You’re a product designer who wants to stay competitive. What are the top tools you need to know?

FIGMA: For UI/UX design, especially for creating digital interfaces and interactive prototypes. A cloud-based design tool that facilitates collaboration among team members in real-time. ZEPLIN: Streamlines the handoff process between designers and developers by providing a platform for designers to share design specs, assets, and style guides. MIRO/FIGJAM: A collaborative online whiteboard platform that facilitates brainstorming, wireframing, and collaboration among team members. TRELLO/ASANA: Project management tools that help designers stay organized, track tasks, and collaborate with team members efficiently. USERTESTING: Enables designers to get direct user feedback on their prototypes, helping to refine and improve the user experience.

Carl Bass, head of Autodesk back in the early 2000's said during his introductory speech at Autodesk University: Technology evolves in 5 steps. 1. Impossible 2. Impractical 3. Possible 4. Expected 5. Required And I will add number 6, Outdated He went on to say that one should live in the world of the "possible"; however, always be looking over your shoulder to see what's coming in order to stay on the forefront or cutting edge.

When it comes to interactive Prototyping, Protopie comes in place. As we all know Figma is the general design tool. Then lastly, to spice things up, Adobe effects for motion and animations

1. Prototyping skills - It is critical to get an idea out in the world to assess the quality of the concept, bring opportunity to identify areas that need attention, and pull the users into the design journey. 2. Communication - You must be able to understand your audience. For example, if you are in front of executive, it is important to get to the point quickly with "back pocket" information ready if asked about specific areas of the subject of the discussion. 3. AI tools - This is one of the fastest developing areas in product design. It is time to be at the front of the wave. Learn about what is out there. Things like Vizcom and Midjourney offer additional tools that are valuable to have in my quiver.

1) The ability to create a napkin sketch (conventional or digital) that effectively communicates the basic idea is invaluable. Obviously, CAD skills are a must in order to flesh out the concept and further communicate it. 2) Maintaining familiarity with the fundamentals of common manufacturing processes will enable you create manufacturable designs. 3) Having broad exposure to products from a variety of industries will help with keeping your design solutions as simple as possible. Minimizing unnecessary complexity is key!

I currently use Figma as the prototyping tool. In my opinion this is the best tool in the industry currently, but don't get too attached to it. Tools change every now and then so keep in mind that learning the process and the "whys" is much more important than a simple tool.

I'll +1 to all the other experts here. Figma is the #1 tool, but Sketch had it's prime, too. Be prepared to learn and shift as tools come and go.

Figma is like that superhero who's been around forever (I used to root for Sketch, but they went all in for paid version only ?? and design community quickly shifted to figma??). Anyway, Figma makes life much easier. Figjam is the cool sidekick for making Userflows, while Figma helps with designing wireframes and prototypes

Wireframing is an essential step in the UI/UX design process, allowing designers to create skeletal outlines of a digital product's interface. Here are some popular wireframing tools used in the industry: -Axure RP -Figma -Sketch -Balsamiq

For wireframing, I'd go with Sketch or Axure, although I know people who use Figma for everything. Balsamiq is pretty simple to get to grips with and create low-fidelity mockups.

Let's talk about the form factor in product design. Figma, to start with, is a foundational tool for creating interfaces and prototypes. Observe how other platforms leverage trends, behaviors, and designs based on that. Do not invent a new wheel of user experience. Copying designs is fine and is accepted. Use your experience to enhance it and make it better. Learn the basics of design systems and try to go beyond what is required. It's simple and something you should have fun with.

Again, I use Figma as my main UI design tool. I'll repeat myself saying that this is just how things are today, not necessarily how they'll be tomorrow.

As a competitive product designer, my approach involves embracing design thinking and thorough user and behavioral research, utilizing statistical data analysis. Setting realistic, user-centric goals is paramount, focusing on creating meaningful value, impactful features, and ensuring market competitiveness. Personally, I rely heavily on Miro and Figma to articulate and visualize these goals throughout the design process.

The three tools mentioned here are probably the starting point for most designers. My take on them: Figma: great for collaborating, allows multiple designers to work on a design at the same time, and clients to leave comments 24/7. Sketch: good range of plugins and community support: Adobe XD: smooth workflow for designing interfaces, and integrates well with the rest of the Adobe suite. Let's see how Adobe upgrades XD now that the Figma deal has fallen through.

Figma takes the lead in UI design—it's a breeze to collaborate with, accessible anywhere, and simplifies managing and reusing design systems. The best part? It's not just user-friendly but also free, making it the perfect kickstart for newcomers to the design world!

To stay competitive as a product designer, it's crucial to know a variety of tools. Alongside prototyping tools like Figma and Framer, exploring no-code platforms such as Webflow and ReadyMag can be beneficial. Additionally, considering AI generative tools like Uizard and Visily can open up new design opportunities. Stay updated with emerging tools and understand their basics for continued growth.

Prototyping Powerhouses: Figma: Versatile, collaborative, web-based champion. InVision: Animation mastery, design handoff prowess. Marvel: Speedy, lightweight prototyping for quick iterations. Remember: Choose tools that fit your workflow, not the other way around. Stay updated on emerging trends and tools. Master the fundamentals, but embrace continuous learning.

