2016 · 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 0300 As design-centric organizations increasingly take center...

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2016C R E AT E D B Y I N V I S I O N

PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT

16IN LATE 2015, INVISION COMMISSIONED COLUMN FIVE TO ANALYZE DATA FROM AN INVISION-FIELDED ONLINE SURVEY OF MORE THAN 1,650 DESIGNERS FROM 65 COUNTRIES ACTIVELY WORKING IN DESIGN. RESPONDENTS WERE REPRESENTATIVE IN TERMS OF THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES, AND RESPONSES WERE WEIGHTED TO ENSURE ACCURATE SEGMENT SIZING. THE SURVEY EXPLORED RESPONDENTS' EDUCATION, CAREER CAREER PATH AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT; UNCOVERED TOOL PREFERENCES, DESIGN-RELATED BEHAVIORS, AND INCOME VARIABLES; EXAMINED PURCHASING HABITS; AND MORE.

C R E AT E D B Y I N V I S I O N

TOCINTRO 3

ROLE 6

WORKFLOW 9

TOOLS 18

TEAMS 22

LEADERSHIP 27

SNAPSHOT SNAPSHOT 31

COMPENSATION 37

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0606

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2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 0 3

00As design-centric organizations increasingly take center stage, it’s become clear that organizations that value design often reap big rewards.

INTRODUCTION

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 0

0 5 D E S I G N L E A D E R S H I P

%75 OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE HIGHEST DESIGN-ORIENTED ROLES ARE MID-LEVELAT

4/3 OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS HIRE MANAGERIAL-LEVEL LEADERSHIP DESIGNERS.

5/3 OF EDUCATION COMPANIES EMPLOY DIRECTOR-LEVEL DESIGNERS.

DESIGN LEADERSHIP AT GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS VARIES. MOST EMPLOY MANAGER-AND DIRECTOR-LEVEL DESIGNERS, BUT AT MOST GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE HIGHEST DESIGN GOES IS MID-LEVEL.DESIGN GOES IS MID-LEVEL.

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

Design thinking empowers organizations—but what exactly does it mean to be design-centric?

In our 2016 Product Design Report, InVision asked designers around the world 37 questions about their roles, careers, and feelings about the future. We learned some shocking—and not so shocking— things, about compensation ranges, which disciplines within design are growing, what types of organizations have really grown their design allocation, and more.

More companies are recognizing design as a competitive advantage: now, nearly 40 percent of top companies* name design as having a leading role in their company.

Yet, while it’s clear some organizations are keen to harness design’s power as a competitive advantage, others lag behind.

DDesign is more than building beautiful products. Design is experimentation. Design is user focused. Design reinvigorates old processes with a fresh, new way of thinking.

DESIGN IS CHANGING THE WAY WE WORK, AND HOW WE DO BUSINESS. WHEN AN ORGANIZATION APPLIES THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN TO ITS STRATEGIES AND STRUCTURES, IT'S MAKING A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO INNOVATE—AT ALL LEVELS.

0 0 I N T R O D U C T I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 0 4

* T O P C O M P A N I E S R E P R E S E N T S C O M P A N I E S W I T H M O R E T H A N 2 0 0 0 E M P L O Y E E S S U R V E Y E D I N T H E 2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T.

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 0 5

1657DESIGNERS

468 CITIES

65 COUNTRIES

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORTTHROUGH THE EYES OF OUR RESPONDENTS, WE SEE HOW ORGANIZATIONS ARE WEAVING DESIGN INTO THE FABRIC OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES, AND THE IMPACT IT’S HAVING BOTH INSIDE THEIR COMCOMPANIES AND OUT.

0 0 I N T R O D U C T I O N

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 0 6

01 Leading, supporting, or an afterthought—the role of design across a range of organization types is as varied as the design field itself.

A DESIGNER’S ROLE

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

S U P P O R T I N G R O L EL E A D I N G R O L E

6 3 . 6 %3 6 .4 %

G O V E R N M E N T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

7 3 . 7 %2 6 . 3 %

E D U C AT I O N C O M P A N I E S

5 5 .4 %4 4 . 6 %

I N - H O U S E

2 5 . 5 %74 . 5 %

F R E E L A N C E / C O N T R A C T

2 8 . 3 %7 1 . 7 %

A G E N C I E S

3 4 . 7 %6 5 . 3 %

S TA R T U P S

40%SUPPORTING60%

LEADING

S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T S S A I D T H E R O L E D E S I G N P L AY S AT T H E I R O R G A N I Z AT I O N S I S :

BY ASKING DESIGNERS THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON THE ROLE OF DESIGN, WE GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE STATE OF DESIGN AT ORGANIZATIONS TODAY.

0 1 A D E S I G N E R ’ S R O L E

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 0 7P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

“DESIGN IS HOW IT WORKS”STEVE JOBS

5 4 . 5 %

D E S I G N E R S W H O E A R N L E S S T H A N $ 7 5 K

6 0 . 3 %

D E S I G N E R S W H O E A R N M O R E T H A N $ 7 5 K

Designers earning higher salaries are more likely to say design plays a leading role at their organizations.

