How can you determine if consulting is the right career path for product design?

Navigating my career in marketing and product design, I often pondered if consulting was my true calling. With uncertainty looming, I took a leap into a consulting project. Immersed in the intricacies of client work, I unearthed a newfound clarity. Consulting wasn't just a career; it was my passion realized. Collaborating on diverse projects, I witnessed the transformative power of design firsthand. With each success, I felt a sense of purpose. It wasn't just about the bottom line; it was about crafting meaningful solutions. Embracing this revelation, I knew I had found my niche, where my skills and aspirations converged seamlessly.

In my experience, design consultants must - above almost all else - be able to effectively advocate for the value of design. Organizations often bring in design consultants with the idea of avoiding hiring a designer full-time, showcasing at least some degree of lack of understanding of the value of design. You must be able to build a business case for anything you do, especially research, or you risk just pushing pixels to support a stakeholder-driven design vision that may miss the mark for users.

You will never be able to asess this, see its a kind of thing which you do and learn. Consulting in product design is not something which business in Indian market prefers but yeah at the same time you can get some freelance UI projects to keep your shop running. All these assessing experience, finance & personality are an important factors for getting job into product design (digital). You can setup your consultation hustle with your job & with over a experience of more than 8-10 years than you can take your consultation full time otherwise it will not make any sense.

Consulting is an unique career to follow in Product Design. It's different from B2C and B2B brands. In the UK, quite a lot of consulting projects are in the public sector so you need to understand if this is something you'd like to do. Some the main things you need in this career are: 1. There are a variety of projects within a consultancy so you get to move around if that's something you like. 2. You need to be able to adapt to different industry 3. You need to understand Business acumen as a Product Design consultant. 4. Loads of projects are being delivered in agile methodologies 5. There's quite a lot of travel to client involved 6. Most of the times you don't get to do end-to-end projects. You get one role within the product scope

Curiosity it is the first skill someone should have to be a designer working as a consultant. When working as a designer you always have to take a closer look into possible problems to find the key reasons and build solutions it requires learning and picking references from different contexts all the time. In the Design field, the subject, as in consulting firms, can always vary. It is mandatory that you are always gonna be learning new things and rapidly having to adapt your focus on new fields.

Are you capable of adapting yourself all the time to the new projects, new company's contexts and even different country's culture? It can be stressful, specially because it can border you to build a routine, affecting your personal life. The prize is rewarding, as much as you change, you also learn. The knowledge you absorve is a key for a greater professional in the future. You must be very energetic!

After a decade of consulting experience and working with hundreds of consultants, I can confidently say the three most important personality traits are adaptability, confidence, and proactivity. You must navigate ambiguity and shifting landscapes, and get up to speed on new organizations and challenges quickly. Then you must confidently navigate that landscape with solid recommendations and clearly articulate decisions. Many people can do both of these; however, it takes a special type of individual to identify additional, unconsidered contexts and problems and confidently plan around those as well. Final note, for clarity - confidence should come from competence. Don't gaslight your clients into bad decisions by being confidently wrong.

I gained experience working in consultancy for many years before transitioning to in-house design. I enjoyed the dynamic nature of consultancy projects, finding it fulfilling for a significant period. However, one day, I realized a desire to witness the outcomes of projects from the other side of the table. Ask yourself whether you prefer involvement in diverse projects across various segments or specialization in a specific area. Starting in consultancy helped me enhance my advocacy skills for design, but it fell short in terms of strategic implementation. Always evaluate what you are seeking at the moment

Ao considerar a consultoria em design de produto como carreira, a quarta reflex?o essencial é sobre a existência de demanda e um nicho para seus servi?os. A consultoria é um campo dinamico e competitivo, exigindo uma proposta de valor clara e um diferencial para se destacar. Investigue o mercado e a concorrência para identificar lacunas e oportunidades que você pode explorar. Compreender quem s?o seus clientes-alvo, seus desafios, expectativas e como alcan?á-los torna-se crucial para construir uma base sólida para uma carreira bem-sucedida em consultoria em design de produto.

This article talks about consulting generally but the questions speak more to "independent contracting." There are plenty of organizations that provide more stability, structure, mentorship, and career growth potential while offering many of the upsides of consulting with a variety of clients in different industries. But if you want to go down this path, be wary of the organizations' culture. Some treat consultants as widgets to drive revenue, where other see them as growing professionals. Some see product design as lipstick to upsell with development, and others see it as a competitive differentiator on how problems are solved. Know what you are getting into!

To assess if consulting in product design is right for you: 1. Diverse Challenges: Enjoy varied projects and industries. 2. Problem-Solving: Excel at analyzing and solving complex issues. 3. Client Collaboration: Value regular interaction with clients. 4. Adaptability: Thrive in diverse project environments. 5. Entrepreneurial Mindset: Open to entrepreneurship, especially in consultancy. 6. Independence and Teamwork: Comfortable working independently or in small teams. 7. Continuous Learning: Committed to ongoing professional development. 8. Travel: Open to occasional travel for diverse project exposure. 9. Risk Tolerance: Comfortable with periods of professional uncertainty. 10. Impact: Seek direct impact on client success.