Hire a Product Designer for your Startup
What is a product designer?
A product designer's role is to create products that are both eye-catching and easy to use. To do this, you must work with developers, engineers, marketing managers and other parties involved in the project to determine the desired outcomes. You will then craft attractive user interface elements that make navigating through the app or website effortless for users. Additionally, you may take ownership of the project by deciding which features to include in future updates. Product designers play an indispensable role in guaranteeing success for a product during the entire product lifecycle, so here we'll explain how to find the best product designer for your company.
Making my product stand out
There are many benefits if you're looking to bring on board a product designer to help your project succeed. Hiring a design service provider will allow them to convert your ideas into stunning user interfaces that will make your product stand out. Furthermore, they can determine which features customers need and want in a future app or website updates, so development efforts are never wasted on unnecessary functions. Product design is a combination of UI design, UX design and graphic design that requires full-time and freelance professionals. Not only does this help reduce costs, but it ensures users have the best experience possible when using your platform.
Product designers help your customers experience your products value
What are the different types of product designers
UX/UI Product Designer
A UX/UI Product Designer is responsible for creating products that are visually stunning and easy to use. They work closely with developers, engineers, marketing managers and other stakeholders to determine the requirements of the project. UX/UI Product Designers create user interface elements that guide users through their digital experience. Designers also take ownership of the product and develop feature updates according to user feedback and business objectives.
Interaction Designers
An Interaction Designer is a professional responsible for the design of user interactions with products or systems. They create designs that enable efficient, effective and enjoyable user experiences across multiple devices. Interaction Designers focus on creating intuitive user interfaces that consider a variety of factors such as usability, accessibility, aesthetic appeal and brand identity. They also take into account how different users interact with the product or system to ensure that it is easy to use for everyone.
Industrial Designer
An industrial designer is a professional responsible for the aesthetic and functional design of manufactured products. They focus on creating products with form and function that are both visually appealing and easy to use. Industrial designers work closely with engineers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to develop designs that meet the needs of the consumer. They also take into account production costs, materials, ergonomics, safety considerations and user experience when designing products. Their goal is to create aesthetically pleasing yet highly functional products that stand out from the competition.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers are professionals who use visual elements such as typography, imagery, and colour to create visual representations of ideas and messages. They use various software and tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, to create designs for various mediums, including print, digital, and advertising. They may design various materials, such as logos, brochures, billboards, packaging, websites, and social media content. Graphic designers often work closely with clients to understand their needs and goals, and to develop designs that effectively communicate the desired message and resonate with the target audience.
Is it worth it for a startup?
Startups need to understand the importance of product design in order to succeed. With the right product designer on their team, startups can create products that are intuitive and user-friendly, as well as visually appealing and reflecting of the brand. Product designers can also provide vital insights into how users interact with their products, allowing startups to identify opportunities for improvement. Ultimately, investing in a product designer ensures that startups create a successful product that stands out against the competition in an increasingly crowded market.
Product Redesign
Mailchimp
Mailchimp Before
Mailchimp After
Hire a product designer for your next redesign
Hiring a product designer for your next redesign is a smart move for any early stage startup founder. Product designers have the skills and experience needed to help you create a product that is not only visually appealing, but also user-friendly and easy to navigate. They will work closely with you to understand your business goals, target audience, and user needs, and then use that information to create a design that will help you achieve those goals.
What do digital product designers actually do?
Wireframing
Wireframing, a key aspect of UX design, involves creating a blueprint for a user interface. It is a crucial step in the planning process as it lays out an interface's structure and functionality before it is graphically designed. Wireframing makes use of design elements such as menus, buttons, and text boxes to represent how users will interact with an app or website, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience.
Design Thinking
Design Thinking is an innovative problem-solving approach based on user empathy and prototyping. It encourages teams to think outside the box, be creative, and come up with unique solutions that meet customer needs. The process involves empathizing with customers to understand their challenges, brainstorming ideas, solving problems collaboratively, and prototyping to test possible solutions.
Using Research
User research is the process of gathering data and insights about users in order to understand better their needs, preferences, behavior, and goals. It involves various methods such as user interviews, surveys, focus groups and usability testing. User research can help identify user needs and pain points or areas for improvement in existing products and services. It can also inform the creation of designs that are more effective for users, resulting in improved experiences.
User persona
A persona is a fictional representation of a user group or customer segment. Personas provide insight into the characteristics, needs, attitudes and behaviors of customers. They are often used in UX design and research and design to create user-centered products or services that solve real problems and identify user needs for specific groups. Personas can be based on both qualitative and quantitative data gathered from market research and interviews with users.
Product Redesign
Dropbox
Dropbox Before
Dropbox After
What to look for when hiring a Product Designer
Case Studies
Case studies are different from classic portfolio pieces as they give you a deeper insight into how your prospective designer actually solves problems. Look for case studies with links to live projects, rather then concept projects.
