What Product Designers Actually Do — and the True Value of Design
By Space Coast Daily // June 13, 2024
Designers have a unique skill set. We create brands, design websites, and develop functional products. Our work brings a lot of value, but sometimes this value is overlooked or ignored. It’s important to recognize and appreciate the contributions that designers make.
What Do Designers Do?
Designers identify complex problems in various industries and create simple solutions. We present these solutions through visually compelling stories, using these stories to communicate the value of our ideas.
Consider this for a moment. Stories motivate people to take specific actions. For example, connecting with friends on Twitter or planning a trip through Airbnb are both actions inspired by compelling narratives. Designers play a crucial role in this process. Some designers craft these stories, while others focus on how to effectively share them with the target audience. This storytelling and communication skill is valuable to both small businesses and large corporations. Clients might sometimes underestimate these abilities, but as a designer, you should always recognize the significance of the value you provide. Your work not only drives user engagement but also helps businesses achieve their goals.
In today’s connected world, communication is mostly seamless, and new ideas are plentiful, providing more opportunities than ever to share our work with others. The internet and social media allow us to create our own opportunities and directly engage with our audiences. This direct engagement makes it possible to start a company on our own, without relying on traditional methods of business development. This blend of design and entrepreneurship offers a unique chance for designers to challenge the status quo and question long-standing norms. By doing so, you can identify problems that need innovative solutions. This environment is rich with inspiration for your next project, enabling you to use your design skills to make a significant impact.
For more insights on design systems, check out Linkup Studio and their blog post on design system.
Enter Entrepreneurial Design
When we use design principles to create new ideas, products, and services, entrepreneurial design becomes a practical approach.
Think about everything you’ve learned as a student of design, whether in class or on your own. This includes not just how to use tools like the pen tool in Photoshop or how to layout a magazine in InDesign, but also the principles, processes, and methods you’ve applied to solve everyday problems. Whether you are using an iterative process for a client branding project or A/B testing copy for a website, you can apply these methods to design your own solutions. Designing solutions for others as a designer is similar to inventing solutions as an entrepreneur. If they are doing their jobs well, both designers and entrepreneurs listen to their clients and also reach out to customers to improve their solutions.
Another advantage is that both designers and entrepreneurs use empathy effectively when working with others. It may seem odd to call empathy a “weapon,” but in creating products that people use, understanding and sharing others’ feelings can be very powerful. If you doubt your ability to forge your own path as a designer, consider this: there are more startups with design co-founders now than ever before. Look around and study the current landscape for design in entrepreneurship.
Startups like Airbnb and Nest understood from the beginning that design is an investment, not just a cost. Additionally, tech companies are now acquiring creative firms to create and control their content. I’ll admit, that entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. If you avoid risk and prefer stability, this path might not be for you. However, if you naturally find yourself identifying everyday problems and looking for solutions that can save people time, money, or energy, then you might be suited to entrepreneurship.
For more insights, check out AI development services, and watch the video on AI in product design.
The key is to understand the true value of design and recognize your worth as a designer. Once you learn these things, you can use design to create your own path.
