What is the difference between agency and product designers? Thinking, processes and transformation
Hi all! My name is Tanya Konyushenko, and I have been working as a product designer at SberMarket for almost a year now. Before that, I worked for ten years in agency or, as it is also called, custom development. It was an amazing time, but at some point I wanted to see how the result of my work lives after the project is accepted by the customer. So I decided to move from an agency to a company.
It seemed to me that the difference between designers in a product and an agency is purely formal, and there should be no problems during the transition. However, they arose: I received refusals due to irrelevant experience. And I didn’t understand: why is it irrelevant if the skills are so similar?
Now I’m ready to tell you what the difference is: how product thinking, which is so important for employers, differs from the approach to custom development.
In the article I will compare the skills of designers from the agency and the product, describing the difference in the work process and results. I’ll also share what kind of person large companies like SberMarket want on their staff and how to move from an agency to a product.
Designers go into product when they want to see how their work impacts users and businesses.
In my experience, many designers at some point decide to move from custom development to product. They get tired of the hassle, inadequate deadlines, large amounts of work, endless change of projects and capricious customers. Many people also want to understand how personal work affects people’s interaction with a product, but customer companies almost never share this.
Don’t think that I’m attacking agencies, I loved my job. And I think agencies are an ideal start for beginning designers. But constant stress affects my general condition, and I don’t want to go back.
As a result, designers start Googling “Product Designer” jobs. Many of the requirements seem clear and simple. They start sending responses to which they do not receive a response or are rejected with the wording that their experience is unsuitable.
There are many articles on the Internet on the topic “The difference between working as a designer in an agency and in a product.” It is usually explained as follows: “A UX designer is focused on user experience and works on projects temporarily, while a product designer is concerned with overall business goals and suffers long-term.”
And do you know what I was thinking at that moment, being an interface designer? That I am also extremely concerned about business goals! I met with customers, formed goals and objectives with them, sought access to metrics, built CJM and considered myself and my company an assistant in creating a development strategy. Does this mean that I am almost a product designer too?
No. Let's figure it out.
An agency designer differs from a product designer in both hard and soft skills
To make it easier, I will divide the skills according to the usual principle: hard and soft. I’ll take the skills themselves directly from the vacancies.
Let's start with hard
If you don’t want to read the table, in the next chapter we will briefly talk about the main skills of agency and product designers – you can go straight to it.
Skill | Agency | Product |
Design solutions in Figma | No difference | |
Know operating system guides | No difference | |
Work with data | Technical specifications and any wishes in free format come from the customer or analyst | Results of research and A/B tests from different teams are received constantly, as well as detailed analytics on various parameters |
Gather technical, business and user requirements | The designer asks questions to the customer, looks at the metrics. It receives technical limitations only at the design stage, which is why there are often problems with implementation – when the development refuses to do what the designer has drawn. Understanding technical limitations usually comes down to deadlines – we won’t make it in time | The designer works closely with the developers and attends common meetings. The more he works, the more deeply he understands the nuances and limitations. Discusses new features using the first drafts as an example and understands exactly when, in what order and what will be possible to implement |
Formulate interface hypotheses | Work is based on experience. The hypothesis sounds vague, for example: “If we place filters in the catalog on the left, it will be more convenient for the user to use them” | They work with hypotheses constantly. The hypothesis sounds accurate, for example: “If we change the display of payment methods, we will reduce the number of errors at checkout and thereby increase the conversion to order by 1.5%” |
Create clickable prototypes | Created for presentation to customers. For example, a designer prepares several pages of an online store to demonstrate how the site will look and approve the layouts | Created to be tested on users. For example, a designer prepares a small flow for purchasing medicines and gives a task for it to the user in order to understand where difficulties may arise |
Work with prototypes on wireframes – a skeleton with minimal detail | A mustso that the team understands how things will work, how much time it will take for design and development, as well as to coordinate functionality with customers | The product often works with ready-made design elements, wireframes are rarely used. Because there is a set of ready-made elements, and it’s easier to take them than to assemble something on rectangles |
