Job in Product Design – All the designers do this wonderful thing to make people’s life easier. In the contemporary world product design is one of the most aspiring and demanding fields to have as a profession.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction ― E. F. Schumacher

The word “Product” denotes the item offered for sale. A service can be considered a product. Physical, virtual, or cyberspace forms are all possible. It may take the shape of anything tangible, virtual, or cyber. Digital products like apps or websites like Facebook or Google Maps are also part of product design. According to BusinessDictionary.com, Product design is the precise specification of a manufactured item’s parts and how they relate to one another. A product’s design must consider how it will carry out its intended function in an effective, secure, and trustworthy way. Additionally, the goods must be able to be produced affordably and appeal to the intended market. Product designers aim to improve the appearance and functionality of existing products while producing them at a lower cost – or they may be involved in the design of entirely new products. To create a frictionless user experience, the process begins with identifying a market opportunity, defining a customer problem, developing a solution, and validating that solution with real users. 

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Product designing_©NewSchool of Architecture and Design

Determine your “Why” | Job in Product Design

Whether you are changing careers or just starting, determining your “Why” is an important first step.

A common misconception about design is that designers are born rather than made, but this is not true. Design is a skill that can be learned, but you must do your homework to determine whether it is something you truly want to do.

Keep up with industry trends.

Product design is an ever-changing field that is influenced by design trends, best practices, and emerging technologies. Staying up to date on these changes can help you incorporate them into your work and respond to questions about trends during a job interview. A hiring manager may inquire to determine your level of commitment to the field and your ability to adapt accordingly. Sign up for podcasts, blogs, emails, and other content from product design industry leaders and businesses to immerse yourself in relevant content.

How to Get into Product Design? | Job in Product Design

There is no one-size-fits-all path to becoming a successful product designer. Indeed, many designers in the community came from diverse backgrounds. It is common that people to transition into product design from education, marketing, social work, coding, food service, graphic design, and customer service. It’s not about the tools one knows in product design; it’s about the process the designer employs to help a potential user achieve a goal.

Earn a Degree or Take a Course

Employers frequently require candidates for product design roles to have a high school diploma or bachelor’s degree, as this level of education provides foundational knowledge and skills that can be applied in a career opportunity. Even if an employer does not require this qualification for this position, having one can help you stand out from the crowd. The knowledge you gain in these areas will also allow you to expand your portfolio and confidently speak with a hiring manager about product design topics.

Alternatively, You can also try to self-teach using free online resources. There are currently an infinite number of online academies offering design courses that you can enroll in. Udemy, Coursera,eduwik, and so on.. are there to help you.

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Having a Degree is important in some cases. ©Information Age, ACS

Increase your skill | Job in Product Design

May the company will want to review candidates’ skill sets to learn about the tools, programs, and software that they are familiar with. Knowing you have prior training in specific skills may persuade them to consider you for the role ahead of other candidates because you may require less training. Consider learning how to use different tools in the industry and developing soft skills that can help you organize your work and work well with others before pursuing a career in product design. This will assist you in preparing for an interview and may increase your chances of landing a job.

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Skillset_©Counsline

Gain experience

Product design is more complex than learning how to use software, the best way to maximize your learning experience is to learn from industry experts. As with many other design positions, prior experience in product design or a related field can help you secure a position in the field. Investigate opportunities in marketing, business, customer service, or a position requiring problem-solving or communication skills. These roles may teach you how to communicate with clients about their needs and expectations, solve design problems, implement your process, and assist businesses in meeting sales targets. Consider volunteer positions, internships, freelance projects, and entry-level positions.

Build a Portfolio

Your portfolio demonstrates your abilities as a designer. A good portfolio should include several solid examples of your work as well as the process steps. To demonstrate how you operate, you should be able to go over your workflow and processes for the projects in your portfolio. This allows interviewers to see how you would fit in with their team and vice versa. If you have little experience in the field, you can include projects from school or ones you’ve created on your own to demonstrate your abilities. Concentrate on the types of design projects you want to pursue in your career, but if you have experience in other areas of product design, include some of those projects as well.

Portfolio©Vandana Bhanushali

Start Applying for Jobs | Job in Product Design

You are now prepared to begin applying for entry-level positions or internships on job search sites like Lensa. This is not to say that you must complete the preceding steps in order before applying for entry-level jobs. When you have a couple of impressive projects in your portfolio and are confident in your abilities, you can begin applying for roles. Self-promote yourself shamelessly to your network and look for work opportunities outside of your network. Product design jobs are in high demand, so you’ll need to stand out from the crowd to land a position in this highly competitive field. There are also part-time jobs available to help you get started.

Hopefully, this article will help those who are willing to jump into the field of product design. And Thanks to the all designer of the world who are working tirelessly to make people’s life easier. 

References:
  1. Cat McClintock(2017). 14 Insightful Quotes about Product Design.[Online]. (Last updated 13 April 2017). Available at: https://www.ptc.com/en/blogs/cad/14-insightful-quotes-about-product-design

 [Accessed 09 October 2022]

  1. newschoolarch. edu(2022). HOW TO BECOME A PRODUCT DESIGNER[Online]Available at: https://newschoolarch.edu/blog/how-to-become-a-product-designer/[Accessed 09 October 2022]
  2. indeed. com(2022). How to become a product designer (duties, skills, salary)(Last updated: September 30, 2022).Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-product-designer

[Accessed 09 October 2022]

4.Timur Köklü (2022). How To Become A Product Designer(Last updated: June 01, 2020).Available at: https://www.vectornator.io/blog/how-to-become-a-product-designer/

[Accessed 09 October 2022]

Author

Toukir is an undergraduate student of architecture at Khulna University, Bangladesh. He is fascinated to explore the relationship of human psychology and build environment in this age. He dreams to be impactful to the people, to the planet with sensible and responsible architectural practice.