Welcome to Mosaic‘s Design skills article with specialist contributions from School entrance tests and Rob Williams Assessment.
Our design skills guide
The top design manager jobs in the UK at the moment are reportedly product managers and design managers. The difference between these might not always be too clear.
We have already had a look at the top of these jobs, a Product Manager. We will now have a look at what it entails to be a Design manager.
What do Design Managers do?
A Product Manager and Design Manager work side by side. Both have certain design roles to fulfil. Although, a product manager will also have a more executive role.
Design management uses project management, design, strategy, and supply chain techniques to control a creative process, support a culture of creativity, and build a structure and organization for design.
Therefore, it is clear that a design manager looks after the design process and keeps an eye on the presentation of the product. A product manager will have a more executive role to play in the product cycle.
Design managers work mostly with product development and marketing teams to keep an eye on the presentation of the product.
What does a Product Manager do?
The product manager and design manager have many overlapping skills.
These are some functions a product manager fulfils that are outside of the design scope.
- Competitive analysis
- Market structural analysis
- Pricing strategy
The design manager role can also be seen as more of a deep-dive job while a product manager is more of a multi-tasking function.
A product manager is a professional who is at the helm of guiding the success of a product. They are also responsible for leading the team in charge of improving the product.
Maximising the business value of a product would be their main concern. This can clearly involve an array of tasks and responsibilities. The most important of these would be to create a vision for the product as well as build and execute an actionable plan.
Although no specific education or certification criteria are set out, an aspiring product manager usually at least holds a bachelor’s degree in business. Education in this field is usually associated with a bachelor’s degree in business or a related field. Areas of study can be varied, but often include marketing, public relations, advertising, communications, economics, statistics and management. Some companies may require advanced degrees.
Design manager collaboration
A design manager works in collaboration with the product manager through the product design cycle. Design management uses project management, design, strategy, and supply chain techniques. This is to control a creative process, support a culture of creativity, and build a structure and organization for design.