What do product designers do?

What do product designers do?

This episode features, Mr. Kartik Sankar, an experienced product designer, entrepreneur and founder of KICKASS Design. Follow along as we explore the roles that product designers play in problem-solving, ideation, creation, prototyping, testing and the production of physical and digital products, including apps and digital solutions.

Welcome to The Zista Podcast!

This episode focuses on the field of product design within the broader area of Art and Design. The guest on the show is Kartik Sankar, a seasoned professional with over 32 years of experience in creative marcom, branding, multimedia, and e-learning. He has been a successful entrepreneur and has founded companies such as Black Magic Design and Left Field. Kartik is currently the Founder and Director of KICKASS Design in Chennai.

Key takeaways:

• Product designers are problem solvers who identify consumer or user problems and come up with innovative solutions to address them.
• User experience (UX) design is a critical part of the product design process.
• AI has the potential to transform the way products are designed, tested, and manufactured.
• Product designers are indispensable because they contribute creative ideas and have a thorough grasp of user needs and preferences.
• The human element is central to the entire concept of product design and cannot be replaced by AI.

Q: What is the role of a product designer?

A: At its core, a product designer is a problem solver who identifies consumer or user problems and comes up with innovative solutions to address them. Product designers are involved in the entire lifecycle of a product or solution, from ideation to creation to prototyping to testing and finally production.

Q: Is product design limited to physical products?

A: No, product design can include both physical and digital products or solutions. Everything we use in our daily lives, from computers to furniture to medical devices to apps, has been created as a result of a design process.

Q: Is there a difference between a product designer and a UX designer?

A: While product design is a more comprehensive way of looking at a product or solution, user experience (UX) design is a critical part of that process. UX designers focus more on the user experience and how users interact with a product or system, in order to make the process smoother and more accessible to people of different backgrounds and experiences.

Q: How important is user experience in product design?

A: User experience is a critical element in product design, as it determines how users interact with a product and whether they will continue to use it. A good user experience can help to drive mass adoption of a product, while a poor user experience can result in low adoption rates and negative feedback.

Q: What is the potential impact of AI on product design?

A: AI has the potential to transform the way products are designed, tested, and manufactured. It can help optimize the design process, make it more efficient, and speed up the prototyping process. AI can also help in the automation sector or product testing, and make data analysis and gathering faster and more efficient. However, product designers will still play a crucial role in the design process by providing creative input, making critical decisions, and understanding the user’s needs and preferences. AI will augment the process and help generate new innovative tools to make the whole design process much more efficient.

Q: Will AI replace product designers?

A: No, AI cannot replace product designers. Product designers play a crucial role in the design process by providing creative inputs, making critical decisions, and understanding the user’s needs and preferences. While AI can help optimize the design process, make it more efficient, and speed up the prototyping process, empathy is one of the most important qualities a product designer must have to understand the users’ needs, problems, and preferences. Therefore, the human element is central to the entire concept of product design.