The business of creating new, innovative, and reliable products has always been around. Product creation has only become more expansive and technical over the years, and as a result, the demand for capable product designers has increased.
Anyone interested in starting a career in technology and design should first learn about product design. We have created this complete guide on all of the product design courses, training, books, and other resources you will need to master product design.
What Is Product Design?
At its core, the term product design might simply refer to the design process of a product. But in reality, the product design process includes designing, managing, and marketing new products.
In simple terms, product designers create new products backed by marketing intended to meet users’ expectations and a company’s goals. The process of product design encompasses the ideation, development, testing, and marketing of new items for mass production.
The discipline has evolved out of the field of industrial design, and in the past primarily referred to the design of physical products. Today, product design includes the design of both physical and digital products, such as phone and computer applications.
Some duties of product designers include market research, design, and evaluating a product and its success. Responsibilities also include improving and redesigning already-launched products based on user experience reviews.
What Is the Product Design Process?
The product designing process is a series of steps in design thinking. The emphasis placed on each step varies by product based on the item, the company’s goals, and the potential market size. Below are the main steps in the design process.
- Ideation. The first step in product design is brainstorming and product discovery. This phase involves identifying a problem that can be solved with a product. Then, product designers try to find design solutions and propose concepts and ideas to solve the problem.
- Establish the product. The second step in the design process is to narrow ideas down to a single product. In this process, you will define a future product and create guidelines based on the company’s values and goals.
- Research and understand the market. This step involves empathizing with the market and understanding the demand for the product. It involves market research techniques such as online surveys, user interviews, and user research. It also includes identifying competitors, trends, and product sustainability.
- Design and prototype. Design the product and develop a prototype. This involves sketching, interactive design, modeling, and software development. The goal is to develop a version of the product that can be tested and improved upon.
- Test and Improve. At this stage, the prototype undergoes tests by users from the target market. The feedback from these tests is then used to initiate improvements and new iterations for testing until the product reaches its final version and is ready to be released.
Types of Product Design Jobs
There are some aspects of the product design discipline you will need to learn to enter the field. However, depending on the type of product you want to design, there are several areas you can pursue.
UX Designer
User experience (UX) design focuses on usability and information architecture. In this area, you will be trying to answer questions like, “Is this product easy to use?” You will work with market research, user tests, and user behavior to design a product aimed at increasing user satisfaction. You can learn how to become a UX designer through self-study or attending college.
UI Designer
User Interface (UI) designers focus on the visual design of a product. You will be responsible for the overall presentation of a website or application. This includes creating a design that will attract customers while also focusing on accessibility and usability.
As a UI designer, you will choose things like the color of the website, fonts, style, and graphics. UI designers usually have a bachelor’s in graphic designing or industrial designing. However, you can also choose to learn UI design through courses and bootcamps.
Prototyper
These product designers transform ideas into concrete products ready for testing. As a prototyper, you will work to manifest a product in either a physical or virtual state.
By creating a draft model of a product, you can analyze challenges, see where improvements can be made, and address functionality to improve the product and optimize it for use. Prototype designers usually have a background related to the industry in which the product is based.
Data Analyst
As a data analyst in product design, you will primarily analyze user data and research ways to identify and improve the product’s design. To become an expert in this area, you must understand data analysis and how to find solutions that will help to optimize the product’s design.
Data analytics are used to scope the pain points and note any UI/UX challenges the products faced before launching the product. You will need to take data analytics courses along with product design courses to pursue a career in this area.
Although you can specialize in one area of product design, it is not uncommon for a company to hire one person to perform some combination of the roles mentioned above. You may choose to take a course on web design, industrial design, or engineering on your path to become a design expert.
Learning Product Design
Product design is a diverse field, so learning it often requires that you develop various skill sets. Some of these include understanding customers’ needs, web design, industrial design, and data analysis. Learning how to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of a product is crucial to designing a product that will meet users’ needs.
You can choose to learn about product design by reading books, taking in-person or online courses, enrolling in independent classes, or watching video tutorials. You should choose to learn using the resources that work the best for you.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Product Design?
Learning product design differs from person to person because of the learning techniques and resources available. If you opt to earn a bachelor’s degree in product design, it will take you three to four years to learn.
Remember that if you choose to learn via online courses and other resources, the duration will depend on your previous experience and the time you are willing to put into learning the subject.
For example, if you have some knowledge and experience on topics related to product design, then you will be able to master the subject in just a couple of months or a year. However, if you start from zero, it could take you up to two years to become an expert.
How to Learn Product Design: Step-by-Step
There are several key parts of the product design process. Human-centered design is an important part of working as a designer. You can start your journey to mastering product designing by following these steps.
- Identify the area of product design that interests you. The first step to learning product design is to research the area of the subject that you like. As mentioned above, there are several possible roles for designing virtual products, such as a UI designer, UX designer, and test engineer.