* C O M P A N I E S W I T H 2 , 0 0 0 + E M P L O Y E E S

DESIGN PLAYS A LEADING ROLE AT 38.4% OF THE TOP 10%* OF ORGANIZATIONS.

0 1 A D E S I G N E R ’ S R O L E

38.4%

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 0 8P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 0 9

02As design's role in business shifts and grows, so do the roles designers fill—from research to project management and beyond.

DESIGNER WORKFLOW

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

02 DESIGHER WORKFlOW

INVOLVING DESIGNERS

IN CERTAIN KEY PROCESSES

IS CRITICAL.

-

Organizations that want to expand design thinking's reach

must shift their priorities from product and departmental strategy

to the customer experience. Involving designers in certain key

processes is critical to achieving this shift.

PRESENTED BY IIIVISIOII

-- IOfA GrnrnATION

-- WIRffRAMING + STORYBOAROING

-- VISUAl ornlGN

- - PROTOTYPING

-- RrnfARCH + VAllOATION

PROJfCT MANAGfMrnT

-- OfVflOPMrnT

-- PRODUCT SUPPORT

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 10

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 1

3 2 .4 %

P R O D U C T S U P P O R T

4 1 . 8 %

D E V E L O P M E N T

5 4 . 6 %

P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T

6 8 . 9 %

R E S E A R C H + VA L I D AT I O N

8 7. 7 %

P R O T O T Y P I N G

8 9 .1 %

V I S U A L D E S I G N

9 1 . 7 %

W I R E F R A M I N G + S T O R Y B O A R D I N G

9 5 .4 %

I D E A G E N E R AT I O N

* I N C L U D E S A L L D E S I G N E R R O L E S

DESIGNER INVOLVEMENT, BY PROCESS STAGE*

5/2 DESIGNERS ARE INVOLVED IN CODE DEVELOPMENT.

Designers’ roles have expanded to include early-stage planning, user research, ideation, and—for more than half of survey respondents—project management.

HOW DESIGNERS SPEND THEIR TIME

0 2 D E S I G N E R W O R K F L O W

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 2

* D E S I G N E R R O L E D ATA S TA N D A R D I Z E D T O 1 0 0 %

1 4 . 7 % 7. 3 % 1 4 . 6 % 3 3 .1 % 1 0 . 9 % 7.4 % 6 .1 % 3 . 7 % 4 2 . 7 H R SV I S U A L D E S I G N E R

1 6 .4 % 7. 7 % 1 2 .1 % 4 .4 % 9 . 0 % 1 . 6 % 4 5 . 3 % 2 . 0 % 4 2 .1 H R SU S A B I L I T Y T E S T I N G O R R E S E A R C H E R

1 5 .1 % 8 . 9 % 1 6 . 8 % 2 1 . 9 % 1 3 . 3 % 6 . 8 % 9 . 0 % 4 . 7 % 4 4 . 0 H R SP R O D U C T D E S I G N E R

1 4 .1 % 1 6 .4 % 9 . 3 % 3 2 . 6 % 6 . 2 % 8 . 9 % 8 . 9 % 7. 7 % 4 3 . 7 H R SM A R K E T I N G D E S I G N E R

1 2 . 3 % 1 2 . 8 % 1 6 .1 % 1 3 . 6 % 1 3 .1 % 1 2 . 3 % 1 0 . 0 % 7. 5 % 4 2 . 6 H R SI N F O R M AT I O N A R C H I T E C T ( I A )

1 7.4 % 8 . 0 % 1 3 . 2 % 1 7.1 % 1 4 . 8 % 1 4 . 8 % 1 0 .4 % 0 . 8 % 4 4 . 7 H R SI N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N E R

1 5 . 5 % 8 . 0 % 2 1 . 2 % 1 9 . 0 % 1 4 .4 % 6 . 0 % 9 . 7 % 3 . 9 % 4 3 . 6 H R SE X P E R I E N C E / I N T E R A C T I O N D E S I G N E R

8 . 7 % 8 . 5 % 8 . 8 % 1 1 . 9 % 1 2 .4 % 3 0 . 7 % 6 . 2 % 7. 3 % 4 4 . 2 H R SD E V E L O P E R / C O D E R

1 7.4 % 1 4 . 8 % 1 3 . 6 % 2 1 . 0 % 1 0 . 3 % 4 . 6 % 1 3 . 6 % 2 . 9 % 4 3 . 9 H R SC O N C E P T U A L D E S I G N E R

Idea

Gen

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Pro

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Man

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Vis

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Pro

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Ave

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Designers across all roles spend more than 40 hours per week doing their jobs. How they spend those hours, however, varies.

Full-time designers involved in 5 or more design processes work at least 1.75 additional hours around the globe and 2.61 hours more in the United States a week compared to those involved in 4 or fewer.

