Product Designers Only Make Things Beautiful… Right?
Jul 16, 2025
Well… not exactly! 😅
If I had a dollar for every time a startup founder looked surprised when I told them that product design isn’t just about creating beautiful UIs, I’d probably be able to retire early.
The truth is: product design is so much more than aesthetics.
As a product designer, my work often includes helping define what the product needs to be, how it should work, and, equally important, what it doesn’t need.
But Wait… Isn’t That the Founder’s Job?
In many early-stage startups, founders wear multiple hats. It’s understandable to assume that design is just one of the final touches, something to “make things pretty” once the product idea is in place.
I don’t blame founders for thinking that way. It’s not their job to understand every title or every nuance of every role.
But it is our job as designers to educate them about what we actually do, and how much value we can bring when we’re included earlier in the process.
The Pixel-Pusher Trap
Unfortunately, the design industry doesn’t always help itself here. There are plenty of designers who only focus on visuals. They take orders, jump into Figma, and produce polished mockups without:
Asking deeper questions
Doing any research
Understanding the business goals
Or even talking to users
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Treating product designers as glorified decorators is not just a missed opportunity, it’s a waste of money.
🎨 It’s like hiring an architect just to paint your house.
So, What Do Product Designers Actually Do?
Let’s break it down.
A good product designer doesn’t just design what you ask for. They help you figure out what to build, and more importantly, what not to build.
Here’s how they can make a real difference in your startup:
💠 Save Time and Money
By stopping you from building features no one needs.
I once reviewed a client’s backlog full of ideas. After just a few user interviews, half of them made no sense. We saved weeks of unnecessary work.
💠 Increase User Retention
By designing onboarding experiences that actually work.
For one client, we nearly doubled new subscriptions just by fixing two small but critical steps in their onboarding flow.
💠 Turn New Users Into Long-Term Users
By understanding what users need, and making sure they get it.
Users were leaving shortly after signing up, despite a great sales funnel. The problem? They weren’t finding what they came for. We fixed that.
💅 And Yes… We Make It Look Good Too
Because good design isn’t just functional. It’s also enjoyable.
The Real Role of a Product Designer
Product designers act as the voice of the customer at the table.
They connect user needs with business goals, balancing both to create outcomes that matter.
Here’s how we think:
💭 What is the user trying to achieve?
💭 What’s getting in their way?
💭 What are the possible solutions?
💭 Which one provides the best trade-off between usability and business impact?
“But We Don’t Have the Budget for a Designer Yet…”
If this thought crossed your mind, you’re not alone.
But let me ask: do you have the budget to build features no one uses?
Because that’s often the hidden cost of skipping design thinking early on.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need to hire a full-time designer.
Startups can benefit greatly from working with a fractional product design partner, someone who joins the team part-time or in short weekly sprints. That way, you stay lean while still making smart product decisions.
Why It Matters
When no one is thinking about design, product decisions happen by accident.
Feature prioritization gets hijacked by internal opinions.
User experience suffers because no one is advocating for the user.
Teams slowly drift off course, chasing features instead of solving problems.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Working with the right product designer, even on a small scale, can help you stay focused, avoid mistakes, and build something that actually works.
Curious how a fractional product design partnership could work for your team?
I work with early-stage startups to do just that, and I’d be happy to share how.