7 Jobs You Could Land After Thinkful's Product Design Flex Course

In our everyday lives, we use a myriad of products to make life go more smoothly. The websites we read, the phones we use, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, and the millions of apps we download — these are all products, and most were created by a product designer.

A product designer's role is to create products that we can't get enough of and to keep users coming back for more. To achieve that objective, the product design industry harnesses a variety of skills like user research, business strategy, and design. With such expansive toolkits, product designers have vast career opportunities.

As the tech industry continues to evolve quickly, the field of product design is constantly incorporating new skills. Rest assured, Thinkful keeps up with changes in industry standards to ensure that students learn what's most important for getting a job. Thinkful's Product Design Flex course covers qualitative and quantitative research, core visual and user-centered design principles, HTML, CSS & JavaScript, prototype creation and mockups, and how to communicate your research and design to stakeholders. Below are 7 jobs you could land after Thinkful's Product Design Flex course:

• Product Designer: (Surprise!) Product Designers utilize various skills to solve user-centered problems. They identify issues in the user journey, conduct research to test potential fixes, and then work with design and engineering teams to create tangible product solutions. For example, a Product Designer at Thinkful designed the online user experience for all Thinkful students, from the first step of enrolling in the course all the way until students notify us about landing a job.
• UX/UI Designer: A UX (User Experience) Designer is focused on usability and how the product functions for the user. Improving the user experience and user workflow are key goals of this role. A UI (User Interface) Designer works on how a product looks and feels to the user. UI Designers are more concerned with effective and enjoyable presentation. A UX Designer at Apple would make sure that apps are easy to find in the app store. A UI Designer at Apple would make sure all the Apple apps have that sleek look and feel of the Apple brand.
• UX Researcher: UX Researchers have a goal to understand what the user really wants and needs by conducting extensive research through surveys, focus groups, interviews, A/B tests, and more. A UX Researcher for the NBA might conduct tests to identify different types of fan groups and whether those fan groups prefer watching games on mobile devices versus desktop computers.
• UX Strategist: UX Strategists lead the UX/UI design process by setting the guidelines and vision for product researchers and designers. Ultimately, strategists help teams stay user-focused and create the best product market fit. A UX Strategist at the NFL might create the strategic plan for launching a new digital NFL app that pairs fans with their favorite player's meal prep routines and fitness tips.
• Interaction Designer: Interaction Designers create the experience users have when they interact with digital products. Interaction Designers ensure that every interaction with the product helps users reach their intended goal. An Interaction Designer at Airbnb probably created the new Airbnb Experiences platform.
• Information Architect: Information Architects decide what digital information should be displayed for knowledge retention and understanding, and the best way possible to display it. These professionals are all about helping users find the best answers and information. An Information Architect at Netflix might help create the guidelines for content data classifications for the various genres of TV and film.
• Front End Designer: Front End Designers use languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to code user interfaces and web pages. They take all the knowledge gleaned by researchers, strategists, and other designers to make beautiful products. A Front End Designer at Etsy created Etsy.com. (Hint: There's a lot of overlap for product design roles. Many have interchanging responsibilities.)

Are you ready for a career in product design? Check out Thinkful's Product Design Flex course – designed around your schedule, with 1-on-1 mentorship, built to get you a job as a product designer.

This post was sponsored by Thinkful. To learn more about Thinkful, visit www.Thinkful.com or check out their reviews on SwitchUp.