Product Designer - As a Profession

As you are deciding on to become a product Designer, let us discuss a bit about the profession of a Product Designer.

How can you become a Product Designer? Product design could be tough and highly rewarding career at the same time. There are a lot of different options you may go down, but in this article we'll provide you some advice to enable you to reach your objective of learning how to become a product designer.

However, often product design is a frequently misunderstood field of work and title, we must first discuss what the job responsibilities might entail before moving on to how to become a product designer.

What is Product Design?

In easy terms, it can be summed up as the comprehensive description of how a produced item's components fit together as a whole. 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 interact with engineers and consumers to develop practical and well-thought-out goods and services. You will have numerous hats to wear and be able to do much more than just create products as a product designer.

Job Responsibilities of a Product Designer

Usually, when you become a Product Designer, you have to carry out the below functions, maybe as a team or solo.

1. To choose the appropriate product, imagine it in your mind and develop sketches and design ideas.
2. To convey concepts and ideas to the respective team members for brainstorming and strategizing.
3. To incorporate design principles, ideas and concepts into working prototypes.
4. To evaluate, improve, and adapt current designs or products in order to satisfy consumer demands.
5. Keep up with the most recent market dynamics and industry trends.
6. To work together as a team and make sure the design phase is precise and efficient

3 Eligibility Criterias to Become a Product Designer

To become a Product Designer in 2023, you must meet the following broad eligibility criteria. Below we have discussed the Knowledge, skills and qualities which you must possess to get a job as a product designer.

1. Educational Qualification:

1. Students should have completed at least graduation in Product Design, as in, B.Des in Product Design.
2. Candidates having completed post graduation, as in, M.Des in Product Design.

1. Skills Sets:

1. Excellent Communicative Abilities
2. Superb Visualization Skills
3. Strong Observation Skill
4. Problem – Solving Attitude
5. Aspire for Aesthetic Design and comprehend customer appeal
6. Imaginative and Innovative inclination
7. Good Knowledge of the industry & Market trends
8. Minute eye for details
9. Methodical and Hard-working

1. Work Experience:

1. Experience in the relevant field is very necessary.

7 Important Steps to Become a Product Designer

Here are some very important steps which you must follow to become a Product Designer:

Step 1: Enroll with a Design College or University

You can beat out the competition by fully immersing yourself in a design program at a college or university. You will learn the fundamentals of design, such as colour, typography, and layout, as well as how to effectively convey your ideas, in a collegiate program. Additionally, you'll get skills in giving and receiving feedback on your work, which are essential in the profession, particularly in the field of product design.

Step 2: Research on your Niche

It is very important that you know what you like doing. There are numerous niches or categories of products, hence, numerous categories of product designing. It varies from automobiles to households, software to Apps, the list being endless. Therefore, you must find your inclination of the product of which you want to become a product designer of. If you are into automobiles, like to interact with people in the same fields and drool over classic as well as contemporary automobiles, you can become a product designer in that niche as your heart will be completely at it. And your job will never seem boring to you.

Step 3: Start Building a Strong Portfolio

Your portfolio serves as a presentation of your abilities as a designer. A strong portfolio will include a number of credible examples of your work, and projects and outline the phases in the creative process. To show how you work, you should be able to walk through your workflow and processes for the projects in your portfolio. This enables interviewers to determine how well you and your team might work together.

A Portfolio is also another excellent technique for you to continue honing your skill. You can take the time to make adjustments and make your product stand out if you believe it does not have enough aesthetic impact but does effectively address the issue at hand.

Step 4: Network building to Gain Knowledge

Meet as many people as you can and speak with professionals and industry veterans. Keep in touch with your peers of the college you attendde. You never know when a connection in the field can be helpful when you're seeking for new, creative and innovative ideas or when you might be able to find future career opportunities. The majority of product designers are more than happy to lend a hand or exchange ideas.

Step 5: Practicing your Skills

Daily design reading, technique research, tools learning, and practice are all recommended. Find a problem, and then fix it.

Is there a recent product you frequently use that you believe you could make better? Work on it, then build a prototype. Consult with friends or other designers for input before making changes. You should get better if you persist in trying.

Also, as these tools are all used in product design, spend your free time learning how to use programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, AutoCAD, etc. You should also become an expert with Dreamweaver, HTML, CSS, and other web skills.

Step 6: Gaining Experience

If your college or institution offers, choose a program that offers a year of work experience. As part of your degree, you'll have the opportunity to work on actual goods and contribute to their design, which can help you develop your abilities and expand your portfolio. You'll develop your thinking skills and discover how to function in a real working environment.

Another fantastic method to develop your abilities and put yourself out there is to enter design competitions. Whether or not you create a design that wins an award, the experience will be beneficial in the long run.

Step 7: Work on your Case Study

You must describe the issue users faced in your case studies, as well as the kind of searches you made to find the answer. Include details on the design suggestions you made and how they have or will address user problems and, in turn, contribute to increasing business revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is product design a good career?

Answer: Product design is a fantastic field to work in. Product designers are in high demand. A product designer can earn a lot of money if they work hard and are skilled in their field. Product designers are needed by more and more consumers and companies every day. If you have the necessary talents and are dedicated to your job, a career in product design will be beneficial for you.

Q2. Do product designers earn well?

Answer: A product designer in India makes an average yearly income of about 9,85,269 INR. This includes incentives like bonuses, profit-sharing, and commissions based on your employment status, such as consultant, employee, or independent entrepreneur.

Q3. What are the job options in graphic design?

Answer: Numerous prestigious recruiting firms come for campus selections in universities or elsewhere, maybe walk-in-in interviews in companies, and provide a variety of job prospects to graduates of product design education, whether it be an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Depending on their skills and background, product design students can pursue a wide range of career opportunities. Here are some of the top job profiles:

1. Product Manager
2. Product Designer
3. Design Consultant
4. Product Manufacturer
5. UX/UI Designer

Q4. What are the Top Profile recruiters for Product Design graduates?

Answer: A product designer will be necessary if a business produces a product. Here are a few of the best Indian recruiters where a student might pursue a career in product design:

1. WIPRO
2. Myntra
3. Accenture
4. Reliance Groups
5. Godrej
6. Flipkart
7. Amazon

And, the List is endless….

Q5. How many years does it take to complete a B. Des./BA in product design course? And the best Design institute in India that offer Product Design Courses?

Answer: It takes three years to earn a B.Des. or BA in product design, and occasionally four years if an internship is required.

The top college in India for studying product design is the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad.

Important Article on How to Prepare for Design Entrance Exams - Tips and Techniques

Conclusion

A career in product design offers a wide range of opportunities, and there is much possibility for advancement in this field. Industries need product designers because they need fresher concepts, more imaginative products, and fresher designs to keep consumers interested in buying their goods. The profession will suit those with technical aptitude and a creative streak.

Now that you have a guide on how to become a product designer, you might want to give it a try before taking the plunge.