DESIGNER TIME ALLOCATION

0 2 D E S I G N E R W O R K F L O W

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 3

0 2 D E S I G N E R W O R K F L O W

I D E A G E N E R AT I O N9 8 %

W I R E F R A M E /S T O R Y B O A R D I N G

9 8 %

V I S U A L D E S I G N9 8 %

P R O T O T Y P I N G 9 2 %

R E S E A R C H /VA L I D AT I O N

8 4 %

P R O J E C TM A N A G E M E N T

7 1 %

D E V E L O P M E N T3 7 %

P R O D U C T S U P P O R T2 2 %

Designers with $150K+ annual salaries are highly involved in every design process, except development and product support.

The highest paid designers have a balanced workflow, with nearly equal time spent on critical areas, such as visual design, idea generation, and wireframing + storyboarding.

HOW HIGHER-EARNING DESIGNERS SPEND THEIR TIME*

* B A S E D O N T H E T O P 1 0 % O F D E S I G N E R S W I T H N E T I N C O M E S O F $ 1 2 5 K +

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 4

0 2 D E S I G N E R W O R K F L O W

M E NW O M E N

1 5 %1 5 %

I D E A G E N E R AT I O N

9 %9 %

P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T

1 7 %1 7 %

W I R E F R A M E + S T O R Y B O A R D I N G

2 5 %2 1 %

V I S U A L D E S I G N

1 2 %1 3 %

P R O T O T Y P I N G

7 %9 %

D E V E L O P M E N T

1 0 %9 %

R E S E A R C H + VA L I D AT I O N

4 %5 %

P R O D U C T S U P P O R T + T R O U B L E S H O O T I N G

P E R C E N TA G E S R O U N D E D ; I N C L U D E S F U L L-T I M E , P A R T-T I M EA N D S E L F - E M P L O Y E D D E S I G N E R S

MALE AND FEMALE DESIGNERS SPEND THEIR TIME ON DESIGN PROCESSES SIMILARLY.

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 5

0 2 D E S I G N E R W O R K F L O W

7 5 %

D E V E L O P E R / C O D E R

8 8 %

I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N E R

9 2 %

I N F O R M AT I O N A R C H I T E C T

9 3 %

V I S U A L D E S I G N E R

9 4 %

C O N C E P T U A L D E S I G N E R

9 5 %

M A R K E T I N G D E S I G N E R

9 6 %

E X P E R I E N C E / I N T E R A C T I O N D E S I G N E R

9 8 %

P R O D U C T D E S I G N E R

1 0 0 %

U S A B I L I T Y T E S T I N G / R E S E A R C H E R S

All designer roles are highly involved in idea generation.

Designer involvement in roles typically reserved for non-designers suggests design is being included in the strategic agenda, but some areas still lag: product support + troubleshooting, research + validation, and development.

IDEA GENERATION: DESIGN IS MORE THAN VISUAL

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 6

0 2 D E S I G N E R W O R K F L O W

3 7 %

E D U C AT I O N C O M P A N I E S

4 6 %

G O V E R N M E N T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

5 0 %

A G E N C I E S

5 3 %

I N - H O U S E ( S M A L L B U S I N E S S E S )

5 4 %

F R E E L A N C E / C O N T R A C T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

6 1 %

S TA R T U P S

* N U M B E R S R O U N D E D U P O R D O W N T O T H E N E A R E S T W H O L E I N T E G E R .

DESIGNER INVOLVEMENT IN MANAGEMENT, BY ORGANIZATION TYPE

D E S I G N E R S A R E I N V O LV E D I N P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T AT O R G A N I Z AT I O N S W H E R E D E S I G N P L AY S A L E A D I N G R O L E .5/3

From keeping projects on track and on budget to ensuring client expectations are fulfilled, involvement at the project management level shows designer roles are increasingly more client-facing.

Designer roles involved in project management are different by gender. 75% of male conceptual designers and 65% of female marketing designers exercise project management skills.

67% of highest-paid designers use project management skills daily.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: DESIGNERS AS PROJECT MANAGERS

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 7

0 2 D E S I G N E R W O R K F L O W

76 %

PROTOTYPING: PROTOTYPING IS PARAMOUNT

Design-centric organizations use prototypes early to visualize, communicate their ideas, and explore solutions. Prototyping can build a mentality that supports innovation by enabling teams to learn, explore, fail, and try again. But the value of protoyping doesn’t stop there. Experimenting with prototypes can relax rigid structures that otherwise stifle a company’s growth.

7 6 % O F S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T S U S E R A P I D P R O T O T Y P I N G T O O L S .

4 6 % U S E C O D E - B A S E D P R O T O T Y P I N G T O O L S

The ability to create and recreate real-life test products shortens design cycles—a huge plus for organizations looking to save time and money.

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

“PROTOTYPING IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE MOST PRAGMATIC BEHAVIOR THE INNOVATIVE

FIRM CAN PRACTICE.”MICHAEL SCHRAGE, INNOVATION EXPERT, RESEARCH FELLOW, MIT CENTER FOR DIGITAL BUSINESS

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 8

03The tools designers use today go far beyond the visual. Organizations that value design know empowering their teams means equipping them with tools to make better decisions.