Write clear and concise interface texts | Good skill, but doesn't affect hiring. The texts are checked by the customer, so various funny (and not so funny) situations happen during production. For example, when the customer did not check, and the fish text went into production | A large product often has editors, which work with text. There is also its own editorial policy with general rules for all texts |
Create and maintain UI-KIT / Develop design systems | Each agency has its own strict rules for collecting UI-Kit. All layouts are assembled strictly on components and checked by leads before being sent for development. It may be that there are no rules, but then one can only sympathize with designers, developers and clients | A large product has a separate team that is responsible for developing the design system. On the one hand, there is a limited set of atoms and molecules that already exist not only in Figma, but also in code. On the other hand, in constant work, components are separated, changed, coordinated, and then reassembled |
Conduct presentations | Designer + manager → customer. There may also be internal presentations to the team. | Designer + product → other teamsdevelopers and top managers of the company |
Draw icons and illustrations, own the Adobe package | Important skill | In a small product it may be necessary. Most often, drawings are done by contractors or neighboring internal teams |
Know typography, grids, composition | Important skill | By default, a designer expects these skills as part of the general basebut are rarely written out separately as requirements |
Develop visual concepts | Important skill | The product usually already has a visual styleso this requirement is rare. |
Work with research | Agencies rarely do research and even less often include it in the requirements for the designer.. But the customers themselves can bring ready-made research to the designer – and this will often be a thick Talmud of a hundred pages with information on the entire product | Designers conduct it themselves or in pairs with researchers quantitative and qualitative tests. The subject of research is a specific feature or even a new element, for example, an icon or text, as well as a specific flow that you want to improve or simply study. |
Conduct audit and competitive analysis | Not included in the job requirement, but designers can conduct project audits, is a separate popular agency service and designer skill. The result of the work is a presentation with recommendations | Part of the job is constantly monitoring features from competitors or comparing how they solve similar problems. The result of the work is several solutions that are sent for verification |
Work with deadlines | Ability to work quickly and to deadlines set from above | Ability to meet deadlines promised by the designer himselfwhich he agreed with the team |
Now let's look at soft skills
Let's take four main skills. We can do without a sign here.
Communication skills
At the agency a designer needs to communicate with other designers, managers, analysts, developers and, most importantly, with different customers. It requires eloquence and the ability to confidently and beautifully argue a design. At the same time, it is permissible for the designer to transfer all communication with customers to the manager and other designers.
In the product communications go on non-stop. The designer works on a piece of the overall whole, because of this he must constantly be aware of what other teams are doing with other pieces. This means constantly presenting your solutions, looking at others’, and being ready to support your hypotheses with research.
Attentiveness, organization and independence
At the agency you need to quickly complete tasks that someone has already come up with and decomposed. In higher positions, you can evaluate and decompose tasks and deadlines yourself.
In the product It is important to find problems yourself, generate hypotheses, test them, ask questions, set tasks for yourself and others.
Ability to rationally explain and defend your decisions
At the agency arguments are based on personal experience, specialized books and expert articles.
In the product — based on the results of research, analytics and A/B tests. The ability to give feedback, listen and hear is also important in the product.
A designer in an agency works for the customer, in a product – for the clients of the product
In job openings, the requirements for an agency and product designer look similar, but under the hood there are different things. Both specialists must have a deep knowledge of design tools and draw beautifully and functionally. But!
The main skill of an agency designer – this is mind-blowing speed, bright visuals and the ability to talk the customer out. At the same time, a designer in an agency is constantly faced with pressing deadlines and unpredictable customers, although the level of responsibility will be less than in the product. In an agency, independence is not so important. The work of a designer from an agency is more traditionally designer – it involves drawing beautiful layouts.
Main skill of a product designer — thoughtfulness of solutions and quality of implementation. You need to think more technically, be ready to work not only with interfaces, but also with numbers, real users and business strategy, which is formed by the top for the year ahead.
