Technology is evolving fast, and so are our jobs. A few years ago, designers were in charge of UX/UI, and our role was mostly executional. Our work typically began after the product manager had completed communication with stakeholders and the discovery phase was finished. Only then would the product manager involve the designer to initiate user research and begin execution.
The designer’s role has stabilized in recent years, and this shift is reflected in our titles as well. We are no longer called UX/UI designers, interaction designers, or any of the other titles we’ve held over time. Today, we are product designers, because we are now truly part of the product-making process. While we may have contributed before, it’s now official: we don’t just design interfaces, we design the product itself. This evolution in title comes with a transformation in process. So what’s different?
First of all, product designers are now part of the product trio. We are co-leading the team and we are now responsible for the outcomes. Along with the product manager and the tech lead, the designer helps the team stay aligned with the broader business strategy. When defining business objectives, product designers should not only be aware of the company’s goals but also actively contribute to the overall strategy and help ensure that the team’s quarterly work aligns with it.
In the discovery phase, beginning with a clearly defined business goal, we shape the opportunity tree. We gather data and insights and along with the product trio, we identify the actual problems or opportunities behind the goal. The team works on those opportunities in the following sprints. The team can explore questions through surveys, user interviews, stakeholder conversations, or secondary research such as reviewing articles and reports. User interviews also took place before, but at a much later stage: we used to interview users on specific topics, after the opportunity was defined. Now, product designers are supposed to define the possible opportunities and the problems the users are facing.
As we think through opportunities, potential solutions will naturally emerge. But it’s not yet time to jump into execution. The product designer, together with the rest of the trio, helps form hypotheses that guide potential solutions. The product trio then aligns on which opportunity to prioritize and which hypothesis to validate first.
Once a specific hypothesis is in focus, the team comes together to explore possible solutions for validating it. This is a creative and collaborative phase, often involving input from different teams. The product designer is responsible for bringing the right people together to brainstorm potential solutions and help bring those ideas to life.
One might assume that this is where product design should begin shaping the solution, but jumping into design before achieving alignment isn’t the right move. Once the team is aligned, the next step is to validate the direction with stakeholders to confirm that it supports the broader business vision. As the solution becomes more defined, the work is broken into iterations, allowing the team to move forward step by step.
Our role has evolved beyond crafting interfaces. Balancing user needs with business goals has always been part of our job description, but now, we’re closer than ever to where key decisions are made. Product designers are no longer just executors. We are active participants in shaping direction. Expanding our roles and taking on more responsibility leads to greater influence on the overall success of the product and strengthens the connection between design, strategy, and user experience.