- Sign up for courses. Enroll in courses and training programs to learn product design. There are many free online resources you can use to get started, including courses that offer certifications.
- Practice. Put in as much effort as you can to practice so that you can gain hands-on knowledge of product design. Practice creating prototypes using free resources. Read and do exercises that help you analyze user experience, feedback, and qualitative data.
- Build your portfolio. Through certifications and courses, you can start building your portfolio. Using templates online as your guide is a crucial part of building an attractive and informative portfolio.
- Start applying for jobs. Use your knowledge and certifications to get hired by a design team. This process might not be fruitful right away but just keep at it. In this field, gaining experience is key, so the more you have, the more hireable you will be.
The Best Product Design Courses and Training
Product design is a field that you can be successful in while being self-taught, as there are many ways to learn about it. Below, we have included some of the best choices for online courses and resources.
Best Online Product Design Classes
If you are looking to take a course at your own pace, you should find one online that caters to your convenience and learning environment. Proper time management is essential to succeeding in an online class.
Master Digital Product Design: UX Research & UI Design
- Provider: Udemy
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: $129.99
Udemy is a massive open online course platform that has a wide range of product design courses. This particular course is for anyone interested in learning about UX and UI design. It is also a good choice if you are interested in project management and how to develop digital products. You will earn a certification at the end of this 15.5-hour video course.
Data Analytics Online Course
- Provider: Academy Xi
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: $4,000
This course is a great way to gain expertise and boost your portfolio in the field of data analytics for business. The course covers industry-relevant content and equips you with knowledge about real-world data communication techniques.
This 10-week class will also help you gain hands-on experience in programming languages including Python and Tableau. You will earn a recognized certification and digital credentials at the end of the course.
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Professional Program Certificate in Product Design & Health
- Provider: edX
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: $187.20
This course is ideal for those who are interested in product design in the health sector. In it, you will learn how to design products for patients to use. You will learn key design methods, and how to understand patient needs.
This is a four-month course that requires a time commitment of around four to six hours per week. By the end, you will earn a professional certificate in product design and health, and will be ready to take on a job in health care, innovation management, product design, or health care product consultancy.
Best Free Product Design Courses
If you are looking to learn about product design but don’t want to spend any money, there are a plethora of free courses available to you. Below, we have compiled a list of some free courses you may want to take to enhance your portfolio.
Product Design
- Provider: Class Central
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: Free
This free course is meant for beginners and is designed to help you gain introductory knowledge on product design. It covers topics on ideas and product validation, UX/UI, and design sprint. It is a great starting point as you learn product design.
Digital Design: Creating Design Systems for Easier, Better & Faster Design
- Provider: SkillShare
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: Free
SkillShare offers many learning modules on product design. In this course, you will learn a step-by-step process on how to make a design system more effective.
It is a good choice for anyone interested in learning design skills, UX/UI design, or web design. It is especially helpful if you are looking to strengthen your abilities in the creative aspects of the design process.
Introduction to User Experience Design
- Provider: Coursera
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: Free
You can choose to enroll in this course for free, or can pay a fee to receive a certificate at the end. This is an introductory course on UX design in which you will learn techniques and skills for creating usable designs. In the free version, you will have access to reading materials, quizzes, discussions, and assignments.
Digital Product Design: Create a Compelling UX Portfolio
- Provider: SkillShare
- Prerequisites: None
- Cost: Free
Another SkillShare offer, this 30-minute class is an excellent guide for building your UX portfolio. This course covers the basic steps you should take to build your online presence and meet certain UX portfolio requirements.
Best Product Design Books
If you prefer self-paced learning, books are a fantastic resource. Below are our favorite books for product design.
The Design of Everyday Things. Don Norman
Norman’s, The Design of Everyday Things is a great book for learning the fundamentals of user experience, the psychology behind user interaction, and what constitutes a good or a bad product. This book is an awesome way to gain introductory knowledge on UX/UI design.
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days. Jake Knapp
This book will detail the essential skill set required of all product designers. Designers are expected to work efficiently to conduct tests and provide solutions. This book is a great way to learn how you can implement the design evaluation process.
The Art of Innovation. Tom Kelley
Product design is heavily reliant on creativity, and this book is a great way to learn about creative ideation techniques. This must-read book is a great way to learn techniques and problem-solving methods.
Best Online Product Design Resources
If you are looking for more ways to learn about product design, there are plenty of online resources to help. Below are two of our favorites.
Product Design Resources
Product Design Resources is an awesome website full of free tools for learning and practicing product design. It offers design tools, podcasts, and mockups.
Design Notes
Design Notes is a free resource library for product designers. This website has plenty of resources in all areas of product design. It also features some of the best apps and websites about the subject.
Should You Study Product Design?
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of whether product design is something you might want to pursue. You can start a promising career in this unique and exciting field by getting started with some of these non-traditional educational options above.
If you want to be part of a creative, customer-focused field, then this may be your calling. If you take these steps toward learning product design, you will be all set for a successful career.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
