Product Designer Job Description
Hire a Product Designer who can take concepts from brief to prototype and deliver products that meet user needs and commercial constraints. Use this template to create a clear, role-specific advert that attracts candidates with the right mix of design craft, prototyping experience and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
What does a Product Designer professional do?
Product Designers lead product discovery, design user-centred solutions and work with engineering and manufacturing/engineering teams to deliver usable, feasible products.
Product Designer job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Product Designer
About the role
[Company name] is recruiting a Product Designer to join the product team in [Location]. You will lead user research, concepting and hands‑on prototyping to develop [physical products / digital features / hybrid products—select appropriate focus]. The role involves close work with engineering, manufacturing or development teams to ensure designs are feasible, meet user needs and align with business goals. Please include a portfolio of product work with your application.
Key responsibilities
- Plan and run user research and usability testing to validate problem statements and concepts.
- Generate concepts, sketches and detailed CAD or high‑fidelity mockups to communicate design intent.
- Build and iterate physical prototypes or interactive digital prototypes to prove functionality and ergonomics.
- Work with engineers, suppliers or developers to ensure designs are manufacturable and meet technical constraints.
- Translate user insights into product requirements, specifications and acceptance criteria.
- Maintain documentation and handovers for manufacturing, development or QA.
- Present design decisions and trade‑offs to stakeholders and incorporate feedback.
- Track design quality across development and support continuous improvement after launch.
Essential skills and experience
- Professional portfolio showing end‑to‑end product work and examples of prototypes or deliverables.
- Practical experience in product design or closely related role (typically 2+ years depending on level).
- Strong visual communication skills: sketching, presentation and the ability to produce clear design documentation.
- Experience running or contributing to user research and usability testing.
- Able to collaborate effectively with engineers, suppliers or developers and translate technical constraints into design decisions.
- Good project‑management habits: version control of files, maintaining design records and meeting delivery milestones.
Desirable
- Experience with CAD (e.g. SolidWorks, Fusion 360) for physical product design or Figma/Sketch for digital product work.
- Knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials selection and tolerance considerations.
- Experience working with external suppliers and managing prototyping contracts.
- Familiarity with service design, interaction design or UX research methods.
- Educated in Product/Industrial Design, Human‑Centred Design or a related discipline (useful but not mandatory).
- Experience with rapid prototyping tools (3D printing, laser cutting, electronics prototyping).
What we offer
- [Pension scheme details]
- [Holiday allowance (e.g. X days + bank holidays)]
- [Flexible / hybrid working arrangements]
- [Professional development budget or training allowance]
- [Private medical insurance or health cash plan]
- [Cycle to Work scheme or travel allowance]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Product Designer role?
A Product Designer creates and refines products by combining user research, design craft and technical constraints. They translate user needs into concepts and prototypes, then work with engineering or manufacturing teams to take designs through validation and production. The role bridges research, design and delivery to ensure products are useful, usable and viable.
Focus
User‑centred design that balances desirability, feasibility and business viability.
Output
Concept sketches, prototypes (physical or digital), specifications and handover documents.
Team
Works closely with product managers, engineers/developers, makers and suppliers.
Tools
Sketching, prototyping tools and either CAD for hardware or UI tools for digital products.
Typical Product Designer responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Plan and run user research
Plan and run user research and usability testing to validate problem statements and concepts.
Generate concepts
Generate concepts, sketches and detailed CAD or high‑fidelity mockups to communicate design intent.
Build
Build and iterate physical prototypes or interactive digital prototypes to prove functionality and ergonomics.
Work with engineers
Work with engineers, suppliers or developers to ensure designs are manufacturable and meet technical constraints.
Translate user insights into product
Translate user insights into product requirements, specifications and acceptance criteria.
Maintain documentation
Maintain documentation and handovers for manufacturing, development or QA.
Present design decisions
Present design decisions and trade‑offs to stakeholders and incorporate feedback.
Track design quality across development
Track design quality across development and support continuous improvement after launch.
Product Designer skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Professional portfolio showing end‑to‑end product work and examples of prototypes or deliverables.
- Practical experience in product design or closely related role (typically 2+ years depending on level).
