Most people, designers included, don’t know the difference between UX/UI design and product design.
It’s common for UX designers to call themselves product designers thinking (oh yeah I design products!) This happens so often that product designers have turned it into a running joke.
Sadly, this also makes it difficult to know who actual product designers are and who is confused.
To outsiders we all just look like graphic designers 🤦♂️
So, UX/UI design is designing more of the page appearance and components, and product design is designing how all of these things actually work together, and what function they provide?
UX literally focuses on providing an optimal experience for the user.
Product goes beyond that and looks at the overall business goals, positioning, competitive analysis, technical structuring of the product (programmatic SEO), cultural factors etc….
Example: You could have an ideal flow that works best for the user - a multi-step form. You design it in such a way that works well.
But, you didn’t consider that the email field should go first because that’s the only way you can recover a user who left mid-way. This is a business goal and doesn’t necessarily fall under the scope of UX, but is vital to increasing signup conversions.
I like this explanation.
I'm biased coming from UX, but I think the value is in the isolation of focus. If I'm less concerned about the business goals than the product designer would be, I'm more apt to advocate for the user in a team based setting. Product, UX, and engineering trade notes, and even if I'm overridden, at least that perspective was considered.
I've seen UX used more in large companies while UI design/visual design is more visible and requested by all kinds of teams.
This is so absolutely true, and a lot of visual designers are trying to fake it til they make it as product designers because that’s where the jobs are, and then they are basically trying to take a crash course in how to be a product designer once they’ve convinced someone to hire them.
I think good product designers have a broad background in adjacent fields of marketing, business, psychology, people skills, copywriting to name a few. And of course a strong core design competency. UX designers may not.
Now I am confused. I understand, that those two (three) things are totally separate, possibly even unrelated areas. Is this aimed at a case where the app is the product? Because if not, I don't understand how PD and UID/UXD are even related.
See my reply to Daniel
You’re not wrong.
