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Product Designer vs. UX Designer: A Complete Guide to Their Roles and Differences

Product Designer vs. UX Designer: A Complete Guide to Their Roles and Differences

Updated on 21 December, 2024

1.36K+ views

• 7 min read

Table of Contents

What is a Product Designer? A Comprehensive Overview
What is a UX Designer? Role and Responsibilities
What is the Difference Between a Product Designer and a UX Designer?
Product Designer vs. UX Designer: Essential Similarities
How Can upGrad Help You Build a Career in Design?

The demand for design professionals is skyrocketing, and it’s easy to see why. As businesses focus more on creating user-friendly products, roles like Product Designer and UX Designer have become some of the hottest positions in the industry.

In fact, companies have found that increasing their UX budget by just 10% can lead to an 83% boost in conversions—proof that good design really drives success. Both aim to create seamless experiences, but the paths they take and skills they use can vary.

In this blog, you’ll see the breakdown of the roles, responsibilities, and key differences between Product Designer vs. UX Designer—helping you figure out which path might be the best fit for you. Let’s get started!

What is a Product Designer? A Comprehensive Overview

A Product Designer is responsible for managing the entire lifecycle of a product's design, from conceptualization to implementation. They are responsible for performing research, ideation, prototyping, testing and ultimately shaping the product's aesthetic and functional aspects.

Core Responsibilities and Daily Tasks

Here is a look at the daily tasks and core responsibilities handled by a product designer.

Product Research: Conducting user and market research to guide design decisions.
Wireframing and Prototyping: Creating wireframes and interactive prototypes to visualize concepts.
Visual Design: Designing visual elements like layouts, typography, and colour schemes.

Essential Skills and Expertise Required

Product designers should have the following skills and expertise to manage their tasks smoothly.

UI/UX Design: Expertise in creating user interfaces and crafting positive user experiences.
Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, and InVision for designing prototypes.
Visual Design: Strong understanding of visual design principles.
Research Methods: Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

If you are looking to learn all about research methodology, consider signing up for upGrad’s Introduction to Research Methodology course.

Notable Examples of Successful Product Designs and Their Influence

Here are some noteworthy examples of successful and insufficient product designs.

Apple iPhone: The product design of the iPhone revolutionized the smartphone industry.
Airbnb Website and App: Airbnb's intuitive platform design focuses on simplicity and ease of use.

To learn about design thinking, you can take up the Introduction to Design Thinking course offered by upGrad.

Also Read: Product Design in Operations Management: Overview, Skills & Salary

Next, you can read about the core roles and responsibilities of a UX designer.

What is a UX Designer? Role and Responsibilities

A UX Designer is primarily focused on creating user-centric and frictionless digital experiences. Their goal is to ensure that the user experience (UX) is as smooth and enjoyable as possible, enhancing both usability and satisfaction.

Also Read: How To Become a UI/UX Designer? A Detailed Step-by-Step Guide in 2024

Primary Responsibilities and Duties

Have a look at the primary roles and responsibilities of UX designers.

User Research: Conducting surveys, interviews, and user testing to gather insights.
Wireframing and Prototyping: Designing wireframes and interactive prototypes to create product structure.
Iterating Designs: Continuously improving and refining designs.

Key Skills and Expertise Required

These are the main skills and expertise that every UX designer should possess.

User Research: Ability to conduct thorough research to gather user insights.
Prototyping and Wireframing: Skilled in creating low and high-fidelity wireframes, and prototypes.
Collaboration Skills: Effective communication and teamwork with cross-functional teams.

Noteworthy Examples of UX Design in Websites and Digital Products

Here are some noteworthy examples of UX design in digital products and websites.

Spotify: Focuses on ease of use and personalization.
Apple: Clean, minimalistic design across products.

Now, you will learn about the differences between a product designer and a UX designer.

Also Read: UI/UX Designer vs Front End Developer: Differences Between UIUX Designer & Front End Developer

What is the Difference Between a Product Designer and a UX Designer?

Product Designer vs. UX Designer often overlap, but they focus on different aspects of the product development process.

Here's a detailed breakdown of how Product Designer vs. UX Designer roles differ across various parameters.

