A Product Designer in Corporate
Have you ever wondered what product designers do in big companies? They’re the ones who make new products that people love to use, but it’s not an easy job. In this article, we’ll explain what product designers do and why it’s important.
Product designers need to be creative and make sure their designs work for both the company and the customer. They also need to work with people from different teams, which can be a challenge.
But sometimes, product designers face even bigger challenges in corporate companies. We’ll talk about those challenges and give you some tips on how to overcome them.
The Role
Product designers play a crucial role in corporate companies by leading the design and development of new products, from ideation to launch. They work closely with cross-functional teams such as engineers, marketers, and project managers to ensure that the product meets the needs of the target audience and aligns with the company’s goals.
Product designers are responsible for creating the user experience and interface design of a product. They conduct user research, create wireframes, prototypes, and visual designs, and iterate on their work based on feedback from stakeholders and users.
In addition to designing products, product designers also collaborate with other teams to establish brand guidelines and design language systems, ensuring consistency across all products and platforms.
To do all this, product designers have a lot of responsibilities. Comparing the experience of my previous startup company, here are some key differences
Conceptualizing and designing products
Product designers in a startup company may have a broader role, which may involve not only conceptualizing and designing products but also coming up with new product ideas and solutions. While in corporate, ideas may come from various division, since each division also have its own product and we consume their features. Also, the direction may directly come from BOD while it's almost the same in startups that came from the CEO or Investor.
Conducting research and analysis
Startup product designers may have more autonomy and flexibility in conducting user research and analysis, as startups often have fewer bureaucratic processes and may prioritize agility. While in Corporate, everything should be regulated, and standardized, it may seem backward but actually, this approach, makes us think more structured.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams
In a startup, product designers may have to work more closely with cross-functional teams, as there may be a smaller team to work with, and the success of the product may depend on the input of every team member. As I said earlier, the team may vary, inter directorate, division, tribe, squad, and team.
Designing and prototyping
Product designers in a startup may have to create multiple designs and prototypes quickly, as the product is still in its early stages and there may be a need to iterate quickly to test the product’s market fit. Relatively, in the corporate tent to chill out a little bit, but sometimes we rely on the User schedule (my main user are wholesale/corporate users).
Testing and iterating
Testing and iterating are even more critical in a startup, as the product is still in the development phase, and startups have limited resources to allocate toward product development.
Ensuring feasibility
In a startup, product designers may have to work more closely with developers to ensure that designs are feasible, as the company may not have the resources to hire specialized developers who can work independently. While in corporate it’s segregated, specialized in a division.
Communication
Communication is also critical in a startup, as the success of the product may depend on the product designer’s ability to communicate the design decisions and rationale to the team and investors effectively. In corporate communication mostly happened synchronously, Face to face discussions, and a lot of FGD.
In summary, product designers play a crucial role in corporate companies, leading the design and development of new products from ideation to launch. They work closely with cross-functional teams and are responsible for creating the user experience and interface design of a product. However, the responsibilities and challenges for product designers can vary between a startup and a corporate environment, with differences in autonomy, bureaucracy, collaboration, prototyping, testing, feasibility, and communication. In the next article, we will talk about the expectations of a product designer in a corporate, challenges, and benefits.