And also constantly keep different iterations in mind, research solutions, watch the developments of competitors and generate ideas for improving the user flow yourself. Here it is important to show independence, be able to defend decisions, and provide evidence. It is important for a product designer to believe in his product, in the magic of interfaces and small improvements.
As a result, the agency designer strives to create a beautiful and user-friendly interface and get a satisfied customer, while the product designer strives to increase the loyalty of the company’s customers, increase their number, and obtain the necessary metrics.
Personal experience is important in an agency, research and tests are important in a product.
Now I would like to talk a little about internal processes: in an agency and a product they differ more than the skills of designers.
Where do tasks come from?
Product designer generates hypotheses together with the product and other team members. The backlog is filled with features, which are then taken to work.
At the agency the designer receives tasks ready-made and cut into small pieces. The list of features is very limited and is specified in the technical specifications. If the list is not specified in the technical specifications, it can be cut off at the stage of transferring layouts to development, and then it will hurt everyone.
Team VS Every man for himself
In the product Products, designers, researchers, analysts and developers think and work together for a measurable result. Everyone is responsible for their part of the work, while all the time people feel like they are part of the team and understand their involvement in the overall result.
At the agency specialists are divided into groups: managers separately, designers separately and developers separately. These groups often shift responsibility onto each other, for example for missing deadlines, and can be confrontational.
Iteration VS linearity
In the product the work process never ends. We've rolled out one feature from the first iteration, we're moving on or finishing the previous one in the next iteration. At the same time, we are working with metrics and tests and looking for what else to improve.
At the agency the work process is finished – we gave it our all, handed over the project to the developers, and started the next one. The result is measured by only one thing: whether the customer and the head of the company are satisfied or dissatisfied.
Full-fledged discovery VS bare hypotheses
In the product work with metrics, and the designer is one of those who comes up with what, at what stage and in what sequence needs to be measured and researched. Before the development stage, the team will collect the necessary information, examine mockups and write documentation about what exactly this feature should affect and how.
At the agency layouts are compiled based on the personal experience of the designer and his lead. This is common and normal, so the agency designer is absolutely confident in his knowledge and expertise.
Small tasks
In the product there are no small tasks and small areas of responsibility. They, like the tail of an elephant, drag behind them a ton of hidden modifications and approvals, since one thing catches on the other. Both in layouts and in development.
At the agency Small tasks that are considered simple are often given to juniors.
Feedback at work
In the product the designer receives the first feedback from users on qualitative or quantitative research. Researchers even have a phrase: “The baby was offended” – when a designer observes how people do not understand anything in his seemingly simple layouts. If everything goes well and the solution passes all stages up to the A/B test stage, then the designer receives the result of his work in numbers. And it's hard to argue with them.
At the agency The first feedback comes from the lead, the second from the client. In between are colleagues, not necessarily designers. Feedback can be subjective or objective, depending on the person’s professionalism, but in any case it is based on personal expertise.
When moving from an agency to a product, you will have to come to terms with the difference in processes and approach to work:
The area of responsibility will be reduced: a designer in an agency often leads the entire project, but only a small piece of the product;
An unusual, bright UI will not matter: functionality in a product is more important than visuals.
You will have to constantly take into account the opinions of other designers and their products. The agency has a strict hierarchy: leads, art directors, managers and clients. They dictate to the designer which solution is cool and what needs to be redone. But only on your own project: no one will delve deeply into someone else’s project. The product has a circular review – this means that every new modification can be viewed by any designer, not just the lead.
Next I’ll tell you how to move from an agency to a product and how I managed to do it.
To work in a product, you need to change your thinking at the job search stage
In my experience, companies usually look for designers from a related field, but that's if you're lucky. And if not, they often simply hire a product designer who will quickly understand the specifics of the business. Such a specialist has several characteristics:
worked for some time inside the company and understands the specifics of the processes;
knows why discovery is needed, namely the stage of thinking, researching and evaluating a feature before starting work. Understands what questions you can come to an analyst or researcher with;
understands how tasks are prioritized and by whom, how to plan sprints and everything else.
