Introduction

Product design is the process of creating a new product or improving an existing one, blending creativity, technology, and user understanding to solve problems, meet market needs, and achieve business goals.

However, supply and demand poses a challenge for companies looking to hire product designers, with the demand for qualified, experienced product designers outweighing the domestic supply within the US. Businesses often amplify this challenge by restricting their search to local tech talent; however, in recent years, the rise of remote, global work has begun to solve this issue.

What is Product Design?

Product design is the process of turning an idea into a functional, user-friendly, and marketable product, blending creativity and technical skill. It involves understanding customer needs, ideating solutions, creating prototypes, and ensuring the final product can be manufactured efficiently. The ultimate goal is to solve a user problem in a way that is both intuitive and aligns with business objectives.

What does a Product Designer do?

A product designer creates and improves products by balancing user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility. They oversee the entire design process, from initial concept to final production, including research, sketching ideas, creating prototypes and user testing. Their work ensures a product is functional, user-friendly, and meets specific quality and aesthetic standards.

Product Design Skills and Qualifications

Product Designers will often hold a degree in computer science, graphic design or similar, though this is not essential. When hiring a Product Designer, it’s most important to look for strong experience in key tools and creative practices.

There are also many certifications and qualifications that a Product Designer may have. Popular certifications include:

• Certified Product Designer (CPD)
• Interaction Design Foundation’s Certified Product Designer
• Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)
• Microsoft Product Design and UX/UI Fundamentals
• Google UX Design Certificate
• Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) UX Certification
• Human Factors International (HFI) Certifications
• Adobe Certified Professional (ACP)
• Bentley University’s UX Bootcamp
• IBM UI/UX Designer Professional Certificate

Beyond technical skills, soft skills are vital when choosing your Product Designer. Problem-solving is crucial, aiding with troubleshooting and continuous learning. Communication is also essential when looking for any new team member, particularly in facilitating clear and open communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Popular Languages for Product Design

There are many languages and frameworks commonly used for Product Design. Some of the most popular include:

• HTML: Defines the structure and content of web pages.
• CSS: Controls the visual presentation, layout, colors, and fonts of HTML elements.
• JavaScript: Adds interactivity, dynamic features, and complex functionality to websites and applications.
• Python: A versatile language useful for data analysis and understanding back-end logic.
• Swift/Objective-C: For designers focused on Apple’s iOS/macOS ecosystem.

What are some popular Product Design frameworks?

Product frameworks offer a structured approach that designers follow to create consistent and user-friendly digital products, websites, or applications. Some of the most popular Product frameworks include:

• User-Centered Design (UCD): Places the needs, preferences, and behaviors of the end-users at the forefront of the design process.
• Design Thinking Process: An iterative, user-centered framework with five stages, forming the basis of most other design frameworks.
• Double Diamond: An outcomes-based design framework favored for design innovation that encourages collaboration and creative thinking.
• Hook Model: A design framework intended to “build habit-forming products.”
• Lean: A collaborative design framework that prioritizes outcomes over deliverables by using data to drive decision-making.
• Agile: Created to align with agile software development.
• BASIC Framework: Provides interaction design guidelines for modern product development.

What are some popular tools in Product Design?

There are many tools commonly used in product design, including:

• Figma: Tool for collaborative, browser-based design, prototyping, and design systems.
• Sketch: Popular for Mac users, offering robust design and prototyping features.
• Adobe XD: Integrates vector design, prototyping, and sharing within the Adobe ecosystem.
• Balsamiq: Quickly creates wireframes to focus on structure.
• Wireframe.cc: Simple, minimalist tool for basic wireframing.
• Proto.io: Create highly interactive, code-free prototypes.
• Zeplin: Bridges design and development by providing specs and assets.
• Maze: A tool for continuous user testing and gathering insights.
• UserTesting: For user feedback, analytics, and session replays.
• Lucidchart: For flowcharts, diagrams, and visual collaboration.

What are the benefits of Product Design?

Product design benefits businesses by boosting customer satisfaction, loyalty, and conversions through intuitive, enjoyable experiences, establishing strong brand credibility by focusing on user needs, making products easy to navigate, and creating consistent, visually appealing products that guide users to desired actions.

How much does it cost to hire a Product Designer?

When hiring traditionally in the US for a local, mid-level Product Designer, the average annual compensation is $129,889, with a range of $80,000 to $330,000 according to Built In. However, even by just expanding to other parts of the United States, salaries can be reduced significantly.

On average, companies hiring Product Designers with HireDevelopers can expect to save between 50% and 80% on salaries and hiring costs, with exact salaries varying based on location and experience. The greatest savings can be found by hiring in Africa and Asia, while companies looking for aligned time zones and a closer cultural match can hire from our extensive pool of Latin American developers.

How to hire Product Designers

The first step to hiring a Product Designer is to decide on a hiring method. Traditional hiring methods include local job adverts, LinkedIn job posts and using your professional network to identify potential candidates.

However, these methods are often time consuming and can be expensive. The median time to hire a developer is around 41 days, with the slowest 10% taking up to 82 days and 38% of companies reporting project delays due to recruitment problems, according to the Linux Foundation’s 2024 State of Tech Talent Report.

Alternatively, many companies are now turning to services like HireDevelopers to cut costs and speed up the hiring process. With HireDevelopers, you can hire Product Designers from anywhere in the world, at any price point, in just 24 hours.

When putting together a job description or job interview for a Product Designer, prioritize technical skills, like familiarity with key frameworks and libraries.

You should also consider using coding challenges alongside a traditional interview during the hiring process – if you’re using a pre-vetted talent pool like HireDevelopers, this has already been done for you. Coding challenges allow you to assess problem-solving skills and coding expertise in a realistic, real-time environment.

If you need help putting together a Product Designer job description or conducting a UX Designer job interview, you can check out our helpful and comprehensive guides below. Alternatively, to cut your time-to-hire by 90% and unlock savings of up to 80%, get in touch and book your free HireDevelopers consultation today.

Why hire Product Designers with HireDevelopers?

Hiring the right Product Designer for your team is a huge undertaking, and the process can be intimidating, especially for startups and small businesses.

At HireDevelopers, our pre-vetted, global tech talent marketplace streamlines your hiring journey and cuts time-to-hire by over 90% without compromising on quality or stretching your budget. Receive a custom shortlist of top Product Designers at any seniority level, at any price point and located anywhere in the world within just 24 hours of your consultation.

Plus, we’ll handle all payroll, legal compliance and HR completely for free, giving you more time to start building with your new Product Designer.

Get in touch today and start hiring top-notch Product Designers in just 24 hours.