Demand is growing, but there are not enough specialists. Analyzing the market
Experts from the largest companies in Russia explain what is happening in product design right now and where the fine line lies between the designer and the product.
In Russia, the demand for designers of various specializations continues to increase, says the latest report DNA Team and HeadHunter research. According to statistics, in 2024 the number of design vacancies on career sites increased by 19%. Moreover, the strongest breakthrough was shown by product designers – +54%. Interior designers (+39%) took second place, and graphic designers (+27%) and interface designers (+24%) took 3rd and 4th places.
The rise in interest in product designers can easily be linked to the rise in popularity of digital products in general. Earlier research from Top Design Firms shows: 50% of users believe that website design plays a decisive role in the perception of a company’s brand, and 42% leave a website if it seems inconvenient. This means that it is the product designer who largely determines the success of the online service among the audience.
Last summer we already tried to analyze the features of Russian product design as part of a small meetupand now we want to dive even deeper into the topic. To do this, together with designers and products from Finam, Inferit, MTS and AGIMA, we are studying modern trends and methods of managing design teams.
Each of our interlocutors answered the same five questions:
Key trends in product design in 2024?
How to measure the effectiveness of a design team?
How to scale a design team if deadlines are pressing?
What is the role of product in creating product design?
Your personal top ways to improve your designer skills.
We present their answers with minor abbreviations.
Key trends in product design in 2024
Daniil Zevakin, Product Owner “Inferit”
Perhaps the main trend is AI elements. Currently, users are divided into three camps: those who hate AI, those who adore it, and those who don’t pay attention to it. But AI art is already found even in outdoor advertising, so it can be argued that images generated by neural networks are the new realities of the market.
Several other trends can be identified:
minimalism, which was, is and will be relevant for a long time;
in contrast to minimalism, futuristic styles a la cyberpunk with neon and a large number of non-functional elements are gaining momentum;
transparency – here are 3D glass structures and overall clarity of the image;
pixels – retro vibe with good readable art;
surrealism;
inflatable interfaces.
Ksenia Belyaeva, design lead at MTS Digital
AI has already become an indispensable part of our work. Sending a ChatGPT message instead of a query in an Internet search is already becoming a routine. ChatGPT sometimes helps as a UX copywriter for writing interface texts. I foresee how major players will continue to train neuron using their corporate styles, and the generation of branded images for interfaces will become automated.
Figma has implemented AI, which will allow it to more quickly design solutions based on concepts. The interface has been updated, the similarities with Framer are already noticeable. Perhaps the company will move towards a tool for creating websites and applications. Framer, by the way, contains a cool feature – translation of text using AI into the desired language, which significantly saves time on translating sites into different languages. Due to import substitution, some companies switched to Pixso due to the possibility of deployment on their servers, and Russian products such as Pathway are increasingly gaining popularity in the research tools market.
3D illustration continues to be relevant for greater visualization in interfaces where appropriate (empty states, loading, etc.). I think that companies will continue to focus on services for employees: corporate portals, products where applications are created, EDI, etc. Some players are switching to React and Flutter for mobile applications to reduce the cost of development on two platforms, this reduces the number of communications and sometimes reduces number of designers required for design.
Oleg Zilberg, design director of AGIMA
Among the main trends today, I would highlight the following: personalization of experience, data visualization and typography. We also notice that complex interaction animation is gaining popularity – these are various kinds of micro- and macro-animations in interfaces.
Surely all my colleagues will support me in the fact that artificial intelligence technologies are beginning to be used much more actively. In addition, there are cases when teams, due to circumstances such as sanctions, switch to new tools.
Ekaterina Lisetskaya, creative director of Finam
I’ll tell you using our website as an example. Previously, we strived for absolute simplicity. Our goal was for a person to come and solve their problem on any page as quickly as possible. Now we are slightly changing the approach to presenting the material. This does not mean that we are complicating the page; ease of working with the interface is still important to us. But we can afford more visual features to better differentiate ourselves from competitors.
I notice the same thing in the market in general. Apparently, this is a big trend: designers have begun to decorate services more. To do this, they use interactive elements, game mechanics, and augmented reality. Neural networks have begun to be used more often. That is, people strive to make visual content more vivid.
True, functionality should not suffer. We continue to see and feel that people want to solve problems faster. They just want to do it now in a more attractive and engaging environment.
How to measure the effectiveness of a design team?
Ksenia Belyaeva, design lead at MTS Digital
A product designer is part of a product team, and it has goals. For example, introduce a new feature. In this case, the designer's task is to think through how he can influence its implementation and measure the effectiveness of the design. A key metric here could be the number of people who will use the new feature.
Therefore, you can think about information support for the feature: mailing or onboarding. I am most often interested in the completion time of scenarios and the results of usability tests. In short, the main metrics are the same as those of the entire product team: data in the analytics system, money, man-hours, research results, feedback.
