Some time ago, Feishu laid off employees, and I heard that many experience design positions were eliminated, but it also released a large number of recruitment requirements for product designer positions. In this article, the author shares with us what information you don't know about digital product designers from major manufacturers, hoping to help you.
The recent layoffs in Feishu have sparked heated discussions, and it is said that experience design in particular has become the hardest hit area of layoffs, which has also caused a lot of shock in the designer community. What are the responsibilities of a product designer? How is it different from an experience designer? The following are Feifan's thoughts (note: in order to distinguish industrial product designers, I am used to calling them digital product designers)
01 Three Levels of Digital Product Design
To understand digital product design, we must first be clear about what digital product design is, in Internet product design, I will divide product design into three levels: product strategy, product strategy and experience design, there is a close connection and clear distinction between the three.
1. What is product strategy, product strategy, and experience design?
First of all, product strategy is the foundation and orientation of Internet product design
It determines the overall positioning, development direction and market goals of the product, and provides a clear direction for the subsequent product strategy and experience design. Product strategy needs to consider factors such as market environment, user needs, and competitive situation to ensure that products can stand out in the fierce market competition.
Secondly, product strategy is the specific means and methods to achieve product strategy
It covers product positioning, functional design, marketing and other aspects, aiming to achieve the market success of the product by optimizing product features and improving user experience. Product strategy needs to be closely integrated with product strategy, and formulate appropriate product strategy according to strategic objectives and market environment to support the realization of product strategy.
Finally, experience design is the implementation of product strategy and strategy
It pays attention to the feelings and needs of users in the process of using the product, and improves user satisfaction and loyalty by optimizing the interface design and interaction methods. Experience design needs to be closely coordinated with product strategy and product strategy to ensure that the design of the product can meet the expectations and needs of users and enhance the overall competitiveness of the product.
2. The connection and difference between product strategy, product strategy, and experience design
From the perspective of connection, these three are important parts of Internet product design, and together constitute the overall competitiveness of the product. Product strategy provides direction and goals for product strategy and experience design, product strategy implements product strategy through specific operational means, and experience design supports the realization of product strategy and product strategy by optimizing user experience.
From the point of view, the product strategy focuses more on the overall and long-term planning, and focuses on the overall positioning and development direction of the product; The product strategy focuses more on specific market operations and product design, focusing on how to achieve the market success of the product; Experience design, on the other hand, focuses more on the user's feelings and needs, focusing on how to improve user satisfaction and loyalty through design.
02 The difference in the level of attention between product designers and experience designers
Both product designers and experience designers play an important role in internet product design, but there are some differences in the dimensions they focus on.
Product Designer: Mainly focuses on the overall strategy and tactics of the product
They are committed to ensuring that the product not only meets the needs of the user, but also matches the company's business objectives, market positioning, and competitive environment. Product designers take into account factors such as the economy, industry trends, competitors' products, and the needs of stakeholders to develop the direction and plan of the product. Their job is to ensure that the product remains competitive throughout its lifecycle and is continuously updated and improved as the business grows.
Experience designer: pay more attention to the user's feelings and needs in the process of using the product, and pay more attention to the landing of the product
They focus on optimizing the product's interface design, interaction methods, and user flow to increase user satisfaction and loyalty. Experience designers pay close attention to user feedback and behavioral data, and ensure that users can use the product conveniently, happily, and have a good experience by analyzing and improving the design of the product.
In summary, product designers pay more attention to the overall strategy and tactics of the product to ensure that the product matches the company's goals and market needs; Experience designers, on the other hand, pay more attention to the user's experience and feelings in the process of using the product to enhance user satisfaction and loyalty. The two complement each other and work together to design excellent Internet products.
03 Product designers focus on key points: business empowerment, understanding strategy, insight into needs, and experience innovation
Product designers focus on multiple aspects to ensure product success when designing products, including enabling business, understanding product strategy, understanding needs, and experiencing innovation.
Here's a detailed explanation of these aspects:
1. Empower business
Product designers focus on the commercial value and market potential of the product. They need to understand how the product aligns with the company's business goals and how it can be designed to be more competitive in the market. Designers will consider aspects such as product positioning, pricing, promotion, etc., to ensure that the product can be successful in the market. At the same time, they will also focus on the profit model of the product and explore how to maximize business value through design innovation.
E-commerce app: The product designer of an e-commerce app has improved the user's purchase conversion rate by optimizing the search algorithm and product recommendation system, thereby increasing the sales of the platform. At the same time, the designers also designed a series of promotional promotion pages, using visual effects and interactive experiences to attract user engagement and generate more purchase behavior, further driving business growth.
2. Understand product strategy
Product designers need to have a deep understanding of product strategy, including product positioning, target market, competitive environment, etc. They need to communicate with the company's top management or product manager to understand the overall plan and expectations for the product. By understanding the product strategy, the designer is able to grasp the direction of the design and ensure that the design of the product can meet the strategic intent of the company while meeting the needs of the market.
Smart home system: The product strategy of a smart home system is to create a seamless home ecology. In the design process, product designers ensure the compatibility and interoperability between various smart devices, and also design an integrated control interface and intelligent voice assistant according to the strategic direction, so that users can easily manage and control various devices in the home, achieving the core goal of the product strategy.
3. Insight into needs and scenarios
Insight into needs is one of the core competencies of product designers. They need to pay close attention to user feedback and market trends, and gain a deep understanding of users' real needs through user research, market research, etc. Designers need to pay attention to the user's needs, pain points, expectations, and potential needs in order to fully meet the user's expectations in product design. At the same time, they also need to pay attention to competitors' products, analyze the characteristics and shortcomings of competitors, and make differentiated innovations in product design.
Travel booking platform: Product designers have found through user research that users often need to find a lot of destination information and travel tips when planning a trip. In order to meet this need, designers have added detailed destination introductions, user reviews, and travel tips to the platform to help users better understand and plan their trips. At the same time, the designers have also optimized the search and filter functions to enable users to find travel products and information that meet their needs more quickly.
4. Experience innovative design
Experience innovation is one of the important goals pursued by product designers. They need to enhance the user experience of their products through innovative design, so that users can get pleasure and satisfaction when using the product. Designers need to pay attention to the interface design, interaction design, operation process and other aspects of the product, and improve the overall experience of the product by optimizing these details. At the same time, they also need to pay attention to emerging technologies and design trends, and integrate these elements into product design to bring users a new experience.
Online education platform: In order to improve the user's learning experience, the product designer of an online education platform designed a new interactive learning method. They have introduced features such as virtual classrooms, real-time interactive Q&A, and personalized learning paths, enabling users to communicate and discuss with teachers and other learners as if they were in the classroom. This innovative way of learning not only improves the learning effect of users, but also enhances the user's stickiness and satisfaction with the platform.
To sum up, product designers need to conduct in-depth attention and research in empowering business, understanding product strategy, insight into needs, and experience innovation. These aspects are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, and together form the focus of the product designer's work to ensure that the product is designed with market competitiveness and a good user experience.
This article was written by Everyone is a Product Manager Author【Feifan Lab】, WeChat public account: [Feifan Lab], original/authorized Published in Everyone is a product manager, without permission, it is forbidden to reprint.
Image from Unsplash, based on the CC0 license.