DESIGNER’S TOOLS

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 1 9

A N A L O G P E N , P A P E R , W H I T E B O A R D , N O T E C A R D S , S C A N S / P H O T O S O F D R AW I N G S

D I G I TA L T E X T F I L E , E V E R N O T E , O N E N O T E , G O O G L E D O C S

G E N E R A L S Y N C I N G D R O P B O X , G O O G L E D R I V E , B O X , I N V I S I O N , AW S , O N E D R I V E

L O C A L LY I N S TA L L E D A P P L I C AT I O N S S K E T C H , P H O T O S H O P, I L L U S T R AT O R , A F F I N I T Y D E S I G N E R

S C R E E N D E S I G N P H O T O S H O P, S K E T C H , I L L U S T R AT O R , F I R E W O R K S , I N D E S I G N

P R O T O T Y P I N G I N V I S I O N , F L I N T O

R E AR E A L-T I M E M E S S A G I N G S L A C K , H I P C H AT , S K Y P E , I R C

L E G E N D

DESIGN-CENTRIC ORGANIZATIONS KNOW TECHNOLOGY

To create and execute sound design strategy, leaders must embrace the importance of technology. Doing so means investing in tools that empower designers to learn, improve, and iterate.

0 3 D E S I G N E R ’ S T O O L S

I D E A G E N E R AT I O N

9 3 %

A N A L O G T O O L S

7 3 %

D I G I TA L T O O L S

8 3 %

S T O R A G E / V E R S I O N I N GG E N E R A L S Y N C I N G T O O L S

9 8 %

V I S U A L D E S I G NL O C A L LY I N S TA L L E D A P P L I C AT I O N S

W I R E F R A M I N G / S T O R Y B O A R D I N G

8 1 %

R E P U R P O S E D S C R E E N D E S I G N T O O L S

7 2 %

A N A L O G T O O L S

7 6 %

P R O T O T Y P I N GR A P I D P R O T O T Y P I N G T O O L S

8 0 %

C O M M U N I C AT I O N / C O L L A B O R AT I O ND E D I C AT E D R E A L-T I M E M E S S A G I N G

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

L O C A L LY I N S TA L L E D A P P L I C AT I O N S P H O T O S H O P, S K E T C H , I L L U S T R AT O R , A F F I N I T Y D E S I G N E R , E T C .

A N A L O G T O O L S P E N , P A P E R , W H I T E B O A R D , N O T E C A R D S , S C A N S / P H O T O S O F D R AW I N G S , E T C .

G E N E R A L S Y N C I N G T O O L S D R O P B O X , G O O G L E D R I V E , B O X , I N V I S I O N , AW S , O N E D R I V E , E T C .

9 1 . 5 %

D E S I G N E R S P R E F E R R E D T O U S E G E N E R A L S Y N C I N G T O O L S

F I L E S T O R A G E A N D V E R S I O N I N G

9 4 . 3 %

D E S I G N E R S P R E F E R R E D T O U S E A N A L O G T O O L S

I D E A G E N E R AT I O N

9 8 .1 %

D E S I G N E R S P R E F E R R E D T O U S E L O C A L LY I N S TA L L E D A P P L I C AT I O N S

V I S U A L D E S I G N

THE TOP 3 TOOLS THEY USE INCLUDE:

* D ATA I S A N AV E R A G E ; T O P D E S I G N E R S I N C L U D E T O P 1 0 % O F $ 1 2 5 K + A N N U A L E A R N E R S

THE DIFFERENCE TOOLS MAKE

Per tool used, designers work 10 minutes more and earn $41 more per week. The top 10% of higher-earning designers use 21 tools and work 45.5 hours per week.

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 0

0 3 D E S I G N E R ’ S T O O L S

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 1

0 3 D E S I G N E R ’ S T O O L S

Testing is no longer the final step. Testing throughout the design and development process enables teams to learn, experiment, and take risks as they create. It provides potentially product-enhancing insight through each iterative round.

Overall, startups and small businesses are more likely to use testing tools, compared to other organization types.

TESTING TECHNOLOGIES

S C R E E N R E C O R D I N G T O O L S Q U I C K T I M E , S C R E E N F L O W , R E F L E C T O R A P P

A U T O M AT E D T E S T I N G T O O L S U S E R T E S T I N G , U S E R Z O O M

M O D E R AT E D T E S T I N G T O O L S S I LV E R B A C K , M O R A E , F I E L D G U I D E

A S Y N C H R O N O U S D ATA A N A LY Z AT I O N T O O L S I N T E R C O M , U S E R S T O R Y

S TA R T U P

I N - H O U S E ( S M A L L B U S I N E S S )

G O V E R N M E N T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

F R E E L A N C E / C O N T R A C T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