Ekaterina Lisetskaya, creative director of Finam
The main metric for us is how well a particular page solves a business problem. When it comes to a product, we are, of course, interested in new customers, increased conversion, and product metrics. We also monitor the visual component – the design must correspond to our UI kit and the new brand book.
We also have a Customer Experience Laboratory. We conduct in-depth research, qualitative research. In short, design is an important component of the product as a whole. Therefore, we evaluate it based on our knowledge of user behavior.
Daniil Zevakin, Product Owner “Inferit”
Converting a designer's work into clear metrics is quite difficult. Therefore, assessing the effectiveness of a design team is a non-trivial task. Moreover, the quality of their work can only be analyzed over a long distance, which makes measurements even more difficult.
Therefore, for me, the main criterion for a designer’s effectiveness is the convenience of the product, or, more simply, the interface. How to measure this? We use user research: interviews, diary studies, feedback from real users.
If we are talking about the visual component, then this is a subjective story. As a rule, it is assessed based on purely personal preferences.
Oleg Zilberg, design director of AGIMA
Our company is engaged in custom development, so I look at the process from a slightly different angle. For me, a key performance indicator is a harmonious dialogue between the design team and the client. If the team can communicate with the client directly, that is, without a project manager, and if this communication brings pleasure to both parties, then this is the coolest thing that can happen to the product.
And if we talk about metrics, then everything is simple: if design improves product metrics, then the designers are great.
How to scale a design team if deadlines are pressing?
Oleg Zilberg, design director of AGIMA
When we need to scale our team quickly, we turn to other design studios and agencies to buy the hours of those designers who are idle. In essence, the choice here is simple: you can look for a new person on the market, or you can come to a company where employees have already passed a certain selection. The one who works in hiring is likely to be better.
Ksenia Belyaeva, design lead at MTS Digital
If deadlines are pressing and the team needs to be scaled, then scaling itself is a solution, not a task. It is important to understand why deadlines are pressing? Perhaps the current team has low efficiency, ineffective management, low qualifications of personnel, etc. If the result of the study is a short-term lack of resource, then you need to compare the timing and risks.
When deadlines are tight, there are always companies on the market to which you can outsource part of the work. If you need an involved person already inside, then you can find companies that offer employees for outstaffing.
If you need to find a person on staff, an HR brand works great here: organizing conferences, articles, social media channels and public speaking. With a good corporate culture, hiring costs are significantly reduced; people themselves want to join your company. For example, last November we posted a vacancy, and I received 200 responses within a day. There was plenty to choose from. When I previously worked for a lesser-known company, the search was much more difficult.
Daniil Zevakin, Product Owner “Inferit”
If we are talking about history “quickly and efficiently,” then you will need not only a hundred friends, but also a hundred rubles – contrary to popular wisdom. You should search among your friends or through agencies you trust. Therefore, you need to keep a database of reliable contacts at hand. Startups are also gaining popularity for finding outsourcers or people on staff.
Cold searching through job sites will likely take more time than you will have under pressure to meet deadlines.
Ekaterina Lisetskaya, creative director of Finam
Now our design team is able to meet all the needs of the company. However, in some cases, when we feel that the number of tasks is growing, we outsource: we work with agencies and freelancers. Our staff already has a database of contacts of people we trust and work with.
But if we need a person on staff, then everything is more complicated. Finding a talented designer is a whole story, despite the abundance of candidates on the market. Moreover, specifically for my team, as a rule, universal specialists are required – and as practice shows, there are not very many of them, and the search takes time.
What is the role of product in creating product design?
Ekaterina Lisetskaya, creative director of Finam
The product owner must clearly understand what the product will be and how it will attract people. Design should help achieve these goals. Therefore, the role of the product is that of a guide: it sets the strategic direction, controls quality, and reminds the designer of the business goal of each decision.
At the same time, it is important not to overwhelm or limit the team’s flight of imagination. The product's job is to listen to all the hypotheses, and then determine the ideal option that will be visually attractive, but at the same time optimal from the point of view of convenience.
Ultimately, the product owner is responsible for the product, and he cannot shift responsibility to the designer. I think that this is teamwork, and the truth is born in dialogue.
Daniil Zevakin, Product Owner “Inferit”
Perhaps my approach is too controlling, but I think the role of the product is key. It explains what kind of product you are making, why you are making it, how it should work, and why it should work that way. All of these questions sound like something that needs to be discussed at the idea stage, but the devil is in the details. You need to remember the answers to them every day throughout the project and when solving any problem related to the product.
How involved should the product manager be in the design work? As deep as the number of working hours allows, and as little as possible. You need to clearly and transparently explain your vision so that no one has any questions, but when implementing the interfaces themselves, designers should allow them to express themselves and their creativity. At the same time, you should not miss the synchronization of progress so that the creative does not get sidetracked.
