What is a product designer and how to become one

Q: Product Designer vs. UX Designer

A product designer is a tech professional involved in the entire design process of a product, while a UX designer is a tech professional more focused on the hands-on design portion of the process.

Q: How hard is it to become a product designer?

It's moderately hard to become a product designer. It requires a lot of hard work and persistence. But if you care about helping people achieve their goals, and you have a sound mind for putting together the pieces of a puzzle, then you have everything you need to begin.

Q: How to get into product design

To get into product design, you need to get an education in design or a related field, put together a design portfolio, and seek out internships or entry-level roles. Here are some details on these steps and others you can take to get into product design:

Q: Is product design a good career?

Yes, product design is a good career. It is one of the highest-paying design jobs available, and it has a lot of positions available. Both of these can be traced back to the fact that there is a large skill gap that exists in the market. There is a higher demand for product designers than supply, so the pay is great.

Q: What degree do you need to be a product designer?

You need a bachelor's degree in graphic design or a related field to become a product designer. To be successful as a product designer, it is important to be sure that your undergraduate coursework includes finance, sociology, principles of manufacturing, material usage, and organizational behavior.

Q: What do product designers create?

Product designers create a solution that solves user experience deficiencies using different facets and tools of design. The role of a product designer is similar to other customer experience-focused roles in companies.

Q: What education do you need to become a product designer?

The education you need to become a product designer is typically a bachelor's degree. However, it is possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED. To do this requires on-the-job experience in product design.

Q: What is a product designer vs. UX?

A product designer vs. UX is related to the scope of product design. A UX designer, for example, is primarily focused on the usability of products. In contrast, a product designer works more on the overall feeling and experience of the product as a whole.

Q: What skills are needed for product design?

The skills needed for a product design are user research, facilitation conception, UI Design, and soft skills (e.g., communication, cooperation). Understanding how user research is tested correctly and what type of study design procedures work best is very important towards improving the product.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Abby Guido

A product designer creates and develops new products from conception to production. They work alongside engineers, marketers, and other professionals to ensure that the final product meets the needs of the consumer. The role involves researching user needs, designing prototypes, testing designs, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Product designers have strong problem-solving skills, creativity, and a deep understanding of materials and manufacturing processes. They also need to stay current on trends in technology and design.

What general advice would you give to a Product Designer?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreProduct DesignerUS Average

Salary

7.7

Avg. Salary $102,033

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.5

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%

Asian 10.07%

Black or African American 1.12%

Hispanic or Latino 7.28%

Unknown 4.48%

White 76.67%

Gender

female 25.80%

male 74.20%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress Level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Product Designer?

Pros

Creative satisfaction
Opportunity to solve real-world problems
High demand for skilled product designers
Potentially lucrative salary and compensation packages
Possibility of working on socially impactful projects

Cons

Heavily reliant on client feedback and approval
Limited job opportunities in certain geographic locations
Can be challenging to balance creativity with practicality and feasibility
Often involves repetitive tasks such as creating mockups or wireframes
Can be difficult to accurately estimate project timelines and budgets.

Key steps to become a product designer

Explore product designer education requirements

Most common product designer degrees

Bachelor's

61.0 %

Associate

24.7 %

Master's

8.4 %

Start to develop specific product designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Sketch	23.42%
Visual Design	6.73%
UI	6.53%
User Research	5.81%
User Experience	5.58%

Complete relevant product designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New product designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a product designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real product designer resumes.

Research product designer duties and responsibilities

Manage PDM system, updating technical, fit and design information.
Lead front-end QA of all major releases, filing, prioritizing and fixing bugs myself.
Manage all aspects of production including QC, packaging needs, and adherence to worldwide product standard protocols.
Lead FMEA (failure modes and effects analysis) team and DVP (design verification plan) prove-out for system.

Prepare your product designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your product designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a product designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Product Designer Resume templates

Build a professional Product Designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Product Designer resume.

Apply for product designer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a product designer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do product designers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Product Designer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

What I like most about a designer is doing work with Fonts designing projects designing

Cons

Let there be thousands of graphic designers

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

It is something I enjoy! Something I’m good at! Something I could do as hobby and get paid for

What is a product designer and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Product Designer?

What are the pros and cons of being a Product Designer?

Product Designer career paths

Key steps to become a product designer

Explore product designer education requirements

Most common product designer degrees

Start to develop specific product designer skills

Complete relevant product designer training and internships

Research product designer duties and responsibilities

Prepare your product designer resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Product Designer Resume templates

Apply for product designer jobs

How Did You Land Your First Product Designer Job

Average product designer salary

How do product designers rate their job?

Product Designer reviews

Product Designer FAQs

Product Designer vs. UX Designer

How hard is it to become a product designer?

How to get into product design

Is product design a good career?

What degree do you need to be a product designer?

What do product designers create?

What education do you need to become a product designer?

What is a product designer vs. UX?

What skills are needed for product design?

Search for product designer jobs

Product Designer jobs by state