E D U C AT I O N C O M P A N I E S

A G E N C I E S

4 4 . 2 %

4 9 .4 %

2 7. 3 %

41 . 0 %

4 2 .1 %

3 8 . 2 %

3 2 . 0 %

3 0 . 6 %

1 8 . 2 %

2 0 . 5 %

2 1 .1 %

2 6 .1 %

1 1 .4 %

2 3 . 0 %

1 8 . 2 %

1 4 .1 %

1 0 . 5 %

1 3 . 3 %

2 1 . 3 %

1 1 .4 %

0 . 0 %

9 . 6 %

5 . 3 %

6 . 2 %

Scr

een

Rec

ordi

ng T

ools

Aut

omat

ed T

esti

ng T

ools

Mod

erat

ed T

esti

ng T

ools

Asy

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ata

Ana

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Too

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P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 2

04Design teams are no longer made up of simply "designers." From information architects to conceptual designers and everything in between, business are seeing the value in building design teams that reflect their user's needs.

DESIGN TEAMS

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 3

0 4 D E S I G N T E A M S

What do today’s design teams look like? Which roles make up design teams across various organizations?

R O L E S T H AT A M O U N T E D T O 3 % O R L E S S A N D T H O S E W I T H 3 0 0 O R F E W E R R E S P O N D E N T S E X C L U D E D .

ORGANIZATIONS BUILD THEIR TEAMS BASED ON A UNIQUE SET OF CUSTOMER-DRIVEN NEEDS.

1 4 . 0 % 0 . 0 % 1 0 . 0 % 0 . 0 % 3 6 . 0 % 3 6 . 0 % 4 . 0 %O T H E R

3 4 . 8 % 0 . 7 % 1 4 . 6 % 1 . 0 % 2 0 . 6 % 2 4 . 7 % 3 . 5 %V I S U A L D E S I G N E R

4 . 5 % 4 . 5 % 0 . 0 % 0 . 0 % 5 0 . 0 % 3 6 .4 % 4 . 5 %U S A B I L I T Y T E S T I N G O R R E S E A R C H E R

1 0 . 7 % 0 . 6 % 7.1 % 0 . 8 % 2 6 . 2 % 5 0 . 8 % 3 . 8 %P R O D U C T D E S I G N E R

2 2 . 5 % 2 . 5 % 5 . 0 % 0 . 0 % 3 7. 5 % 3 2 . 5 % 0 . 0 %M A R K E T I N G D E S I G N E R

7. 7 % 7. 7 % 1 5 .4 % 0 . 0 % 4 6 . 2 % 2 3 .1 % 0 . 0 %I N F O R M AT I O N A R C H I T E C T ( I A )

2 8 . 6 % 0 . 0 % 1 4 . 3 % 0 . 0 % 2 8 . 6 % 1 4 . 3 % 1 4 . 3 %I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N E R

2 5 . 0 % 1 . 9 % 9 . 9 % 0 .4 % 3 0 . 7 % 2 6 . 7 % 5 . 3 %E X P E R I E N C E / I N T E R A C T I O N D E S I G N E R

4 0 . 0 % 0 . 0 % 1 5 .4 % 1 . 5 % 1 3 . 8 % 2 4 . 6 % 4 . 6 %D E V E L O P E R / C O D E R

4 0 . 0 % 0 . 0 % 5 . 0 % 0 . 0 % 1 5 . 0 % 3 5 . 0 % 5 . 0 %C O N C E P T U A L D E S I G N E R

Age

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P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

SHARED OFFICE OR CO-WORKING SPACEHOURS PER WEEK45.3DISTRIBUTED TEAM, WORK FROM HOMEHOURS PER WEEK44.5COMPANY, CORPORATE OFFICEHOURS PER WEEK43.5

DESIGNERS WHO WORK REMOTELY OR FROM A SHARED WORKING SPACE TEND TO WORK MORE HOURS THAN DESIGNERS WHO WORK AT A COMPANY WITH A CORPORATE OFFICE OR HEADQUARTERS.

9 . 9 %

S H A R E D O F F I C E O R C O - W O R K I N G S P A C E

1 5 . 5 %

D I S T R I B U T E D T E A M : H O M E O R R E M O T E LY

74 . 5 %

C O M P A N Y, C O R P O R AT E O F F I C E S , O R H Q

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Most designers work for companies with a corporate office or headquarters.

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 4

0 4 D E S I G N T E A M S

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

M E NW O M E N

6 0 . 0 %4 0 . 0 %

O T H E R ( G O V ’ T & E D U C AT I O N O R G A N I Z AT I O N S )

8 0 . 2 %1 9 . 8 %

F R E E L A N C E / C O N T R A C T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

8 1 . 3 %1 8 . 7 %

A G E N C I E S

6 5 . 8 %3 4 . 2 %

I N - H O U S E

7 2 .4 %2 7. 6 %

S TA R T U P SGENDER DIVERSITY

Here is a gender breakdown of survey respondents, based on where they work.