Key Parameters	Product Designer	UX Designer
Definition	Manages the entire product design lifecycle, focusing on visual appeal, usability, and business goals.	Focuses on creating seamless, user-centered experiences.
Scope of Work	Broad: includes UX, UI, visual design, and product strategy.	Narrow: focuses on user research, wireframes, and usability.
Focus Areas	Visual design, product-market fit, user interface, overall product design.	User research, interaction design, user flows, usability testing.
Skill Set	Visual design, prototyping, market understanding, collaboration.	Research, wireframing, usability testing, empathy for users.
Tools Used	Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, InVision.	Axure, Sketch, Figma, Marvel, UserTesting.
Collaboration with Teams	Works with product managers, developers, marketers, and stakeholders.	Primarily works with developers and product teams on user experience.
Design Outputs	High-fidelity mockups, prototypes, design systems.	Wireframes, personas, prototypes, user testing reports.
Career Pathways	Lead Product Designer, Design Manager, Product Manager.	Senior UX Designer, UX Researcher, UX Director.
Average Salaries	₹8L - ₹19L annually (approx.)	₹6L - ₹14L annually (approx.)
Industries Hiring	Tech, startups, e-commerce, product-based organizations.	Tech, finance, healthcare, e-commerce.
Educational Background	Degree in design, industrial design, or graphic design.	Degree in design, psychology, or HCI.
Future Trends and Growth	High demand for end-to-end product designers as products become more complex.	Increasing demand for user-centric, seamless designs across industries.

In the next section, you can learn about the essential similarities between these two fields.

Also Read: Product Designer Salary in India in 2024 [For Freshers & Experienced]

Product Designer vs. UX Designer: Essential Similarities

Despite the distinct responsibilities of Product Designer vs. UX Designer, several key similarities tie these two roles together.

Both Product Designer vs. UX Designer positions prioritize user-centered design and team collaboration.

The ultimate goal for both Product Designer vs. UX Designer is to enhance user satisfaction and create seamless, intuitive experiences.

Key Parameters	Product Designer	UX Designer
Focus on User-Centric Design	Both Product Designer vs. UX Designer roles place the user at the center of the design process.	Focuses on making designs that align with user needs, and behaviors.
Use of Design Thinking Methodologies	Both Product Designer vs. UX Designer roles use design thinking to approach problems creatively.	Relies on design thinking to identify and solve user pain points.
Prototyping and Testing	Product designers create prototypes to test how designs function.	UX designers prototypes and wireframes to test user interactions.
Goal of Enhancing User Satisfaction	Both Product Designer vs. UX Designer aims to create user-friendly products.	Focuses primarily on usability.
User Research Involvement	Both roles are involved in gathering user insights.	UX designers focus heavily on user research.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration	Product designers work closely with developers, marketers, and other stakeholders.	UX designers often collaborate with developers, product managers, and designers.

To be a professional product designer or a UX designer, you need to first sharpen your skills through relevant academic courses. upGrad can help you to cultivate the skills you need for these types of roles.

Also Read: Enhancing User Experience with GenerativeAI: Personalization and Recommendation Systems

How Can upGrad Help You Build a Career in Design?

upGrad provides numerous courses on product design and UX design that can help you explore your creative skills in a design career.

Here are some of the popular product design and UX design courses you’ll find with upGrad.

You can also book a free career counseling session today for thoroughly personalized guidance from industry experts or visit your nearest upGrad career centre to start accelerating your future!

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Reference
https://uxcam.com/blog/ux-statistics/
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/user-experience-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,24.htm
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/product-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,16.htm

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the primary difference between a Product Designer and a UX Designer?

Product Designers manage the entire lifecycle of a product's design, from concept to execution. The UX Designers focus specifically on creating user-friendly and intuitive experiences.

2. Do Product Designers also handle UX design?

Yes, Product Designers often include UX design as part of their broader role, especially in smaller teams or organizations.

3. Which role is more focused on visual design: Product Designer or UX Designer?

Product Designers typically have a stronger focus on the visual design of a product.

4. Can a Product Designer transition into a UX Designer role?

Yes, it's possible for Product Designers to transition into UX design, especially if they focus on honing their user research, wireframing, and usability testing skills.

5. Is the role of a UX Designer more technical than a Product Designer?

UX Designers may be involved in more technical tasks like wireframing, prototyping, and testing.

6. Which profession requires a stronger understanding of business strategy: Product Designer or UX Designer?

Product designers often need a deeper understanding of business strategy because they focus on creating products that meet both user needs and business objectives.