November 25, 20247 min de lectura

🐝From Web Design to Product Design · The Bunker #109

Hi friend 👋🏻!

A Newsletter in which we talk about UX Design and the Freelance Journey, dedicated to those who are starting out in both worlds and who feel identified.

From The Bunker, we accompany you on the way.

I think today we’ll talk about something many people will relate to.

I started in the world of web design quite a while ago, and I find myself increasingly drawn to product design.

I think this shift is tied to why I became a designer in the first place: I wanted to create tools that could significantly improve people’s lives.

And it’s clear that product design offers more opportunities to achieve this than web design does.

In my opinion, web design is more focused on marketing and sales, while product design is geared towards the consumers who use the product, it’s about improving the product experience rather than just selling it. The product is already sold.

So, why have I transitioned from web design to product design?

✒️Focus on UX and its Impact on People

Although I love everything related to UI, I enjoy being behind the scenes, focusing more on the overall strategy of a product.

When we talk about product design, functionality and user experience (UX) are everything. Any user interface (UI) can work, as long as the UX is well thought out.

That’s not to say UX isn’t present in web design, but it’s much more central to product design.

Even so, I love crafting UX that solves a real user problem and then pairing it with a clean, intuitive, and accessible UI. It’s incredibly rewarding to hear users who, until now, didn’t have the right tools express how your product opens up new possibilities for them.

I like putting myself in the user’s shoes and thinking:

The user wants to publish a document. What steps should they follow to make that happen?
Then, what happens if they want to edit or delete it?

Designing a product means giving users tools to do things they couldn’t do before, or enabling them to do them better than ever.

It helps them be efficient, quick, and better at their jobs.

For example: In my full-time job, I work on a mobile finance app. We help users save money because saving has always been a challenge for most people. We offer automated mechanisms that allow them to save for their future.

Problem → Users don’t know how to save or struggle to do so.
Solution → Provide everyday tools that solve this issue.

🗺️I Love Learning and Designing Systems

One of the reasons I’ve leaned more toward product design than web design is the learning aspect:

I always say the most challenging exercise in design is creating dashboards. Nothing is harder than solving multiple problems in such a limited space.

Mastering dashboard design means mastering UX and, by extension, UI.

Building Koala UI from scratch to where it is today has been an incredible learning experience, it’s the fastest I’ve ever learned anything.

I had to build an entire design system from the ground up, making it highly complete and consistent.

Creating a design system means making countless decisions across various areas and details. Seeing it come together in a functioning product is immensely gratifying.

Additionally, designing a system from scratch accelerates your proficiency with design software. It touches every UI aspect, from modals to breadcrumbs to tooltips in product tables. You literally work on everything.

I love working on design systems. Building my own has been the most valuable design exercise I’ve ever done.

At first, I made the mistake of adding too much and making everything too large. Over time, I’ve learned to simplify and minimize, and even then, make it smaller if possible.

Engaging in such a complex exercise forces you to grow rapidly as a designer. It’s something I highly recommend.

☝️Working in Product Makes You a Better Designer Overall

As I mentioned earlier, working in product design has improved my skills more than anything else, making me the best designer I’ve ever been. These enhanced skills are transferable to web design too.

I’ve sharpened my tools as a product designer, which I can apply to virtually any design field.

Even practicing product-focused solutions in web design helps me apply those lessons to mobile products.

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🤹Working as a True Team

Another aspect I love about product design, aside from the fact that users actively engage with it, is working as part of a team with engineers and other designers.

It’s not that web design doesn’t involve collaboration, but it’s simply different.

When you tackle a project together and sit down with engineers to think, “Okay, we need to solve this problem, and here’s the design,” then start discussing what’s feasible or needs to be adjusted, that’s a process I love. Sitting down and saying, “Alright, this is the goal, how do we make it as professional as possible?” is incredibly satisfying.

There’s a much stronger bond between engineers and designers in product design than in web design. This is where you’ll see a truly unique collaborative process. You’ll likely use tools like Linear or Jira and hold regular meetings to improve and evolve the product.

🫰Professionally Speaking

Finally, I think the prestige and reputation of a product designer are generally higher than those of a web designer.

What sounds more impressive, a Software Engineer or a Web Developer? It works the same way here: a product designer is essentially a software designer, more than just a web designer.

This isn’t to downplay web designers: web design can be incredibly complex and is an art in its own right. Some people create amazing things.

However, I’d say that as a designer, you’ll find more potential and opportunities in product design than in web design.

That said, and this might sound contradictory, there are opportunities in any field where you become highly skilled. Even if a field has limited potential, if you become an expert, you’ll still find work.

In Conclusion

I think starting with web design is excellent for learning the basics of HTML, CSS, and JS, even if you’re a designer.

However, when you want to take your skills to the next level as a designer, I’d recommend getting involved in product design. That’s where you’ll truly learn.

You’ll face highly specific challenges in tight spaces, ensuring not only that the user understands but also that they can use your design effectively.

Until next time,

Jordi Espinosa.

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