To all the new Product Designers/UX Designers thinking this field is easy to get into. This is the reality of our field
Field is saturated and you will seriously struggle to find work. Not gate keeping, just laying out the reality. If you're up for the challenge then good, if not then you should look at some other fields.
Product design is kind of weird now and is tougher than you think. It is no more a creative field where you can come up with unique ideas or have fun creating stuff. It is intoxicating, tedious and requires constant fighting with the stakeholders, listening to your micro managers and implementing stuff they "ordered" you to do disguised as feedback. Did I say, it is mostly copy work nowadays and portraying it as a whole new feature/design that is unique to your org/team?
It’s 1% creativity, 99% stroking the ego of your managers and bosses just so you don't get laid off.
(Not at capgemini, burner account)
Will the role Product Designer exist in 5 years? 100% sure it wont be at least in the current form. Figma themselves can create an AI tool which generates designs easily.
With AI - if you know what you want, you can get it built just like that. No need to know how to build what you want!
Absolutely, AI has revolutionized the design landscape, enabling rapid generation of UI designs. However, the role of a product designer extends beyond just creating visuals. Product designers play a crucial role in understanding user needs, crafting intuitive user experiences, and aligning design decisions with business objectives. They're not just pixel-pushers; they're strategists who navigate complexities like user research, prototyping, and iteration cycles. Moreover, they collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineers and product managers, to ensure seamless integration of design solutions.
While I admit that AI can streamline certain aspects of design, the human touch and strategic thinking of a product designer remain irreplaceable in creating meaningful and impactful digital experiences.
This is such a bookish way to say what product designers do but in reality what they do is ship features that too copying from other products. This is the state of what most product designers do
If you’re a cookie cutter, template following, design copying, yes you’ll be automated very soon. Design without execution is pointless, you have to fight it out with stakeholders with better data and research. That’s literally 90% of the job.
Those ₹500 rupee courses have ruined the perception and expectations of what a designer does in their day to day work.
If you’re passionate about this field and can grind it out, you’ll definitely find a place here. For folks who joined for money with no interest in design, good luck.
Creating UI is just a small portion of a product designer’s work. We need to solve a business and user problem; not creating good looking designs. If changing copy can bring that impact why spend time and resources on design and development.
The space is saturated; I agree with that. Too many so called “product designers” have flooded the market with templatised portfolios; not blaming them but the “Learn fast” design bootcamps and courses.
A large part of a PD’s time is spent convincing and questioning stakeholders and managers. 70% of the day will be spent on meetings with PMs, developers and team members. That is the reality.
entry barrier was low thats why every chaiwala, doodhwala, momoswala, raddiwala, sabjiwala is a Product designer now
Now what to do,like how to stand out?
100% agree, product designer role is not nothing figma editor in india
It takes 14 days only to become a product designer and a few hundred bucks. Why think so much... Become one and then decide.