Digital Product Design in Reality
Aligning Design with Business: The Power of Strategic Thinking in Digital Product Design
In recent years, various titles like UI & UX Designer, Digital Product Designer, and User Experience Designer have emerged. These roles can be confusing, especially for those new to the field. When I first started, understanding these titles felt overwhelming and frustrating. However, through working in different industries and companies, I’ve discovered key insights on how I prefer to work and how I can make an impact as a Digital Product Designer.
I settled on the term “Digital Product Designer” long ago. As I work on more projects, I find this title best represents my role. Many traditional Graphic Designers have transitioned to roles like UI Designers or Digital Product Designers. From my experience, while I began with Graphic Design, which includes Branding, Brand Identities, and Packaging, I realized it’s much more than just visuals. It involves crafting experiences that are functional and meet their goals.
Beyond UI and UX
I can’t see UI and UX in isolation.
Over the years, I’ve participated in discussions and workshops about business needs, often asking questions that stakeholders find difficult or believe that I am just curious. The more questions I ask and the more I study, the better solutions I can offer for both the company and the customers.
The digital product designer plays a crucial role during the initial stages of a product. They provide options and contribute to the product strategy, ensuring alignment with the product roadmap. This alignment makes it easier for the product or MVP to scale.
Continuous Learning and Experimentation
As a Digital Product Designer, continuous learning, experimentation, and early testing of ideas are essential. You must be open to discussion and self-challenge. Some might think testing ideas is gambling, but it’s actually a strategic, evidence-based approach to improving product design and functionality. The value of UX testing lies in its ability to gather actionable insights that guide design decisions, reduce risks, and enhance user satisfaction.
The Value of Product Strategy and Roadmapping
This article aims to emphasize the value of what we do as designers, beyond just creating visuals. I started designing because I loved to illustrate, but I truly enjoy being involved from the birth of a project. Taking courses on Product Strategy, Product Roadmapping, or even Product Management enables you to make informed decisions, prioritize features, conduct better research, and design valuable information architecture for both users and businesses.
Studying product strategy and roadmapping equips digital product designers with the knowledge and skills to create more effective, user-centered, and business-aligned designs. This holistic approach not only enhances product quality but also ensures market success. Understanding the long-term vision for a product helps designers create solutions that support sustainable growth and continuous improvement.
Thoughts & Notes
Digital product design is far more than visual aesthetics. It involves a deep understanding of user needs and business goals, continuous learning, and strategic thinking. By integrating product strategy and roadmapping into your skill set, you can create designs that are not only visually appealing but also functional and aligned with the business’s long-term objectives. This holistic approach is essential for creating successful digital products that stand the test of time.
P.S.
Study about Product Strategy, business, development, learn to collaborate with other teams, try to get close to them and understand better their job. Most of the times you can use all this knowledge to create experiences that are tailored to peoples needs.
