People often assume that the three terms - Product design, UX design and UI design can be used interchangeably. But if that were the case, wouldn’t they all have the same title, right?
Design has come a long way and yet its roles and responsibilities are often misunderstood.
Although the above-mentioned terms are similar to an extent, they still differ by a great margin.
Continue reading the article to find out the similarities and distinctions between them.
PRODUCT DESIGN vs UX DESIGN vs UI DESIGN
The above displayed table will surely help you gain a better understanding of the three terms and how they are different.
As apparent, UI and UX designs are the subsets of Product design. Along with the UI and UX designs, a product design addresses the business’s unique goals of adoption, retention, conversion and growth.
UI and UX designs are subsets of product design whereas the product design is whole within itself.
Where UX and UI design falls short, it’s the product design that comes and saves the day.
What Is Product Design?
Product design is a process for designers to blend user needs with business goals and to make consistently successful products for your brand.
Product designers optimize the user experience for their users and help their organizations by making products that sustain for longer periods. The key for a successful product design is to understand the end users.
Product designers make sure to have a deep understanding of the business goals, of their users, competitive landscape and of the overall vision for the product.
In simple words, a product designer has to think about the impact that design has on marketing, development, sales and overall strategy.
PRODUCT DESIGN vs UX DESIGN
The very first clear distinction between product design and UX design is- UX designer spends his time developing products prior to the launch, whereas on the other hand, product designers spend their time in updating products that have already been launched.
A product designer focuses on the business needs whereas the UX designer is concerned with user requirements.
Here is an illustration of some other key differences between the two-
PRODUCT DESIGN vs UI DESIGN
On one hand where a UI designer focuses on the color, font, patterns or typography of the product, the product designer handles the whole process from start to finish.
A UI designer enhances the cosmetic changes and looks of the product, whereas a product designer performs the function of both UI designer and a UX designer.
UX DESIGN vs UI DESIGN
A UX design focuses on anything that can affect the user's journey to solve a problem both on screen and off. On the other hand, UI design focuses on how the product looks and appeals.
One simple example for this is, If you go to a restaurant, consider the UI as a table, chair, glass, plates and furniture. And the UX is everything right from the food to the ambience, service and parking. If you want to know more about the difference between UX and UI, click here.
