers’ needs through market research.
● Design elements that can lead to generating ideas for new products or through sketching/prototyping.
● Liaising with Engineers and Marketing teams to meet technical and commercial requirements in a single product.
● Analyzing usability and functionality of products.
● Updating designs from feedback with performance metrics.
Who is a UX Designer?
UX design mainly concentrates upon the users’ engagement and experience with the product. The main goal of these professionals is to assure simplicity in using or accessing a product and provide the user with good product experience. UX designers tend to go deep into understanding what makes users tick, how they use products. In general, their tasks involve:
● Conducting users’ research through interviews, surveys, and usability tests.
● Developing user personas that represent various segments of the product’s target market.
● Creating wireframes, flows of user activity and prototypes for visualizing users’ experiences.
● Testing the product against users while collecting feedback from them.
● Collaborating with UI Designers to focus on the user’s visual experience and interaction with the interface.
Difference between a Product Designer and UX Designer
Product designer and UX designer both involve the process of product development; their career paths are diversified in the range of work they perform.
1. Scope of Work:
Product Designer
A more general role that covers the entire life cycle of a product. Based on market trends, business goals and technical feasibility as well as the user’s needs. The process is generally grounded in research keeping the user’s experience in mind.
UX Designer
The UX professional design products as per the product interaction more specifically needs to be improved, therefore help people find in a couple of clicks what they have meant to.
2. Skillset:
Product Designer
This profession requires a variety of skills like graphic design, prototyping, market research as supportive knowledge of the business strategy. They consider market trends, business goals, technical feasibility in addition to user needs.
UX Designer
The role, you should be an expert on user research, information architecture, usability testing, and good understanding of intricacies of design.
3. Collaboration:
Product Designer:
Works closely with various teams that include engineering, marketing, Design ops, and sales to launch a product into the market.
UX Designer:
Mainly collaborates with UI designers, full stack developers, researchers and sometimes product managers in order to enhance the user experience.
Salary Differentiation Between Product Designer and UX Designer
The salaries for the role of Product designer and UX Designer can vary significantly based on location, experience, and industry trends. However, there are some general bifurcations:
Product Designer Salary:
1. Entry-Level (0-1 year’s experience):
₹4L – ₹6L per year
2. Mid-Level (2-5 year’s experience):
₹9L – ₹12L per year
3. Senior-Level (5+ year’s experience):
₹20L – ₹27L per year
UX Designer Salary:
1. Entry-Level (0-1 year’s experience):
₹ 3.0 Lakhs to ₹ 4.8 Lakhs per annum
2. Mid-Level (2-5 year’s experience):
₹ 7.0 Lakhs to ₹ 10.0 Lakhs per annum
3. Senior-Level (5+ year’s experience):
₹ 15.0 Lakhs to ₹ 22.0 Lakhs per annum
Product designers typically earn slightly higher than UX Designers because of its breadth but experienced UX Designers are also highly sought-after especially by user-based businesses.
Conclusion
It is of great essence for companies needing to employ the right professionals and individuals aspiring for a specified future in design to know the differentiation between product designers and UX designers. Although the functions of both are key to ensuring a successful product, their approaches to doing so are different. This will make designers acknowledge these dissimilarities leading them to better designs and outcomes.
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