Carl Wheatley’s Post

As designers, we love reframing problems and questions. So let’s reframe the question from “Is it worth hiring a product designer in 2024?” to “Can your business afford not to hire a product designer?”. https://lnkd.in/epXTGTZA

An essential concept in Product design that helps create a seamless and satisfying user experience is consistency. Here are some important points to keep in mind: 1. Predictability Consistency in design reduces mental strain and helps the user experience throughout by allowing users to predict how elements will behave based on their previous interactions. 2. Learnability Users are able to understand the product more easily when it has a consistent user interface design. Users may apply their knowledge of design patterns to other aspects of the interface once they are comfortable with them. 3. Effectiveness Performance in user interactions is enhanced by consistency. Navigating between sections of an application or website doesn't require users to relearn how to do basic tasks. 4. Brand Identity Brand identity is bolstered by consistency. The set brand guidelines need to be followed by all elements, including colors, typography, and iconography, to create a continuous and original visual identity. 5. Reduced Errors Errors by users can be avoided with consistency. Users are less likely to make mistakes when similar actions generate consistent results, which raises the products overall reliability. 6. User Trust With users, consistency builds trust. it conveys a level of expertise and diligence, promoting trust in the product's reliability. I'm a specialist at creating slick, user-friendly interfaces that engage users' interest from the first click. I'm open to remote, hybrid and on-site jobs in entry level and mid-level roles in Product Design. Kindly repost, recruiters might be on your timeline #ProductDesign #UXDesign #DesignThinking #CreativeInnovation #designconsistency #techcareers #uiuxdesign

Why do so many companies move from having an in-house designer to hiring a team like Pixel True? It comes down to a few key benefits that make all the difference: 1. Cost Reduction: You can cut costs by up to 40% without sacrificing quality. 2. Wider Range of Skills: With Pixel True, you get access to a full team of specialists, from illustrators to UX designers, all under one roof. 3. Dedicated Project Manager: Stay on top of your projects with a dedicated manager who keeps everything running smoothly. 4. Scalable Based on Needs: Whether you need more work done during a busy season or want to scale back, we adjust to fit your needs. 5. No Locked-In Contracts: Flexibility is key. We don’t believe in locking you into long-term commitments. Making the switch to Pixel True means more creativity, more flexibility, and less hassle. Let us help you take your design game to the next level. #Design #BusinessGrowth #CreativeServices #CostEfficiency #Scalability #Teamwork #PixelTrue

Let's talk about UX Portfolios and why I think they are unfair! 😑 Since my college days, I've been thinking about portfolios, and I came across a post by Renato Paixão ✊🏽 🏳️🌈 on this topic, with which I completely agree and it inspired me to contribute my thoughts and hear the opinions of my network. If you are recruiting or being recruited for UX/Product Design roles, you will be asked for a portfolio or you'll be the one requesting it. But seriously... don't you find this bizarre? 😖 A portfolio is highly visual, yes, it tells a story, but a very vague one. The context of a Product Designer goes far beyond flows and prototyping, and in my opinion, a portfolio narrows down the scope of PD to just that. Are we being fair to candidates by reducing months of work to one or two pages of document? Anyway, when hiring or being hired, I always like to have a one-on-one moment with the candidate/company for presenting a personal case. This way, I can understand/explain the entire process, not just flows and prototypes. What's your take on portfolios for UX/Product Designers? #UXDesign #ProductDesign #Portfolios #DesignThinking #CareerInsights #HiringProcess #DesignPortfolios #OneOnOneInterviews #DesignContext #UXProcesses #CaseStudies #DesignCareer #CareerDevelopment #DesignEvaluation #VisualNarrative #CreativeExpression #DesignPortrayal #DesignContext #JobSearchInsights #ProfessionalDevelopment

Presentation is a skill among many that a designer should have :)

