Great job breaking this down into responsibilities, however, I have to disagree. Product Designers must also focus on users. User Experience Designers must also consider the business. The outputs are in fact completely the same deliverables. You can design a good product without considering the user and you can provide an experience that the business can't pay for or shouldn't do. I think you should talk to people who have held both roles. The trouble enlies on if the product strategy is dictated from Product Managers or collaborated on and facilitated by UX Research (oftern a hat worn by designers) . Short story long, biggest influence on my reasoning is I've never heard of a Product Designer AND a UX Designer being on the same team.
My thoughts: The roles of a UX designer and product designer that you outlined should realistically come under one title: Digital Product Designer. Unless your job is SOLELY UI focused, in which case that is an already existing job description - graphic designer / digital graphic designer. This trend of UX or UX/UI designers re-branding themselves as product designers is coming across as more of 'whats cool' trend in an attempt to standout. If you look at the role of a traditional product designer, their role includes the description from both of your examples - and often more because they have to pay close attention to how - and if - it can be made in a cost effective, timely, and sustainable way. Of course job descriptions, titles, responsibilities is an evolving landscape, but I think this re-branding that's going on is unnecessary and adding confusion to an increasingly cluttered arena - that is the job market.
Great insight! I do think a lot of these titles can be condensed since they are so similar. It makes the industry more cluttered like you said, and the job title doesn't matter so much.
Hi Steph. I have the project on the Springboard Intro to design. And it's on competitive research. I do understand the concept but i'm finding it abit difficult successfully doing it.
I would identify direct & indirect competitors. Look for products or services that offer similar solutions or target the same user base to get you started. Good luck on your bootcamp!
