3 Traits Of Every Successful Product Designer

I have had the privilege of working with some amazing Product Designers. As I have worked with these amazing men and women through the years, I have found that all these great designers I have worked with have had some similar traits.

The three main traits of a successful Product Designer are that 1) they understand who they are designing for and why 2) they are humble and gracious to listen to another person’s ideas while at the same time understanding clearly what they want and why and 3) they can visualize the design.

Unveiling the 3 Traits of Successful Product Designers
Frequently Asked Questions
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Unveiling the 3 Traits of Successful Product Designers

Having had the privilege of collaborating with remarkable Product Designers over the years, I’ve noticed commonalities among these individuals. Three key traits define their success: understanding their audience and purpose, maintaining humility and openness to ideas, and possessing a strong ability to visualize designs.

There are many reasons we see these traits as so important to be a good product designer. Here are the reasons why we feel this way:

A Successful Product Designer Understands Who They Are Designing For And Why

Knowing and understanding your customer base is about 60% of an excellent product designer’s traits. The very best product designers I have worked with all understand who they are designing and why this product is for that particular customer base.

This is an essential trait of what makes someone a great designer. They understand that their customers, to some degree, dictate their designs. They can put aside any of their wants, likes, or dislikes and design for the customer, who will ultimately be the persons who will purchase the products.

Many may say, “Hey, of course,” a great Product Designer needs to design products that sell; after all, that is their job. But the truth is that many designers have a tough time putting aside their wants and desires and designing for their customers. Some designers always think they are “right” or fully understand the trends when they may not have an excellent grasp of their customers’ wants or acceptance.

Great design is like great art. What is great can be personal; what sells and why is it personal to the consumer. Some companies can sell one kind of look or trend, their customers will accept this look.

Another company could have a completely different look and trend, but that look and trend will also sell to their customer base. Is one company designing the right product and another designing the wrong one?

The truth is that both companies are correct as they have products that sell. They both have Product Designers who understand their client base and what will sell.

So if you want to become a great product designer, the first thing you should look to understand is the audience you are designing for and why. The good news is that this can be learned with experience and time.

If you are a new designer just out of school, try to find a job where you can be mentored and work under one of these great designers. Work hard, learn, and listen to them. Be willing to start at the bottom to work your way up.

Watch a great product designer you know and see how they fully understand their customer base. Learn from them. Be like a sponge and try to soak up everything you can from them. If you do this, you are also on the road to becoming a great designer.

A Successful Product Designer Has Humility And Will Hear Ideas

Being teachable and listening to others is about 30% of an excellent product designer’s traits. This is a trait of many great designers I have worked with; they are always willing to listen to others’ ideas.

One of the primary reasons for this is the Product Designer’s ultimate goal is to produce and design the best product they can. They fully understand that making a great product requires a lot of team effort.

Everything from the manufacturing team to those developing the product to everyone working to help make this product viable – are all important members of this product development team. The great Product Designers will see them all, especially those who are experts in their fields, as a viable part of this product development team.

I have noticed that novice designers may try to push what they want. They will discount the other team members. They may discount what others tell them, say, “Look, I am right, so do what I tell you to do.”

This kind of attitude never helps to lead to the very best product design possible. Those on that design team will usually keep quiet and do what they are told to do and then wait for the product to fail somehow.

Able to Visualize And Put Down On Paper Their Product Designs And Ideas

‘I believe that being able to visualize and put down on paper the product design is the final 10% trait of an excellent Product Designer. You will notice that I did not put down about using this or that program on the computer.

Many great product designers I have worked with have no idea how to use a computer. Many of them still draw the products by drawing using a pen and paper. Others may give us papers that can look quite messy but indicate what they are looking for.

Some new product designers who have just come out of school may not understand how a person can even be a viable designer unless they know all the latest computer programs. But the truth is that many great designers have limited computer skills.

Having great computer skills and designing great products are not the same thing. A person can have great computer skills but have no idea what constitutes a great design. And a great designer can have zero computer skills but have a great eye for design.

Having great computer skills and knowing the latest technology can only help a great designer be even better than what they are today. However, if a designer can visualize the product somehow and then put it on paper, they can still develop amazing products.

Being a great product designer has a lot to do with a few basic traits that every product designer should look to develop.

The first and most important is understanding who they are designing for and why they are designed for those customers. The second trait is to be humble, and humility comes with being a team player. And finally, great product designers can put their ideas down on some form of paper.

Listen To Our Podcast About Design Dynamics: Exploring the 3 Traits of Top Product Designers
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is becoming a Product Designer a good career choice?

Becoming a product designer is an excellent career choice. Those Product Designers that are very good at designing products do very well. Those product designers are also in great demand. But being good at Product Design takes many years of getting viable experience and technical knowledge about the product you are designing. So anyone who wants to enter this career path needs to understand that becoming great in product design can take many years.

Is it challenging to find a job as a Product Designer?

To become a product designer, you must have the proper relevant background and experience.

What Is a Product Designer Vs a Industrail Designer?

A product designer is not the same as an industrial designer. An industrial designer may take a product designer’s designs and put them on CAD or another computer program. That is not designing a product, as they do not specify the product’s shape, look, or colors.

What Do Product Designers Do?

A product designer will be the person who will direct the design, color, and look of the product. And to do an excellent job in product design, a person needs to have the relevant background and experience to make these design and product development choices accurately.

Are Product Designers In Demand?

Yes, there is a significant demand for product designers in the job market. As companies increasingly prioritize user-centered design and innovation, the need for skilled product designers has grown considerably

What industries are looking for product designers?

Product designers are in demand across various industries. They are sought after in technology, consumer electronics, automotive, fashion, healthcare, and more. Virtually any sector that creates physical or digital products values the contributions of product designers.

What skills are employers looking for in product designers?

Employers typically seek product designers with a combination of skills including user research, prototyping, UI/UX design, 3D modeling, and CAD proficiency. Additionally, soft skills like creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork are highly valued.

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