The end product is a result of multiple solutions. It taps into top-notch functionality and a user-friendly interface. But what comes before a successful product? It’s an in-depth and well-thought-out digital product design process.
This number is not only about the beauty of the website or an app but a decrease in business growth. In the digital world, you communicate via technology, so this language should be simple and fast and lead to conversions.
In this article, we’ll look at the importance of the product designing process, its difference and similarities from UX design, and learn more about the product design process steps. You’ll also find a successful case and a good deal of other nitty-gritty that will help you master the stages of your product design and development process.
What is the Product Design Process?
The product design process is often confused with industrial product design, which refers to the mass production of devices. The product design, on its part, implies a set number of steps required for the creation of the digital product, like an app or a website. The process itself goes far beyond concept creation or MVP development. It seeks to find solutions for effective business growth after scrutinizing the target audience’s needs and offering the relevant product.
The product designing process serves to either confirm or refute the importance of the project development. It encompasses a vast array of prudent and objective decisions based on research, data analysis, and hypothesis.
Why Product Design Matters
Come to think of what is the mission of the digital product design process. The answer is simple — to satisfy. That means designing a product complies with every stakeholder’s expectations, get the best results from these professional design consulting firms.
The product development team creates a plan and marks out product design and development stages to make the process quality, fast, and cost-effective. So they can enter or succeed in the industry and stand out from the competition with minimal or no loss.
As a former Chief Design Officer of Apple Inc. Jonathan Ive said: «You have to deeply understand the essence of a product in order to be able to get rid of the parts that are not essential.” This is also true for digital products. The better you understand the purpose of your product and its customers, the more functional design you can develop.
The product design should make your users feel that you care
It has to solve particular problems or meet some needs. For instance, you’re developing a food delivery app. It should use well-recognized icons and pleasant graphics so that customers could find the food description and make an order on the go or even in a rush.
Like in the case of Payoneer, an American financial services company, users can easily navigate within their accounts and carry out transactions. All information in the app is divided into different sections. Users can find the right card and see the history of transactions with a few taps of the mobile screen.
That’s why, before kicking off your product design development process, you have to get to know the users better. Also, it’s important to examine all segments of your potential audience and customize the product to its needs. So, when users open your app or website, design helps them navigate and find everything they need within the shortest time.
Quite often, people might confuse the aesthetics, usability, and functionality of the digital product. To avoid this stumbling block, let’s dig deeper and find out how UX/UI design and product design differ.
Product Design vs UX/UI Design: Common Ground and Differences
The truth is, there’s a fine line between both processes. When designing a product, the main focus is turned to business needs and product usability. So, product design and UX design are responsible for these tasks respectively.
To put it simply, UX design is a part of product design, including coding, UI design, and project management. Let’s look at the table to check out what principles underpin product design and UX design.
Product designers have to take a look from various perspectives:
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Test multiple hypotheses
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Try to find arguments that prove their product fits the industry and is profitable.
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Search for solutions on how to make design cost-efficient.
This comprehensive picture allows them to gauge all feasible approaches and facts.
Thus, product design fosters marketing criteria, like brand awareness and sales, improves and optimizes business processes. Product designers mainly work in Figma, Sketch, Adobe Illustrator.
As for UX design, its main priority is usability:
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UX designers strive to make the interface user-friendly and simple to navigate.
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They focus less on the internal business growth phases but on the user interaction.
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UX designers have to conduct research and study their audience to understand its behavior and demands better.