Now this is an interesting one. For basic prototyping, Figma does the job really well. But for advanced prototyping with conditions and animations that use the phones native features, there are tools like Protopie, FramerX & Axure. Of course, you can always create the desired effect using Adobe After Effects too.

Figma has good prototyping as well as UI design, good features for animation and interactions. Adobe has an auto-animate feature for smooth transitions between artboards and voice prototyping. Some designers also like Axure for prototyping, but I'm less familiar with it.

Prototyping tools are like magic wands for turning our ideas into reality. Imagine you have a blueprint of a house, but you want to see how it feels to walk through it before actually building it. That's where prototyping tools come in handy. They allow us to add doors that open, windows that slide, and even lights that turn on when you click them!

Unveil user behavior and optimize your product with top testing tools! UserTesting connects you with diverse users for remote testing, Hotjar visualizes user journeys through heatmaps and recordings, and Maze streamlines iterative testing with flexible scenarios. Capture user interviews with Lookback or conduct quick usability checks with UsabilityHub. Remember, choose tools that match your goals, combine them for comprehensive insights, and translate findings into actionable improvements for a user-centric product.

Designing is one thing, but understanding the impact of your designs, and in tandem the apps you build really helps you know if you are on the right track to User Satisfaction, and that is key. As a junkie for free trial apps, Userberry has been top on my list for Userbility testing, but if your team has more budget for testing, I would recommend Maze to do the job.

Understanding how users interact with a product is fundamental. User testing tools like UsabilityHub and UserTesting.com help designers gather valuable insights by conducting usability tests. These tools provide real-time feedback, allowing designers to refine and optimize their creations based on user behavior.

In my work, user testing is pivotal. It reveals real user interactions with the product. Tools like UserTesting, Hotjar, and Maze are essential. They simplify recruiting users, running tests, and analyzing data, providing insights that directly inform design improvements. This process is key to refining user experience.

Hotjar is my favorite - gives you an understanding how users interact with your website through heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys. Lookback is good for live and recorded sessions with users, if you want to do usability tests remotely. Then UserTesting lets you get real-time feedback from targeted users, to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing what you observe on Hotjar (user behavior and preferences).

To thrive as a product designer, nail project management with Trello's visuals, Asana's flexibility, and Jira's agility. Navigate Monday.com's work OS, embrace Basecamp's simplicity, and streamline with Microsoft Teams. Wrike ensures real-time collaboration, while Notion and Airtable offer versatile workspaces. ClickUp integrates everything you need. Master these tools, and as a product designer, you'll ace collaboration, track progress effortlessly, and stay ahead in the game.

In my experience working in the NLP search product world we often don’t own the end to end of a product but only the search functionality. Thus we have a lot of dependency or other team. Having a project planning tool, that includes timeline, dependency and goals can support complicated organization structures.

Jeda.ai: You can generate Project Planning, Roadmaps, and requirements in different types of visual analysis and templates with Generative AI. It's also great for managing projects and collaborating on a Canvas-like interface.

With tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, and Notion, you can break down your big project into smaller, manageable tasks, assign them to different team members, and track their progress every step of the way.

In an increasingly competitive market, product management skills are essential for product designers to stay relevant. These skills enable designers to understand market trends, user needs, and business goals, guiding their design decisions accordingly. By possessing product management skills, designers can effectively communicate their design rationale and align their work with broader strategic objectives, enhancing their value within cross-functional teams. Additionally, mastering product management empowers designers to contribute to the entire product lifecycle, from conception to launch and iteration, ensuring continued relevance and success in an ever-evolving landscape.

Pretty simple - tools can be learned, actual skills need to be experienced. If you want to really grow as a designer 1) keep a sketchbook/pencil/pen on hand - ALWAYS 2) build a strong community of designers who are curious and passionate 3) play, stretch yourself, and be willing to fail (test and learn always) 4) explore areas outside of your field of practice and build life experiences 5) learn about business, understand impact and value of your work. Again, tools are tools. Process is process, but your ability to expand your mind, concepts and communication is the greatest skills you can grow that are unique to you.

I would say, come with a problem solving mindset. Bring your skills to understand real user needs and work with the goals of the organization to solve an important problem or priority for them. The best designers can put into any situation, lead a room and get people organized on what matters.

For a Mechanical Engineering product designer all the above terms mentioned are required. To start design and development for a product a Design philosophy will define functional, geometrical requirements complying Industrial standards, Government regulations.The a conceptual model will be developed using a 3D modelling software’s, supplemented with manual calculations or analysis software’s to validate the safety factors. A prototype shall be created using 3D printing or a real-time model. Then product testing has to be conducted on various conditions based on the application. Importantly each and every activity to be documented with proper revision sequences. In a nutshell all the activities will be covered in the product Management.

Tools are incidental. You can learn any design software in 2 days. All you should care about is what problems this product is solving, identify the users, their behaviour, environment, and constraints, use your Common Sense. Start with pen and paper and move to the next step with your research and feedback on your solution.

You need to be able to communicate your value without depending on your visuals or portfolio. Make sure you can verbally communicate the impact your decisions and work had on the business and user experience.