- Strong visual communication skills: sketching, presentation and the ability to produce clear design documentation.
- Experience running or contributing to user research and usability testing.
- Able to collaborate effectively with engineers, suppliers or developers and translate technical constraints into design decisions.
- Good project‑management habits: version control of files, maintaining design records and meeting delivery milestones.
Useful where relevant
- Experience with CAD (e.g. SolidWorks, Fusion 360) for physical product design or Figma/Sketch for digital product work.
- Knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials selection and tolerance considerations.
- Experience working with external suppliers and managing prototyping contracts.
- Familiarity with service design, interaction design or UX research methods.
- Educated in Product/Industrial Design, Human‑Centred Design or a related discipline (useful but not mandatory).
- Experience with rapid prototyping tools (3D printing, laser cutting, electronics prototyping).
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Product Designer job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about product focus
State whether the role focuses on physical, digital or hybrid products so applicants can self‑select.
Ask for portfolio outcomes
Request examples that demonstrate the candidate's role and impact (not just visuals), including prototypes and a brief on constraints and results.
Describe the design process
Explain the stages the designer will work on (research, concepting, prototyping, handover) and the typical team they’ll engage with.
Clarify seniority and autonomy
Indicate whether the role is hands‑on, leads projects or manages junior designers so candidates understand the expected level.
Mention practical tests
If you plan to include a design task or take‑home prototype exercise, say so to set candidate expectations.
Product Designer salary considerations
Salary for Product Designers varies widely depending on product type, experience, sector and location. Rather than a single market figure, consider these factors when setting or advertising pay.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Product Designer candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
Will this role focus on physical products, digital products, or both?
Candidates need to know the product domain to assess fit and prepare relevant portfolio examples.
What level of prototyping is expected and what workshop resources are available?
Applicants want to understand whether they will build low/high‑fidelity prototypes in‑house or coordinate external prototyping.
Who will the Product Designer report to and who are the core collaborators?
Knowing the team structure (product, engineering, manufacturing, research) helps candidates assess seniority and stakeholder exposure.
What are the working arrangements and on‑site expectations?
Candidates often ask about hybrid/remote policy, lab access and travel to suppliers or testing sites.
What does the interview process involve and will there be a design task?
Clarifying stages, timings and any practical assessments allows applicants to prepare adequately and decide whether to apply.
Where to post a Product Designer job
Product Designer vacancies perform well on a mix of general UK job boards and specialist design channels. Use professional networks such as LinkedIn and portfolio platforms (Behance, Dribbble) to attract designers, and consider sector‑specific boards or local university career services if you seek early‑career hires. For technical physical product roles, share the vacancy in engineering and manufacturing communities as well as design forums to reach candidates with prototyping and tooling experience.
Related design & product job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Product Designer job description FAQs
Do I need to require a degree for Product Designer roles?
A degree can be helpful but is not essential. Many strong candidates demonstrate competency through a portfolio of relevant work, practical prototyping experience and clear problem‑solving examples. Use the portfolio and outcomes as primary screening criteria.
How should I assess a candidate's portfolio?
Look for end‑to‑end examples that show the candidate's role, the user research conducted, constraints, iterations and the impact of the final design. Prefer portfolios that include prototypes and explain technical or commercial trade‑offs.
Is it appropriate to set a design task during recruitment?
Yes — a short, realistic task or prototype exercise can reveal process and thinking. Keep tasks time‑limited, focused on relevant problems, and compensate or provide clear feedback where possible.
When should I advertise as ‘Product Designer’ versus a more specific title?
Use ‘Product Designer’ for broad roles covering discovery and delivery. Use more specific titles (e.g. Industrial Designer, UX Designer, Design Engineer) when the role requires narrow technical specialism.
What should be included in the job advert to reduce unsuitable applications?
State the product domain, expected seniority, key responsibilities, core tools or prototyping methods and whether the role is hands‑on or managerial. Request a portfolio with practical examples.
Ready to publish this Product Designer vacancy?
Customise the template to match your product focus and team structure, attach portfolio submission instructions and choose targeted channels listed above to reach qualified candidates.