Men in general are more confident (62.8 percent versus 52.6 percent) design plays a leading role at their organization, no matter where they work. Women are far more likely to work as in-house designers than as a freelancer or at an agency.

6 2 . 8 %5 2 . 6 %

B E L I E V E S D E S I G N P L AY S A L E A D I N G R O L E AT T H E I R O R G A N I Z AT I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 5

0 4 D E S I G N T E A M S

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

1 0 1 2 %

9 7 %

8 2 3 %

7 2 3 %

6 1 6 %

5 1 5 %

4 1 %

3 1 %

2 1 %

1 < 1 %

0 < 1 %

B E C O M E M U C H M O R E D I V E R S E

N O C H A N G E

B E C O M E L E S S D I V E R S E

DIVERSITY AS A BUSINESS NEED

Overall, the design community is optimistic their teams will grow more diverse in the next 3–5 years. Designers in organizations where the highest level designer is entry level are the least optimistic about increased diversity at their organization.

43% of men feel strongly that their organizations will become more diverse, compared to 40% of women.

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 6

0 4 D E S I G N T E A M S

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 7

05As design takes an increasingly prominent role in business, one way organizations show they value design thinking is by including design in leadership and executive strategy.

DESIGN LEADERSHIP

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 8

0 5 D E S I G N L E A D E R S H I P

7 0 %

C - L E V E L

6 3 %

V P

6 1 %

D I R E C T O R

4 9 %

S U P E R V I S O R / M A N A G E R

2 7 %

E N T R Y L E V E L D E S I G N E R

* N U M B E R S R O U N D E D , R E P R E S E N T AV E R A G E S ; F U L L-T I M E D E S I G N E R S ( 3 0 + H O U R S P E R W E E K )

DESIGNER ROLES THAT SAY DESIGN PLAYS A LEADING ROLEAS DESIGN BECOMES MORE PRESENT IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP, DESIGNERS INCREASINGLY SEE DESIGN AS HAVING A CRITICAL ROLE AT THEIR ORGANIZATION.

Within C-level design leadership, designers average the longest hours—44.9 hours per week.

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

“THE FASTER WE MAKE OUR IDEAS TANGIBLE, THE SOONER WE WILL

BE ABLE TO EVALUATE THEM, REFINE THEM, AND ZERO IN ON THE BEST

SOLUTION.”TIM BROWN, CEO OF IDEO

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 2 9

0 5 D E S I G N L E A D E R S H I P

SELF-EMPLOYED DESIGNERS SEE DESIGN AS HAVING HIGHER IMPORTANCE AT THE COMPANIES THEY CONTRACT WITH THAN IN-HOUSE DESIGNERS FEEL ABOUT THE COMPANIES THEY WORK FOR.

DESIGN PLAYS A LEADING ROLE FOR

%83 S E L F - E M P L O Y E DD E S I G N E R S

%58 F U L L-T I M ED E S I G N E R S

%51 P A R T-T I M ED E S I G N E R S

M E NW O M E N

1 2 %1 4 %

O T H E R

1 0 %9 %

C - L E V E L

1 0 %1 2 %

V P

3 6 %3 3 %

D I R E C T O R

2 4 %2 5 %

S U P E R V I S O R / M A N A G E R

8 %7 %

E N T R Y L E V E L

M E N A N D W O M E N H AV E S I M I L A R L E V E L S O F D E S I G N S E N I O R I T Y

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 0

0 5 D E S I G N L E A D E R S H I P

%75 OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE HIGHEST DESIGN-ORIENTED ROLES ARE MID-LEVELAT

4/3 OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS HIRE MANAGERIAL-LEVEL LEADERSHIP DESIGNERS.

5/3 OF EDUCATION COMPANIES EMPLOY DIRECTOR-LEVEL DESIGNERS.

DESIGN LEADERSHIP AT GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS VARIES. MOST EMPLOY MANAGER-AND DIRECTOR-LEVEL DESIGNERS, BUT AT MOST GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE HIGHEST DESIGN GOES IS MID-LEVEL.DESIGN GOES IS MID-LEVEL.

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 1

06Designers are a varied group. We looked deeper at their demographic profiles, including education, geography, type of organization they work for, and more, to gain better insight into who designers are today.

DESIGNER SNAPSHOT

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 2

0 6 D E S I G N E R S N A P S H O T

V I S U A L D E S I G N E R

F E M A L E : 2 8 %M A L E : 7 2 %

U S A B I L I T Y T E S T I N G/ R E S E A R C H E R

F E M A L E : 5 7 %M A L E : 4 3 %

1 4 % D I F F E R E N C E

P R O D U C T D E S I G N E R

F E M A L E : 2 3 %M A L E : 7 7 %

M A R K E T I N G D E S I G N E R

F E M A L E : 5 6 %M A L E : 4 4 %

1 2 % D I F F E R E N C E

I N F O R M AT I O N A R C H I T E C T

F E M A L E : 4 6 %M A L E : 5 4 %

8 % D I F F E R E N C E

I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N E R

F E M A L E : 2 5 %M A L E : 7 5 %

E X P E R I E N C E / I N T E R A C T I O N D E S I G N E R

F E M A L E : 2 8 %M A L E : 7 2 %

D E V E L O P E R / C O D E R

F E M A L E : 9 %M A L E : 9 1 %

C O N C E P T U A L D E S I G N E R

F E M A L E : 4 0 %M A L E : 6 0 %

W H O T H E Y A R E

F E M A L E : 4 4 6 ( 2 6 . 9 % )M A L E : 1 , 2 1 1 ( 7 3 .1 % )

MEN AND WOMEN ARE MORE EVENLY REPRESENTED (±15%) IN INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE, MARKETING DESIGN, AND USABILITY TESTING ROLES.