Product Design Skills: What Employers Are Looking For? Are you interested in becoming a product designer? If so, you'll need to develop a well-rounded skillset. This combines both technical abilities & soft skills. Here are the top skills employers look for (when hiring product designers) ✅ Soft Skills 🔸Communication: Communicate clearly with everyone involved in the project. 🔸Critical Thinking: Analyze problems and develop creative solutions. 🔸Collaboration/Teamwork: Work effectively with others to bring your ideas to life. 🔸Problem Solving: Solve problems effectively. 🔸Receptiveness to Feedback: Be open to feedback to improve your designs. ✅ Hard Skills 🔸Design Thinking: Use a human-centered approach to solve problems. 🔸UI/UX Design Skills: Design attractive and usable interfaces. 🔸UX Research: Understand your users through research. 🔸Information Architecture: Organize information within a product logically. 🔸Design Software Proficiency: Be proficient in industry-standard design tools. Remember: Don’t get discouraged if you don't meet every requirement. Many skills can be learned and honed over time.  Start building your product design portfolio today. And take the first step towards your dream career! PS: What do you think what’s the most important skill in design?

Portfolio isn't just about perfection. Hiring managers aren't just looking for flawless portfolios. They want to see your journey - the ups, the downs, and everything in between. Show them your wins, your challenges, your mistakes, your fears and how you've learned and grown from them as designer. Remembers, your portfolio is a reflection of your journey, not just your achievements. 🌱 #productdesign #design #uxdesign #uidesign #uxui #designers #productdesigners #uxdesigners #designcommunity #designjobs #beinguser #designjourney

Many companies are looking for product designers with specific domain knowledge. It definitely helps teams in building good products but that does make every product in the domain the same. It may have its own benefits like - Effective communication and collaboration within the team and with the stakeholders - Being better able to understand specific needs, pain points and certain behaviours of the users - Leveraging understanding of industry standards, competitors etc, to create feasible product solutions But also it can pose challenges because, one of the crucial aspects of a designer's work is having a fresh view of how things work. - Not having domain knowledge can drive critical thinking, innovation and ability to approach problems without any preconceived notions (which a person within a domain may have) - It can be helpful in acquiring a wider range of perspectives and create design solutions that cater to a broad set of user groups - It can help designers to become open to ideas and take inspiration from other fields leading to innovative and creative solutions I think a delicate balance between expertise and being open to new challenges not only helps designers but also the teams in building great products. #design #uxdesign #productdesign

Being an independent product designer, I mostly work with small companies and often directly with the founders. Moreso, usually I am the only designer on the team. It gives me a pretty good overview of the challenges associated with product and web design in this context. Designers make these top three mistakes: — Lose sight of technical and business requirements — Propose functionality that does not correspond to the code base — Pay excessive attention to UI and visual trends (aka over-decoration) at the expense of product design. In the context of sole designing, I see the following strengths as the key to success: (01) understanding overall business context, (02) knowing how to communicate with developers, and (03) managing the product development process from A to Z. Moreover, those are the green flags when hiring for such a role: ✅ Designer dives deep into understanding users and business problems ✅ Designer is focused on creating a user-friendly product, not just a visually appealing one ✅ Designer keeps you informed of what is happening and proactively gets in touch. ------- OMG, that is my first LinkedIn summer'24 marathon post and it's scary to press the Post button 😬 But the hypothesis won't test itself out!

Creating your portfolio? Before you get creative, make sure your design portfolio has these essential elements covered first! 👇🏻 ⚡️ Clear Design Documentation: Include research findings, user personas, user journey maps, and sketches. Clearly document your design decisions, the problems you’re solving, and how your solutions meet user and business needs. 📊 Data-Driven Design: Back your design choices with user data, analytics, and A/B testing. Show hiring managers that your designs are both beautiful and effective. 📈 Your Impact: Show the impact of your designs. Highlight any improvements, like increased onboarding completion by X%. 🤝 Teamwork and Communication: Showcase your ability to work in teams. Your portfolio should reflect how you collaborate, share ideas, and incorporate feedback. All the best! You've Got This! 💪🏻 ____________ Follow Manvi Singhwal for more! Like and comment to support. ♻️ Repost to help other designers. #uxdesign #designtips #careergrowth #teamwork #portfoliotips #userexperience #techcareers #datadrivendesign