Will a UX designer have trouble getting product designer roles? All of the hard skills seems to be exactly the same (sketch, invision, etc.). Job descriptions generally line up pretty closely. The person I’m asking for has 1 yoe. If i understand correctly a product designer is kind of more toward PM role instead of pure UX, making feature decisions instead of more graphic/visual design work. There’s a ton of product designer roles and almost no UX designer roles in the area I’m searching.
Visual design work shouldn't be part of UX either. I don't think theres much difference in the roles. Read here more on product design: https://medium.com/hubspot-product/explain-it-like-im-5-what-is-a-product-designer-121aad98c047
Depends on place, but what you’re describing sounds like a product designer. A “pure UX designer” does not work on graphic/visual design. Those jobs are more rare. UX and product designers do need to have product/business sense. But unless they’re working at a small startup, they will have a PM to help guide especially at 1 YOE. Soft skills will be developed and isn’t too much of a factor until you get to higher levels and some places (like FB) care about it more than others. A “pure UX designer” might be called a user researcher, I might even throw in UX writer/content strategist in the mix. These designers won’t work on final UI. Some use balsamiq instead of sketch. They’re more focused on the data, research, wireframes, flows, IA, testing and analysis than the actual UI. I think it’s easier to transition to product design from “pure ux” than pure UI (graphic designer, visual designer). Do note, product design could also mean actual hardware product design. UX/UI designers will be ignored for those roles lol
Thank you! That’s a great walk through of the distinctions. So, product designer shouldn’t really make high fidelity/final UI mockups? They typically make balsamiq type wireframes like a pure UX person? I see a lot of posts for product designer looking for visual design or interaction design skills, which makes it seem like title isn’t always totally accurate to what the job poster actually wants.
Sorry for the confusion. Product designer does work on UI. Some don’t work on the ship able UI (some places have a systems, visual, or production designer in between). But most do quite a bit of UI work. A “pure ux” designer does not. But if you look at many UX roles they’re product design roles. It’s only specific parts of UX (user researcher as an example) that wouldn’t. And I don’t really know many “pure ux” designers. Most of them are product designers. Software/digital product design, the current definition, is a relatively recent thing maybe in only the past 10 years or so. Companies and schools are still catching up. Google’s interaction designer as an example is a product designer role.
Transitioning will be dependent on your portfolio.
What do you think are important things to have in a portfolio to transition to product design?
I think it’s just the same job with different titles. Good UX designer needs to have good product/business sense as well.