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

1 0 %

F R E E L A N C E / C O N T R A C T W O R K E R S

2 1 %

A G E N C I E S

2 7 %

I N - H O U S E

3 6 %

S TA R T U P S

A L L R E S P O N S E S A F T E R E X C L U S I O N S ; R E M A I N I N G 6 P E R C E N T W O R K F O R E D U C AT I O N , G O V E R N M E N T , A N D O T H E R O R G A N I Z AT I O N S .

WORK ENVIRONMENTWHERE THEY WORK

Male and female designers are equally likely to work at startups.

36%MEN37%

WOMEN

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 3

0 6 D E S I G N E R S N A P S H O T

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 4

0 6 D E S I G N E R S N A P S H O T

N E W Y O R K1 6 %

L O S A N G E L E S7 %

O A K L A N D7 %

S A N F R A N C I S C O6 2 %

*Top 10% of designers who earn $125K+ annually; numbers rounded

88%U S A

57%C A L I F O R N I A

WHERE DO TOP-EARNING DESIGNERS* LIVE?

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

87% OF DESIGNERS ARE EMPLOYED FULL-TIME

Self-employed designers make 3.7% more than full-time designers regardless of where they work.

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 5

0 6 D E S I G N E R S N A P S H O T

87%

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

0 . 6 %0 . 9 %

D O C T O R AT E

1 6 . 9 %1 7. 3 %

M A S T E R ’ S

5 5 . 8 %7 1 . 5 %

B A C H E L O R ’ S

Women are more likely than men to have a higher level of degree. 22% of male designers and 7% of female designers do not have advanced degrees.

EDUCATION LEVEL INCREASES BY GENDER

M E NW O M E N

PART-TIME VERSUS FULL-TIME

How do designers learn? It’s almost evenly split between educated and self-taught designers. 60% of all designers hold a Bachelor’s degree.

49%SELF-TAUGHT51%

FORMALBACKGROUND

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 6

0 6 D E S I G N E R S N A P S H O T

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 7

07 Across roles and organization types, compensation for designers varies.

DESIGNER’S COMPENSATION

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 8

The highest-paid designers are product designers and usability testers/researchers, with salaries ranging around $87–89K—that’s twice as much as conceptual and marketing designers. Although 60% of education companies employ director-level leadership, their design salaries are comparably low.

Median

Mean

$ 5 7, 9 9 5 $ 5 1 , 0 0 0V I S U A L D E S I G N E R

$ 8 7, 2 7 0 $ 8 3 , 7 5 0U S A B I L I T Y T E S T I N G O R R E S E A R C H E R

$ 8 9 , 2 2 9P R O D U C T D E S I G N E R $ 8 0 , 0 0 0

$ 4 4 , 7 3 0 $ 4 3 , 5 0 0M A R K E T I N G D E S I G N E R

$ 7 2 , 2 5 6 $ 5 5 , 0 0 0I N F O R M AT I O N A R C H I T E C T

$ 4 4 , 2 1 4 $ 5 0 , 0 0 0I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N E R

$ 74 , 74 6 $ 7 0 , 0 0 0E X P E R I E N C E / I N T E R A C T I O N D E S I G N E R

$ 5 9 , 8 3 6 $ 6 0 , 0 0 0D E V E L O P E R / C O D E R

$ 4 7,4 3 2 $ 4 0 , 0 0 0C O N C E P T U A L D E S I G N E R

DESIGN SALARIES, BY THE NUMBERS

The average annual salary for a designer is $80,606. The highest-paid designers work at startups or in-house (small businesses).

$ 55,727 GOVERNMENT ORGS

$ 60,611 EDUCATION COMPANIES

$ 72,912 FREELANCE/CONTRACT

$ 63,900 AGENCIES

$ 84,438 IN-HOUSE

$ 79,889 STARTUPS

0 7 D E S I G N E R ’ S C O M P E N S AT I O N

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 3 9

Female

Male

$ 7 7, 6 1 4 $ 7 9 , 5 1 7S TA R T U P S

$ 8 6 , 6 9 4 $ 7 8 , 6 3 7I N - H O U S E ( S M A L L B U S I N E S S )

$ 5 6 ,1 2 5 $ 5 4 , 6 6 7G O V E R N M E N T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

$ 7 0 , 8 5 7 $ 6 1 , 6 8 1F R E E L A N C E / C O N T R A C T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

$ 6 2 , 3 6 4 $ 5 2 , 7 6 3E D U C AT I O N C O M P A N I E S

$ 6 3 ,4 0 6 $ 6 1 , 3 8 9A G E N C I E S

Men, on average, are paid slightly more than women. For men, an average salary of $77, 123 with a median of $70,000. For women, an average salary of $76,014 with a median of $68,000.

