The job posting said “Product Designer.”

Responsibilities included: user research, wireframing, prototyping, visual design, design systems, stakeholder management, A/B testing strategy, and “owning the product vision.”

Basically: eight jobs disguised as one title.

I asked the recruiter what made this a product designer vs UX designer role.

Long pause. Then: “Product designers are more strategic.”

I asked what that meant.

“They think about the whole product, not just the user experience.”

I asked: “Isn’t the user experience… the whole product?”

Another pause. “We can discuss compensation during the interview.”

They offered $95K for five years experience and every design skill simultaneously. Called it product designer vs UX designer positioning – same confused expectations, just different title theater.

Product Designer vs UX Designer: What These Titles Actually Mean

Companies claim product designer vs UX designer is a meaningful distinction. Reality: titles exist to justify pay bands and organizational politics.

Here’s what teams actually mean when they use each title:

“Product Designer” usually means:

• We want someone who designs AND thinks strategically (translation: designs plus does PM’s job for free)
• We need senior skills but have a mid-level budget
• We’re a tech company trying to sound modern
• The role will involve arguing with PMs about priorities
• You’ll be expected to justify every design decision with business metrics

“UX Designer” usually means:

• We think of design as a service function, not strategic partner
• You’ll be executing other people’s ideas
• Heavy emphasis on wireframes and documentation
• Probably enterprise/agency work
• The product decisions are already made, just make them usable
• Less money than “product designer” for basically same work

“UI/UX Designer” usually means:

• We don’t actually know the difference
• You’ll do visual design AND user research AND prototyping
• Budget is tight
• Probably startup or small company
• “Full stack designer” but we won’t say that

The actual work? Mostly identical. Interview for a product designer role: they ask about user research, prototyping, visual design. Interview for UX designer role: same questions. Different title, same confused expectations.

The Project That Taught Me This

Client posted job listing for “Senior Product Designer.” I helped them screen candidates. The role required:

• User research and testing
• Wireframing and prototyping
• High-fidelity UI design
• Design system maintenance
• Working with engineering on implementation
• “Strategic product thinking”

They rejected three candidates for being “too UX-focused” and “not strategic enough.”

I asked what “strategic” meant to them.

Founder said: “Someone who understands the business, not just the users.”

I pointed out that understanding users IS understanding the business for a SaaS product. Users who can’t figure out your product don’t convert. That’s business impact.

“Right, but we need someone who thinks bigger picture.”

Translation: they wanted free PM labor disguised as design work. Strategic product thinking meant agreeing with the founder’s product decisions while making them look good in Figma.

They eventually hired someone titled “Product Designer” who spent 80% of their time doing exactly what a “UX Designer” would do: fixing flows, designing screens, running usability tests. The other 20%? Fighting with the PM about roadmap priorities.

Six months later, that designer left. Exit interview: “I was hired to be strategic but treated like a wireframe monkey.”

They reposted the role. Same requirements. Same confused expectations about product designer vs UX designer responsibilities. Just adjusted the title to “Lead UX Designer” this time.

What Companies Think the Difference Is

Ask ten hiring managers about product designer vs UX designer. You’ll get twelve different answers.

“Product designers are more strategic.” Every designer is strategic if you let them be.

“UX designers focus on research, product designers focus on vision.” Vision without research is guessing.

“Product designers own outcomes, UX designers own deliverables.” Designers only “own” outcomes when leadership lets them.

The product designer vs UX designer definitions are inconsistent because the distinction is invented.

When Product Designer vs UX Designer Titles Actually Matter

The product designer vs UX designer split matters in three situations:

Pay bands – Companies use “product designer” to justify senior rates ($120K+), “UX designer” for mid-level ($90K). Same work, different compensation.

Client had two designers doing identical work. “Senior Product Designer” got $130K. “UX Designer II” got $95K. Same deliverables. $35K title tax.

Interview filtering – “Product Designer” attracts people wanting influence. “UX Designer” attracts people comfortable with execution. Both can do both.

Team positioning – “Product Designer” signals strategic partner. “UX Designer” signals service function. Internal politics, not capability.

Same designer gets different leverage depending on title’s political signal.

The Real Difference Nobody Admits

The product designer vs UX designer split isn’t about skills. It’s about compensation and politics.

“Product designer” usually means: want senior thinking, have mid-level budget. Or: design reports to product org, title justifies it. Or: we’re confused but “product” sounds strategic.

“UX designer” usually means: design is execution function, not strategic partner. Or: enterprise work, follow established patterns. Or (rarely): honest about scope, fair title, clear expectations.

The difference isn’t what you do. It’s what company expects you to do for free beyond actual design work.

What Changed for Me

I stopped using product designer vs UX designer titles five years ago.

