INSPIRED, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 11The Product Designer

In this chapter, I describe the product designer role. But I'm not trying to speak here to designers—I'm aiming this at product managers who need to learn how to work effectively with designers.

It's amazing to me how many companies I encounter that just don't understand why having strong and talented designers is so important. They understand the need for engineers, but often will waste significant time and money because they do not understand the need for design.

Modern product designers are responsible for the following:

Product Discovery

In the old model, designers took requirements or specifications from product managers and used that to create their designs. In contrast, modern product designers continuously collaborate with product managers and engineers—from discovery to delivery. Similarly, rather than sitting with fellow designers, the modern product designer sits side by side with his or her product manager, a full partner with the product manager on product discovery.

Rather than being measured on the output of their design work, the product designer is measured on the success of the product.

Rather than being measured on the output of their design work, the product designer is measured on the success of the product. Given this, product designers have many of the same concerns as product managers. They are deeply oriented around actual customers and the value their product brings to those customers. They also understand that the ...