From my little explorations over the years since 2019 in the design field and finally delving into product design. I have gotten a few insights about this field and I'd love to share them with anyone interested in the field.

Design is involved in every aspect of human lives, permeating everything we use from the products we use to the environment we inhabit, and the visual aesthetics we encounter. At its core, design is about crafting experiences and making life more functional, meaningful, and aesthetically pleasing.

A Product

A product is a tangible or intangible item that is created to fulfill a need or wants of a customer. It can be classified as:

• Physical Products: such as a house, a smartphone, a car, a building, clothe, electronic gadgets, rockets, guns, laptop and more.

• Digital Products: it can be a service, such as a web app, education, music, or healthcare.

Design

Design is the process of creating solutions to problems or needs by combining art, science, and technology. It involves creating products, systems, or experiences that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and user-friendly.

It encompasses a wide range of activities, from conceptualization and ideation to prototyping and testing.

Design can refer to a wide range of fields and disciplines, including graphic design, web design, industrial design, fashion design, interior design, architectural design, and many more. In each of these fields, designers use their skills and expertise to create products, systems, or environments that are both visually appealing and functional.

Product Design

Product Design is simply a process of imagining and creating new products or iterating and improving existing products, to solve its user's problems, address some specific needs in a given market and achieve its business objectives.

It involves a combination of art, science, and technology, and can encompass everything from the initial concept and ideation stage to the final production and distribution of the product.

Now, product design is done for both physical products and digital products. For instance, an architect does the product design of a company before it's constructed. Also, the product design of a car or device is done by engineers through certain software such as SOLIDWORKS, PROTUSE, AUTODESK, and more before finally producing it.

NB: The key to a successful product design is properly understanding the end-user customer (the person who the product is being created for).

A Product Designer

A product designer is simply an individual who utilizes tools of design to create and execute solutions and products that solve deficiencies in users' experiences. Empathy and knowledge of the prospective customer's habits, behaviors, frustrations, needs and wants are used by product designers to create the best solutions for the product.

Product designers may work on physical products, such as consumer electronics, furniture, or vehicles, or digital products, such as software, websites, or mobile applications. They typically collaborate with cross-functional teams including engineers, marketers, and project managers to develop a product that is functional, aesthetically pleasing, and user-friendly.

You might have heard some subtitles for designers like:

• Interaction Designer (ID)

• Experience Designer (XD)

• Information Architecture (IA)

• Experience Architect (XA)

• User Interface Designer (UID)

• User Experience Designer (UXD)

• More exist

Popular Tools Used:

• Figma

• Adobe Xd

• Sketch

FAQs:

Is UI/UX design different from Product design?

Firstly, I'd like to clarify a common question usually asked by new techies interested in this design field.

Yes, there is a difference between UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) design and product design, although there can be some overlap between these disciplines.

UI/UX design focuses specifically on the user's interaction with a product or service, to create an intuitive and seamless experience. It involves designing the user interface, including the layout, colors, typography, and other visual elements, as well as developing the user experience, including user flows, interactions, and usability. UI/UX designers work to create products that are easy to use, enjoyable, and meet the user's needs.

Product design, on the other hand, is a broader field that encompasses the entire process of creating a product or service, from ideation and research to prototyping, testing, and production. It involves not only the user interface and experience, but also the functionality, features, materials, and manufacturing processes. Product designers work to create products that are not only user-friendly but also meet business objectives and technical requirements.

While UI/UX design is focused on the user's experience with a product or service, product design takes a more holistic approach and considers all aspects of the product's design, development, and manufacturing process. However, UI/UX design can be an important component of product design, as a product that is not user-friendly may not be successful in the market.