Called myself “UX Designer” early career – got pigeonholed into research. Switched to “Product Designer” – got expected to do PM work for free.

Now I say: “I do product design for SaaS companies.” Not a title. A capability statement.

When prospects ask “product designer or UX designer?” I ask: “What’s the actual work?”

Usually reveals confusion. They need someone to fix confusing onboarding, redesign broken dashboards, make interfaces less frustrating.

That’s design work. Title is irrelevant.

Last client asked if I was “more product or UX focused.”

I said: “I fix parts of your product that cost you users. Call it whatever makes procurement easier.”

They hired me. Never mentioned titles again.

What the Titles Signal in Job Posts

When I see “Product Designer” in job listing, I check for:

Red flags:

• “Ownership of product roadmap” (you’re not the PM but you’ll do PM work)
• “Strategic thinker” (undefined expectations you can’t meet)
• “Wear many hats” (we want eight skills for one salary)
• “Startup environment” (chaos + impossible deadlines)
• Reports to CEO/Founder (prepare for constant direction changes)

Green flags:

• Specific scope (“onboarding redesign” or “dashboard improvements”)
• Clear team structure (who you work with, who decides priorities)
• Realistic skill list (5-6 capabilities, not 15)
• Compensation matches seniority (not $90K for “strategic product leadership”)

When I see “UX Designer” in job listing:

Red flags:

• “Implementation of leadership’s vision” (no strategic input)
• “Support the product team” (service function, not partner)
• “Create pixel-perfect mockups” (sounds like they want production work, not thinking)
• Unrealistic requirements list (research + visual design + prototyping + testing + systems)

Green flags:

• Focused on specific user problems
• Clear about execution vs strategy split
• Realistic about what one person can do
• Compensation fair for scope

Both titles can signal good or bad roles. Listing content matters more than title choice.

What I Ask in Discovery Calls Now

Stopped asking what my title would be. Started asking what problem needs solving.

Questions that reveal actual role:

“What’s broken in the product right now?” If they say “everything” or can’t articulate specific problems, they don’t know what they need. Probably want magic redesign to fix business model issues.

“Who makes product decisions?” If answer is “collaborative process with many stakeholders,” prepare for committee dysfunction. If answer is “product team with design input,” that’s realistic.

“What happened to the last designer?” If they left after 6 months saying “role wasn’t what I expected,” the company oversells titles and under-delivers on autonomy.

“What does strategic thinking mean to you?” If answer is vague corporate jargon, they want someone to agree with founders while looking thoughtful. If answer is specific (“influencing what we build based on user research”), that’s real.

“How do you measure design success?” If answer is “user satisfaction” or other unmeasurables, they don’t actually track impact. If answer is specific metrics tied to business goals, they’re serious.

Answers reveal if “product designer” means strategic partner or inflated title for standard UX work. Answers reveal if “UX designer” means focused execution or diminished influence.

Title matters less than what you’ll actually do and whether they’ll let you do it well.

The Honest Truth About Product Designer vs UX Designer Titles

Both titles describe someone who understands users, designs interfaces, creates prototypes, works with engineering, and thinks about product direction when allowed to.

“Product designer” emphasizes business thinking. Often pays more. Often expects unpaid PM work.

“UX designer” emphasizes research and craft. Often pays less. Often expects less strategic input.

Same skills. Different packaging. Different politics.

I’ve done both. Work was identical: fix flows, design screens, run research, argue for user needs. Only difference was whether company acted like my input mattered.

That came from culture, not job title.

What Actually Matters

Not the product designer vs UX designer title. What matters:

Influence – Can you shape what gets built? If yes, you’re strategic regardless of title.

Fair pay – If titles justify $25K pay difference for identical work, title matters for compensation only.

Process – If processes are broken, fancy title won’t fix that. If company respects design, you’ll do good work either way.

I’ve had better outcomes as “UX Designer” at companies valuing design than as “Product Designer” at companies wanting design theater.

Title doesn’t make the job good. Culture does.

The Bottom Line

Companies invented the product designer vs UX designer distinction to justify pay bands and org structures.

Both do UX design work. Both fix user problems. Both need research skills, design skills, communication skills.

Only difference: what company expects beyond core design work, and whether they’ll pay for it.

“Product designer” usually means: design plus strategy plus PM coordination. Sometimes paid more. Sometimes not.

“UX designer” usually means: design work, others handle strategy. Paid less. Sometimes more craft focus.

Neither guarantees good role. Neither guarantees fair pay. Both are labels for hiring pipelines and compensation tiers.

Next time someone asks about product designer vs UX designer, ask what work they actually need done. Usually reveals confusion.

Then tell them what you do: fix flows, design interfaces, help users accomplish goals.

Call it product design. Call it UX design. Call it SaaS product design. Call it whatever makes invoices get approved.

Work is work. Titles are theater.