Overlaps between Product Management & Design
Key to success: Striking the right balance
There’s a growing trend where product managers are expected to not only strategize but also deliver solutions. But what does that mean for product designers? How does this dynamic shape the success of both roles—and the product itself?
When PMs define solutions upfront, designers often face the challenge of filling in gaps rather than shaping the solution collaboratively. In healthy teams, PMs and designers work in tandem, with PMs defining the “why” and designers crafting the “how”. This co-creation process avoids the trap of “making things pretty” only, ensuring that user experience is at the forefront, not an afterthought.
The key to success comes from balancing strategic leadership (PM) with creative direction (design). This means encouraging collaboration from the start, where:
• PMs frame problems and articulate product goals,
• Designers bring user insights and propose experience-driven solutions,
• Both roles iterate together with Engineering, ensuring solutions are strategically sound, feasible, and user-centered.
Have you noticed this shift? As product/UX designers, how are you collaborating with your product partners to support them on this transition?
