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Looking to make a side step as a Product Manager to Product Designer - wondering if what skills I need to demonstrate to land a job role?

Alice Lee
Alice Lee
Product Owner

Replies2

  • Jade Gilmour
    Jade Gilmour
    Product Marketing Manager
    I’m sure you’ve already seen this on your search but the Google accredited course is really good at guiding you to set up a folio!

    Also if you work with UX/product designers in your every day job you can ask to shadow them & then slowly work your way into contributing & then designing on projects. You’ll already have a good basis of user behaviour and research etc from being a PM.

    There’s are also regular meet ups in London (and likely whichever your closest city it if it isn’t London) for product professionals and designers that might be helpful for you to go to & chat to people!
  • Tanel S
    Tanel S
    Visual designer
    Have you hired or worked with product designers? :)

    I partially feel that PD is pretty complex topic. And it reality it ranges from someone doing basic UI/UX to someone who has really impact on transforming the business focus.

    Also PD-s work with various mediums and teams. You could be a solo PD covering iOS, Android, mobile web, multiple dashboard like customer etc or work in a large team covering just 1 part or evene a component of the project.

    To land a job probably portfolio is the main thing.

    There are hard skills probably
    - Understanding of user experience, UX patterns, usability, accessibility etc etc
    - Design taste and knowledge. Typography, Layout, Colors
    - Figma/Sketch or any design software being used by the company hiring you. For PD also maybe more extreme knowledge about design systems, components, variants etc
    - Research
    - Business and data analysis. Good product designers make calculated decisions.
    - Prototyping

    Good if you have at least basic skills in
    - Writing
    - Coding (html/css/js) if you work with web products
    - Animations and interactions design.

    Soft skills
    - Communication
    - Presenting your ideas
    - Ability to take decisions and prioritization
    - Time management
    - Creativity. So and so. Many successful PD-s are bit try and perhaps more business minded then creative. But coming up with solutions or finding new angles how to do something is expected.
    - Willingness to learn. PD changes so fast. We don´t know what AI does in december 24. You need to adapt fast and keep your hand on the pulse.

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