What is Product Design and Why You Should Study It?

What is Product Design?

Product Design is the process in which a designer creates a product to meet the market needs and demands. It involves strategic thinking, creativity, and industry knowledge. It is the assimilation of three different aspects – User needs, Business goals, and Successful products. Designers blend these to help create successful products that are both aesthetic and effective. It offers a solution to daily problems.

A Product Designer will develop the skill to identify potential market gaps and the issues that customers are facing. They will accordingly design the products to solve those issues.

What are the Key Elements of Product Design?

The key elements of Product Design can be broken down into these 5 parts. Here they are:

1. Functionality

A product has to perform for the very reason it’s made. It has to be effective and fulfil all its needs. That needs to be the primary goal behind designing a product.

2. Aesthetics

While functionality and meeting user needs are rightfully the primary objectives behind a product’s design, aesthetics come right next in the order of importance. Nowadays, more than ever, the look and feel of any product are almost as important to users as its efficacy. Product Designers are always aware of this fact.

3. Usability

Unlike functionality, the usability of a product shows how easily the users connect with it. It is the determining factor behind whether a user will like the product and continue liking it for a long time. The design element that takes care of a product’s usability also determines its longevity and durability.

4. User Experience

Slightly different from usability, the User Experience of a product is how the user feels after using it once. Designers study the emotions, expressions, and the reviews users have after they first use a product to know what their experience has been like. It tells them what features they liked more and what they didn’t. This becomes very important while designing a product the next time around.

5. Engineering

While these are features of Product Design, any designer will need to have a modicum of knowledge about engineering a product. The engineering and the mechanics will determine the usability, user experience, and functionality of a product. Whereas, better design features will enhance them.

Why Should You Study Product Design?

Product Design has a wide and varied scope in India. Pursuing a career in Product Design will open up several doors of job opportunities for an individual across industries. From healthcare to technology to consumer goods to automotive to retail, Product Design has a bright and prosperous career in every field.

In its last estimate, the Product Design industry was worth $9.4 billion by 2022. By 2030, the number is expected to rise above $24.1 billion. With this annual growth of 23-25%, Product Design might create a demand of 6 million jobs in 2025 alone.

India is one of the thriving hubs of product design, with the number of designers quickly rising by the day. Simultaneously, several more design colleges are opening up, and they are actively adopting Product Design as a course in their curricula.

Product Designers also work very closely with marketers, stakeholders, and developers to ensure that the final product is ready and fool-proof on all accounts before launching into the market. The unique shape of the iconic Coca-Cola bottle, the iPhone, the PEZ Dispenser, etc., are some of the fine examples of Product Design throughout history.

They earn somewhere around INR 5 LPA to 8 LPA in the beginning, and it rises up to INR 15 LPA to 25 LPA with experience.

What are the Skills Needed to Become a Product Designer?

Besides their designing acumen, a Product Designer needs to know a wide range of skills to work in a group environment and successfully create the desired product. While a deep passion and an interest in designing is a must-have, here are some of the other skills a Product Designer needs to possess:

• They need to be in tune with the current updates and innovations in the design industry. The technological trends, industrial processes, and any innovations should all be known to a Product Designer.

• Innovation and Creativity are the key for all Product Designers. They need to be on their toes to come up with novel solutions to newer issues.

• They must be able to wireframe and prototype his/her design to run early tests and check its usability. It also allows them to find any issue that requires fixing.

• They should be flexible enough to work in a team environment. They work very closely with marketers, stakeholders, and developers and, therefore, require a collaborative mindset.

• Visual aesthetics is a must for every Product Designer. Aspects like Color Theory, Typography, and Layout Principles are a regularity in a Product Designer’s work.

• The ability to understand users’ experience (UX), i.e., how they interact with the product, what aspect is comfortable to them, what is lesser used, access to features, intuition, etc. These are some of the things that a Product Designer must be aware of.

• Their familiarity with design software tools like Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, etc., will come in very handy in Product Designers’ line of work.

• Having a basic coding knowledge, such as understanding HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc., can help a Product Designer in collaborating with developers and understanding implementation.

Best Courses & Degrees for Product Design

To become a Product Designer, a student needs to pursue a Bachelor’s in Design (BDes) in Product Design. After graduating, they could also opt to pursue a Master’s in Design in the same course.

Pursuing courses in related fields like Industrial Design and Product Management can also lead to a career in Product Design.

Strate School of Design in Bangalore is one of the finest examples of a design school that provides an industry-oriented course in Product Design.

Some other offbeat optional courses to pursue to be a Product Designer would be a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Product Design focus.

What are the Career Opportunities in Product Design in 2025?

Here are some of the career options you can choose from after pursuing a course in Product Design:

1. Product Designer

This namesake career option allows designers to collaborate with other team members and create the most efficient product design. They earn somewhere between INR 5 LPA and 8 LPA.

2. Industrial Designer

Here, Product Designers work according to Industry standards and demands. Some of the finest mass-produced industrial products like iPhones, model cars, etc., have come to fruition in this way. They earn somewhere around INR 5 LPA to 15 LPA.

3. Exhibition Designer

These Product Designers are responsible for creating immersive experiences. Occasions like trade shows, events, museum shows, concerts, etc., often call for the services of Exhibition Designers. Designing 3D images and working on understanding the site layout is also part of their work life. They earn somewhere around INR 5 LPA to 8 LPA.

4. Furniture Designer

Furniture Designers work very closely with marketers to align their view of user requirements before creating a unique furniture. In this niche and lucrative career path, designers work for MNCs, designer brands, and themselves. They can earn somewhere between INR 10 LPA with experience.

5. Design Strategist

A Design Strategist strategizes the process of developing a product while staying very close to business goals. Their roles involve analyzing market trends, understanding consumer behavior, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The average salary of a Design Strategist in India is INR 11 LPA.

Frequently Asked Questions 

 1. What is Product Design?

Product Design is the process in which a designer creates a product to meet the market needs and demands. It involves strategic thinking, creativity, and industry knowledge. It is the assimilation of three different aspects – User needs, Business goals, and Successful products.

2. Is Product Design a Good Career in 2025?

Yes, Product Design is a good career in 2025. It is a lucrative career path, the demand for Product Designers is at an all-time high, and with an annual growth of 23-25%, Product Design is determined to grow even further.

3. What industries hire product designers?

Technology, healthcare, consumer goods, automotive, manufacturing, design consultancies, and even startups are the ones that usually stand a higher chance of hiring product designers.

4. Do I need a degree to become a product designer?

Yes, you do need a degree, preferably a BDes (Bachelor in Design) or MDes (master’s in Design) to become a Product Designer.

5. What’s the difference between UX design and product design?

Product design focuses on the overall product strategy and its business goals, while UX design concentrates on the user experience and usability of the product.