AVERAGE DESIGNER SALARIES, BY GENDER AND ORGANIZATION TYPE

$ 7 6 , 5 4 4F U L L-T I M E

* 30+ hours per week

$ 7 9 , 3 7 2S E L F - E M P L O Y E D

When compared to their full-time counterparts, self-employeddesigners are more likely to be self-taught: 59.4% vs 47.3% andless likely to have a Bachelor’s degree: 50.3% vs 62.2%

0 7 D E S I G N E R ’ S C O M P E N S AT I O N

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 4 0

DOES EDUCATION IMPACTSALARY?

$ 74 , 6 5 7S E L F -TA U G H T D E S I G N E R

* Full-time designers (30+ hours per week)

$ 7 8 , 0 6 1D E S I G N E R W I T H A D E G R E E

Designers with formal training earn 4.6% higher annualsalaries than those who are self-taught.

Designers without formal college or university degreesare 27% less likely to be among the top earners in their field.

* Top 10% of designers with $125K+ annual salaries

The highest earning designers both with and without degrees holdthe following titles:

E X P E R I E N C E / I N T E R A C T I O N D E S I G N E R

P R O D U C T D E S I G N E R

$ 8 3 ,4 5 0B A C H E L O R ’ S D E G R E E

$ 7 9 , 5 4 5D O C T O R AT E

$ 6 0 , 5 9 5A S S O C I AT E ’ S D E G R E E

$ 8 9 , 3 8 5M A S T E R ’ S D E G R E E

Designers with doctorates earn marginally less than those withbachelor’s degrees.

0 7 D E S I G N E R ’ S C O M P E N S AT I O N

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 41

WEEKLY DEMANDSAround the globe, designers are putting in more hours thanthe average work week typically demands.

Average time worked each week around the world is 43 hours.

Time apTime appears to be allocated fairly across genders. On average, men and women work nearly the same number of hours per week: Women: 43.7 hours, Men: 43.4 hours

Only 8.8% of designers who work 40+ hours a week are paid overtime. 88.5% of all designers receive no overtime.

43%OF DESIGNERS WORKMORE THAN 40 HOURS A WEEK

K I E V , U K R A I N E4 9 . 2 H R S

G L A S G O W , S C O T L A N D3 8 .4 H R S

M O U N TA I N V I E W , C A4 9 . 3 H R S

P O R T L A N D , O R3 9 .1 H R S

C H A R L O T T E , N C3 9 .1 H R S

M I A M I , F L5 0 .4 H R S

0 7 D E S I G N E R ’ S C O M P E N S AT I O N

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 4 2

DESIGNER BENEFIT PACKAGESFull-time designer benefits are generally limited to compensationfor health care and out-of-office time. Relocation expenses,education benefits, or gym plans are far less common.

C H I L D / E L D E R - C A R E B E N E F I T S 1 3 %

R E L O C AT I O N B E N E F I T S1 8 %

T U I T I O N R E I M B U R S E M E N T1 9 %

G Y M M E M B E R S H I P2 4 %

L I F E I N S U R A N C E /D I S A B I L I T Y

4 5 %

4 0 1 ( K ) R E T I R E M E N T5 5 %

H E A LT H C A R E P L A N7 5 %

S I C K T I M E7 5 %

P A I D H O L I D AY S / F L E X T I M E8 0 %

VA C AT I O N T I M E 8 5 %

0 7 D E S I G N E R ’ S C O M P E N S AT I O N

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T 4 3

FACTORS FOR PROFESSIONALHAPPINESSWhat factors impact a designer’s decision to accept a new position?

O T H E R ( P AY- R E L AT E D )8 %

R E T I R E M E N T P L A N1 6 %

VA R I E T Y O F W O R K4 6 %

E M P L O Y E R ’ S R E P U TAT I O N4 9 %

R O O M F O R A D VA N C E M E N T5 9 %

L O C AT I O N6 0 %

W O R K- L I F E B A L A N C E7 1 %

Q U A L I T Y O F W O R K A C C O M P L I S H E D8 0 %

P R O F E S S I O N A L G R O W T H 8 1 %

0 7 D E S I G N E R ’ S C O M P E N S AT I O N

P R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHERTo be design-centric, organizations must be strategic about how they structure and equip

their teams for success. From the tools you provide to the salaries you pay, companies that value design place value and merit in those who do the work:

THE DESIGNERS

2 0 1 6 P R O D U C T D E S I G N R E P O R T — B Y I N V I S I O NP R E S E N T E D B Y I N V I S I O N