Let us begin this write-up with a small question – What do you think is product design all about? Well, contrary to what many believe, product design is not limited to the aesthetic appeal of a product, but it also has a lot to do with finding solutions to real-world troubles. It is the job of a product designer to add to the value of products via efficient design systems. At Raffles Design International, one of the best product design institutes in India, we believe that product design is basically a team effort that works towards resolving real-world problems via design thinking and a host of design disciplines.

Moreover, as a product designer, you have to overcome many hurdles when addressing the pain points of products to make them more user-friendly. However, before you start designing products, you must first conduct research on whether you have a market for your product and how cost-effective it will turn out to be. Having said that, if you are thinking that’s all, let us tell you there are more challenges on the way ahead.

Product Design: Different Challenges and Finding Solutions For Them

Here are the common problems that product design teams face to launch new products and how they can manage them.

• Getting answers to your questions

The job of a product designer is to develop products that address specific problems. But, before they get on with developing products, many questions have to be answered, such as:

• Who is your target market?
• How will you reach out to them?
• What difficulties are they facing?
• How will your product address their issues?
• What problems will your product resolve?
• How much are they willing to pay?

Solution?

By getting answers to these questions, you learn more about the end-user and become better prepared to develop products that are tailored to solve the given problems.

• Lack of communication between teams

Product design entails various stages, and you need a team of professionals at each stage of product design. In such a scenario, there is bound to be some kind of miscommunication between teams. That’s because developers and designers think differently.

Solution?

Bridging the communication gap between developers and designers includes:

• Sharing your design ideas with the developers to get them involved in the product design process. Additionally, you must seek their feedback regarding how design elements should be placed in the framework.
• Keeping the developers updated about the latest developments by engaging them in your conversations.
• Holding regular team meetings to improve communication and discuss concerns to ensure the smooth run of different processes.

• Understanding the purpose of design

Designers and developers make the common mistake of focusing more on the visual appeal of a product and less on its purpose. However, they must remember that products are meant to solve problems.

Solution?

A good product is both functional and aesthetically appealing. Thus, it is better to focus on both these aspects when designing products. A good way to gain a thorough understanding of the work is to join a professional level course where you can prepare yourself as per industry demands.

• Knowing about client expectations

When you work with many clients, you’re bound to differ with them on various issues. More so, some clients are overbearing and may interfere during the product design stages. Hence, product designers have to walk the tightrope between designing functional as well as visually-appealing products and managing clients’ apprehensions.

Solution?

By keeping the lines of communication clear and open between you and your clients, you not only get to understand their fears but also convey to them how your product will help in addressing the given problems. Even try working together with your client to prepare a schedule and set deadlines for product delivery.

• Drawbacks of Wireframing Software

Wireframes help to convey the flow, layout, idea, and concept of products via visual representation. However, product designers experience problems when they’re creating wireframes with Sketch software or other types of software. Blame it on “wireframes being static” which makes it difficult to know how products will interact with end-users.

Solution?

Instead of wireframes, try making presentations with animated prototypes. By using prototypes, your team will get a better understanding of how to go about executing your plans. Prototypes are also helpful in explaining your vision to stakeholders and users.

Some tools you can employ to create animated prototypes for productive interactions are Microsoft’s Sketch Flow, Adobe Indesign, and Adobe Flash.

WRAPPING UP

The field of product design is always evolving. Thus, you can be assured that your career scope as a product designer is quite wide and exhaustive. However, your first step in the world of product design entails starting off on the right note. And that can be done by initiating your journey by enrolling for a product design course at Raffles Design International Mumbai, one of the best product design institutes in India. Raffles is the place wherein you will be taught about the intricacies involved in the domain and how to tackle the challenges that arise during the product design process with ease and finesse.