Oleg Zilberg, design director of AGIMA
I think that everything is determined by the corporate and production culture that has developed in the organization. If the company has clear regulations and certain areas of responsibility, then they work in the product team just like in any other. For example, a product may not interfere with the visual part, for which the designer is responsible, not because he has no opinion, but because this is not accepted in the company. If the corporate culture allows such interpenetration, then the product manager will influence the design.
But in essence, the product manager’s task is to formulate tasks for the designer based on target metrics. The business comes to the manager with metrics, and the manager transforms business problems into design tasks.
Ksenia Belyaeva, design lead at MTS Digital
A product manager and a product designer are a creative couple. Their tandem is responsible for how much people want to use the product, how comfortable it is for them to solve problems, and what kind of problems will be solved. At the same time, the manager is more immersed in the business component so that the product makes a profit. The designer translates from business to technical using user paths, prototypes, design systems, etc.
The product should definitely participate in the work on concepts, but he will only see the user scenario itself with its nuances in the demo, where he can make comments. His comments must address profit, risk and user experience, otherwise it is a matter of taste.
The designer makes the design decision, but the product bears the risks. Therefore, the designer’s task is to reduce these risks. This can be done using UX copywriting, tips, interviews, UX tests, CJM and other tools for studying the target audience.
Your personal top ways to improve your designer skills
Daniil Zevakin, Product Owner “Inferit”
I’m not a designer, so I can only share a universal formula that I’ve developed over the years of working in production: do it, andatRead on. Before you read books, watch tutorials, take courses, or listen to podcasts, try getting started yourself. By gaining practical experience, you will begin to understand where you lack knowledge and skills. And then you will learn to search for sources of useful information, filter them and apply new knowledge in practice.
Ekaterina Lisetskaya, creative director of Finam
We keep our finger on the pulse: we follow trends, look at competitors, attend conferences, exhibitions, designer parties, and buy courses. Now there are many ways to upgrade yourself, including a huge number of telegram channels run by experienced practitioners. It's always interesting to watch them. I think the channels for leveling up skills depend on what skills need to be developed.
Ksenia Belyaeva, design lead at MTS Digital
You can pump yourself up in different ways. I will list the most basic ones.
Telegram channels. Everything is more or less clear with them. And reading strangers, and running your own channel They perfectly improve observation and copywriting, help track what is happening, analyze competitors and systematize knowledge. I have folders with colleagues' channels And channels for UX copywriters. I also monitor the channels of large companies, specific people, studios, specialized media and even conferences. There are a lot of them.
Working with a mentor. Mentors are personal teachers who adapt to students, make learning interesting and try to inspire and charge with motivation. I myself help less experienced colleagues. Most often people turn to me for level assessments, individual development plans, help with test tasks and preparation for interviews.
Practice. The more you move objects in Figma, the better you understand how the interface is built, and the faster you design. I started by performing test assignments for other companies, challenges, and redrawing the interfaces of other products. Now I recommend everyone to have a Pet project – where you are a product, an analyst, a designer, and an internet marketer. This is a great boost to product thinking.
Courses. Now there are a lot of courses, every school has something useful. Personally, I recommend British Higher School of Design, FormFactor, Bang Bang Education and Eduson. The last one is for beginners.
Books and podcasts. To upgrade yourself as a designer, you need to upgrade yourself as a person, then your approach to work will be more conscious and structured. I recommend everyone to read “The Design of Common Things” by Don Norman, “Write and Reduce” by Maxim Ilyakhov, “Ask Mom” by Rob Fitzpatrick, “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek, “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell, “Patterns of Design Management” by Yuri Vetrov, “VkusVill. How to make a revolution in retail by doing everything wrong” by Evgeniy Shchepin, “The Secret Life of Color” by Cassia St. Clair and “The Project Manager’s Handbook” by Vladimir Zavertailov. There are also many podcasts on the topic – choose any one.
Oleg Zilberg, design director of AGIMA
Telegram channels have become popular now, and you can really find a lot of useful things in them. Moreover, there are channels for every taste. I personally recommend following industry channels: e.g. about ecom in Foodtech, about the product approach or about UX. It’s useful to simply follow the cool cases of your colleagues – for example, with us or in “Cyrillic.design”. But in general, it’s useful for a designer to learn more about the world and people – that’s why I always recommend channels in psychology or critical thinking.
There are many books that help designers. Not all of them are directly related to product design, but they can definitely help. For example, the books “What We See is What Looks at Us” by Georges Didi-Huberman, “The History of Magazine Design” by Olga Rozhnova or “About the Interface” by Alan Cooper. It's also important to follow podcasts and YouTube channels that simply inspire you.
And of course, courses. I can recommend these: a course on type design and typography from Letterform Archivecourses on product design and product management from WANNABE and a course on communication design management from H.S.E..