Design Thinking
When evaluating design thinking you, you’re looking to see how the designer takes business considerations into their design decisions. Although you’re looking for a creative, you want to ensure they solve problems considering business constraints.
Personality Fit
This is one of the most important factors of choosing a designer. You want to ensure that the person gets along with your team. Having a great personality fit often shortens the onboarding time for a designer and get them producing results quickly.
Great product designers de-risk your product.
They take into consideration all business needs and constraints
What do digital product designers actually do?
The primary domain of design that deals with physical products is called either industrial design or mechanical design. Industrial design is considers the user experience which mechanical design usually focuses on the engineering. The product design process can be complex and having a talented designer with a design process can really help. Both domains of physical product design includes manufacturing and engineering.
Prototyping
Prototyping is a key part of the physical product design process. By creating mock-ups and prototypes, product designers can test out their ideas to investigate how they might perform in the real world. Prototyping also allows designers to iterate on their designs quickly while saving money. From 3D printed parts to foam mock-ups, prototyping can take many forms depending on the project's needs. Through trial and error product designers can refine their ideas until they are perfect for their intended use.
3D Modelling
3D modelling is a type of computer graphical technology used to create 3-dimensional representations of physical objects. It involves using specialized software tools to design and manipulate digital models that can be manipulated in all three dimensions (length, width and height). With 3D modelling, product designers can build a working prototype of their designs with the help of 3D printers. This allows them to explore all aspects of the design, understand how it works, and make necessary changes quickly before committing to costly production runs.
Manufacturing Aid
In product design, when making a product that requires manufacturing - engineering design skills are certainly needed. Prototyping is a skill needed for this type of design. A product designer specializing in industrial design understands the entire product development process and what goes into making a good product. When hiring an industrial designer or working on a project involving manufacturing, be sure to ensure your product designer has real-world examples in their portfolio from actual clients.
Mechanical Engineering
Product designers can assist with mechanical engineering in a variety of ways. They are integral to the design and development process, helping to refine the concept into a final product that meets the desired specifications. Product designers can also provide insight on materials selection for parts and components, aiding the engineer in achieving their desired performance goals. Additionally, product designers may be responsible for testing prototypes to ensure functionality prior to manufacturing, or help to troubleshoot any problems discovered during assembly.
Business value
of product Design
32% revenue
Reported by McKinsey in 2018. Design is about look and feel. Design is an amplifier of business growth.
200% growth
Reported by McKinsey in 2018. Design is about look and feel. Design is an amplifier of business growth.
200% growth
Reported by McKinsey in 2018. Design is about look and feel. Design is an amplifier of business growth.
Hiring a Product Designer
Hiring a freelance product designer allows your to get started quickly. Bringing in freelance product designers means focusing on product development and user experience. Hiring a product designer as a freelancer is about 30% faster than trying to find a full-time employee. Excellent product design and having a solid process are essential to any business. Bringing a freelance product designer on board allows your engineering team to work faster and ultimately speeds up development cycles. Ultimately product design services not only help your product but your business as a whole.
Should I hire a product designer if...
You’re developing a new product idea from scratch and would like to de-risk the process by working with an expert.
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You plan to raise money with your prototype of MVP but have not considered usability in your designs.
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Looking to obtain more marketshare and are planning new marketing initiatives.
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Have received feedback round usability from your current customers and want to improve your product.
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Have received feedback round usability from your current customers and want to improve your product.
Do not hire a product designer if you’re looking for your development team to make core design decisions.
Why hire your next product designer with Design Match
Risk Management
We take care of international compliance, vetting, legal and financial components of hiring a designer. We provide a foundation for sustainable growth.
Flexibility
Our weekly billing model allows your designs to work along side the growth of your startup. There are no longterm contracts at Design Match.
Support
Design Match is run by designers who not only help you find the perfect match, but can provide suggestions, tools and support along the way.
Common questions
from founder
When hiring a product designer for your startup, look for someone with a strong portfolio and relevant experience in product design. It's also important to find someone who can work well in a team, has good communication skills and is able to understand your startup's vision and goals.
The cost of hiring a product designer for your startup can vary depending on the designer's level of experience, location, and the scope of the project. A freelancer designer may charge by the hour or project, while a full-time designer may have a salary. It's important to have a clear understanding of the scope of the project and budget before hiring a designer.
A product designer can help you create a user-centered design by conducting user research to understand the needs and pain points of your target audience, creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes to visualize the product's user interface and user experience (UX), and testing them with potential users to gather feedback. It's important to have
Yes, a product designer can help you validate your product idea by conducting user research and creating wireframes, mockups and interactive prototypes to test with potential users, this can give you an idea if your product idea is solving a real problem and if it is user-friendly.