Why Product Design Roles Feel More Like UI Design Jobs (and Why That’s a Problem)

Over the past 6 months, I’ve mentored a bunch of designers trying to land roles.
They’re talented, thoughtful, and genuinely want to make products better.

But one thing keeps coming up:
The job titles say Product Designer, but the job expectations scream UI Designer.

It’s like the industry is playing a weird game of dress-up — the title sounds strategic, but the role ends up being tactical.

🎯 Where It’s Going Wrong

Let’s break it down.

Companies are hiring “product designers,” but what they really want is someone to:

• Jump into Figma

• Push pixels

• Make things “look better”

That’s it. You’re brought in after decisions have already been made:

• The problem space is defined by someone else.

• The solution is already sketched out (usually in a PM's Notion doc).

• You’re told: “Just make it look good.”

One of my mentees got this exact treatment:

“You don’t need to worry about the user problems. We’ve already figured that out. Just focus on the visuals.”

That’s not product design. That’s styling.

🧠 Why This Matters

When design is reduced to just visuals, here’s what happens:

• Real user problems get missed

• Design becomes reactive instead of strategic

• Products look good but don’t feel good to use

• Designers feel frustrated, boxed in, undervalued

Design isn't just about how something looks.
It’s about how it works, why it exists, and how people experience it.

If designers are cut off from that early problem-solving phase, the whole product suffers.

🤔 Why Are Companies Doing This?

A few reasons I’ve noticed:

1. Misunderstanding the Role

Many startups haven’t worked with real product designers before.
They think “design” means “make it pretty.”

2. PMs Want Control

Some Product Managers prefer keeping discovery to themselves. Designers are seen as “execution.”

3. Speed over Strategy

In the early stages, speed often beats depth. Design becomes a polish layer, not a thinking partner.

👀 The Cost of Ignoring Problem-Solving

This isn’t just a designer problem. It’s a business problem.

When you skip early discovery and strategic thinking:

• You build features no one wants

• You spend months fixing usability issues later

• You churn users who don’t understand or trust your product

Your UI might look great, but your activation and retention won’t.

🛠️ What Should Change?

For Designers:

• Speak up. Ask why before jumping into how.

• Get closer to users. Shadow sales calls. Read support tickets.

• Frame your designs in terms of goals and outcomes — not just visuals.

For Founders & Hiring Managers:

• Involve designers early — during discovery, not just delivery.

• Make space for strategy and systems thinking.

• Don’t just hire for polish. Hire for insight.

💬 The Bottom Line

If you're hiring a "Product Designer," let them actually design the product — not just the UI.

If you're a designer stuck in a UI box, it’s not your fault — but it is your responsibility to start the conversation.