Is there a difference between a product designer and a UX designer?

Usually a small one. According to NN/g, the title product designer generally describes work similar to UX design but concentrated on a single product. In some companies, it adds responsibility for the interface or a closer partnership with product management.

Does a product designer write code?

Usually not. In NN/g’s product triad model, the designer doesn’t build the product themselves but works closely with engineering. I write the front-end code as well as the design, but that isn’t expected of every product designer.

What Is Product Design? Product Design Explained

Q: What is product design?

Product design means designing a digital product from start to finish. It connects user needs with business goals and covers research, prototypes, testing and the handoff with the engineering team.

What product design means

The Nielsen Norman Group’s UX glossary describes product design, in the software industry, as designing a digital product from end to end. Along the way, the designer also pays attention to business goals and product strategy.

Outside software, the same term usually means designing physical objects. This page is about digital product design: mobile apps, web applications, admin panels or SaaS products.

The Interaction Design Foundation also describes product design as a process that blends users’ needs with business goals. Both definitions arrive at the same point. If a screen is beautiful but the product isn’t useful, the design isn’t finished.

The areas of responsibility in product design

IxDF lists a product designer’s work step by step. They help define product goals and create a roadmap. They carry out user research and sketch ideas. Then they build and test prototypes, refine them with feedback and implement them with engineering.

In the diagram below, I have grouped these steps into five areas.

Areas of responsibility

DirectionProduct goals and roadmapWith product management
ResearchUnderstanding users and their needsWith users
IdeasConcept and rough sketchWith engineering
Prototype and testFirst a rough, then a detailed prototypeWith users
HandoffBuilding and improving through feedbackWith engineering and product management

The five areas are my grouping of the steps IxDF lists. Who you work with in each area is my own way of working, not a standard.

The areas come in an order, but the work doesn’t run in one direction. A finding from a test often sends you back to research or to the ideas phase.

The ideas phase usually produces a rough wireframe. The test phase uses a clickable prototype.

How it differs from UX and UI

According to the NN/g glossary, UX design makes a product usable, useful and appropriate for users’ needs. UI design, by contrast, deals with parts of the interface such as buttons and links.

The job title product designer often describes UX work concentrated on a single product, and in some companies it also includes responsibility for the interface. I describe the difference between UX and UI in the UI vs. UX guide.

The relationship with product management and engineering

Product design is not the same as product management. According to the NN/g glossary, product management decides what product to build and why.

Pavel Samsonov’s article on the product triad at NN/g divides the team into product management, design and the engineering lead. Here, the designer defines the desired experience. On questions of user needs, they are the team’s authority. They don’t build the product themselves, but they work closely with every role.

According to the same article, the product manager defines the success criteria and chooses scope and priorities. When it comes to how complex something is, the engineering lead is the main voice. They also shape what is possible.

My note

I see product design as the work of closing the gap between design and code. Finishing a screen in the design file doesn’t yet mean users can use it comfortably on their phone.

That’s why I spend most of my time in the last area of the diagram. When I work with engineering in the same repository, forgotten screens such as empty states and error messages show up early.

My advice to teams is simple: keep the first version small and try it with real users. You’ll find more on the MVP page. If you want to ship design and code together in two weeks, that’s what the Design & Ship Sprint is for.