It would seem that a designer from an agency has no chance of working in a company. But the thing is, experience isn't everything. Large companies, including ours, are looking not for abstract experience, but for a specific person to join a specific team. And an agency designer, if he is ready to learn and change habits, can become a great product designer.
Now in our team of 33 designers, 6 people have transferred from agencies. I am among them.
My transition from an agency to a product began with me browsing HeadHunter and applying for vacancies, but getting rejected or ignored. I downloaded my resume from HH and started sending it to companies directly, but the situation did not change.
Then I showed my resume to a friend of mine who hired a lot of people, and he advised me to reduce the volume. I listened to lectures and webinars and learned that HR usually spends only 15 seconds to form an opinion about a candidate. As a result, I narrowed my resume down to a short list of specific responsibilities and a few key achievements in the “what I did → what changed” format. And I compiled a separate resume in Notion.
Then I began to write in the cover letter: “I worked in dedicated product teams for such and such companies.” It’s good that the company names were well-known, and the wording “product teams” became a beacon phrase. The main thing I needed to convey to HR was that I have product experience.
As a result, HR people from SberMarket, a large bank, a telecom company and several others contacted me.
Then I communicated with HR, leads and products, did test tasks and presented them to the teams. In the process, I realized how important it is to change your thinking at the interview stage: for example, designers from agencies often talk about visual elements, but people from product want to hear what problems you encountered in your work and how you solved them. It is important for everyone to understand how a person thinks and interacts with people.
As a result, I received two offers and chose SberMarket. I liked that the guys not only evaluated me, but also presented themselves at a separate meeting – so that I could also choose.
A reminder for those who want to move from an agency to a product
Finally, I want to share some tips for designers who want to move from agency to product.
At the response stage — send a thoughtful, concise resume, which will be collected on a separate resource. It should show the experience and character of the designer. It is also important to describe cases from the point of view not only of users, but also of business, as well as the personal role of the designer in them. You must apply for a vacancy along with a cover letter, to which you must attach a link to your resume.
At the first meeting with HR — tell about your experience, projects, business goal, your role. Demonstrate an understanding that research and analytics are core to the job. Talk about the reasons why you decided to change direction.
On the first call with a lead or product — tell about yourself and your experience, demonstrate one or two cases in Figma from start to finish. Here it is important to prepare an interesting gambling story: tell it emotionally, not hide the mistakes, but, on the contrary, show how they were able to correct them. One day a girl came to me for help with an interview. I listened to how sad and boring she was talking about her cool case, and I was very surprised. Everyone wants people who are passionate about their work, and this is what needs to be shown. As a result, the girl changed her approach and was able to find a new job.
If there are at least some metrics that you wanted to influence or influenced, you need to talk about them. If the agency does not have them, say so directly and explain that this is why it is important for you to change activities and move to a company where you can measure results and draw conclusions.
At the test task stage — don’t be afraid to ask questions, agree on specific deadlines and meet them. If you still don’t understand anything, find the conditions for yourself: reason, analyze, conduct interviews with acquaintances suitable for the audience. Testing for a large company must be done with all your might, or not done at all – it won’t work out well, the competition is too high.
The test task needs to be formatted into a presentation: show what you started from, how you worked, where the hypotheses were justified and where they were not.
At the presentation of the test – give more information that was not in the presentation. If you are invited to a presentation of a test product, it means that you are already interested in it, and now you need to tell us even more interesting things. Don't be afraid to answer and make mistakes. The questions will be tricky to see how the person reacts.
If everything goes well and the company offers an offer, then you will join a friendly team – to work together and be proud of your product. Perhaps it will be the SberMarket team :—)
Product&data team of SberMarket manages social networks with news and announcements. If you want to know what's under the hood of high-load e-commerce, follow us on Telegram and on YouTube. And also listen podcast “For tech and these” from our it managers.
