2016

PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT

CREATED BY INVISION
IN 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 PATH AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT; UNCOVERED TOOL
PREFERENCES, DESIGN-RELATED BEHAVIORS, AND INCOME VARIABLES;
EXAMINED PURCHASING HABITS; AND MORE.

CREATED BY INVISION
TOC
00 INTRO 3

01 ROLE 6

02 WORKFLOW 9

03 TOOLS 18

04 TEAMS 22

05 LEADERSHIP 27

06 SNAPSHOT 31

07 COMPENSATION 37
00 INTRODUCTION

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N
As design-centric organizations increasingly take center stage,
it’s become clear that organizations that value design often reap
big rewards.

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 03

 05 DESIGN
00 INTRODUCTION
LEADERSHIP

DESIGN IS CHANGING THE WAY WE WORK, AND HOW WE DO BUSINESS.

DESIGN LEADERSHIP AT
GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION
/
OF EDUCATION COMPANIES EMPLOY
WHEN AN ORGANIZATION APPLIES THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
DIRECTOR-LEVEL TO ITS
DESIGNERS.
STRATEGIES AND STRUCTURES, IT'S MAKING A CONSCIOUS DECISION
ORGANIZATIONS VARIES. MOST
35
TO INNOVATE—AT ALL LEVELS.
EMPLOY MANAGER-AND
DIRECTOR-LEVEL DESIGNERS,
/
OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS HIRE
34
MANAGERIAL-LEVEL LEADERSHIP DESIGNERS.

BUT AT MOST GOVERNMENT

More companies are recognizing design as a competitive advantage: now, Design thinking empowers organizations—but what exactly does it mean to

75
nearly 40 percent of top companies* name design as having a leading role in be design-centric?

ORGANIZATIONS, THE HIGHEST

their company.
OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE HIGHEST
In our 2016 Product Design Report, InVision asked designers around the
AT % DESIGN-ORIENTED ROLES ARE MID-LEVEL
Yet, while it’s clear some organizations are keen to harness design’s power world 37 questions about their roles, careers, and feelings about the future.

DESIGN GOES IS MID-LEVEL.

as a competitive advantage, others lag behind.
Design is more than building beautiful products. Design is experimentation.
Design is user focused. Design reinvigorates old processes with a fresh, new
way of thinking.
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.

*TOP COMPANIES REPRESENTS COMPANIES WITH MORE THAN 2000

EMPLOYEES SURVEYED IN THE 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT.

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 22001166 PPRROODDUUCCTT DDEESSIIGGNN RREEPPOORRTT 0340

 00 INTRODUCTION

THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT

1657
RESPONDENTS, WE SEE HOW
ORGANIZATIONS ARE WEAVING DESIGNERS
DESIGN INTO THE FABRIC OF
THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURES, AND THE IMPACT 468 CITIES

IT’S HAVING BOTH INSIDE THEIR

COMPANIES
COM AND OUT. 65 COUNTRIES

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 05

01 A DESIGNER’S ROLE

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N
Leading, supporting, or an afterthought—the role of design across
a range of organization types is as varied as the design field itself.

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 06

 01 A DESIGNER’S ROLE

BY ASKING DESIGNERS THEIR STARTUPS

34.7 %
65.3 %

PERSPECTIVE ON THE ROLE OF AGENCIES

DESIGN, WE GAIN INSIGHT 28.3 %

71.7 %

INTO THE STATE OF DESIGN AT FREELANCE/CONTR ACT

74.5 %
ORGANIZATIONS TODAY. 25.5 %

IN-HOUSE
44.6 %
55.4 %

SURVEY RESPONDENTS SAID THE ROLE DESIGN PLAYS

EDUCATION COMPANIES
AT THEIR ORGANIZATIONS IS: 26.3 %
73.7 %

60 40
% % GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
36.4 %
LEADING SUPPORTING 63.6 %

LEADING ROLE SUPPORTING ROLE

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 07

“DESIGN IS HOW IT WORKS”
STEVE JOBS
 01 A DESIGNER’S ROLE

DESIGN PLAYS A LEADING ROLE

AT 38.4% OF THE TOP 10%*
OF ORGANIZATIONS.

38.4
*COMPANIES WITH 2,000+ EMPLOYEES

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

DESIGNERS WHO EARN MORE THAN $75K

60.3 %
DESIGNERS WHO EARN LESS THAN $75K
54.5 %

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 08

02 DESIGNER WORKFLOW

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N
As design's role in business shifts and grows, so do the roles
designers fill—from research to project management and beyond.

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 09

 02 DESIGHER WORKFlOW

INVOLVING DESIGNERS -- IOfA GrnrnATION

IN CERTAIN KEY PROCESSES -- WIRffRAMING + STORYBOAROING

IS CRITICAL. -- VISUAl ornlGN
- - - PROTOTYPING
Organizations that want to expand design thinking's reach
must shift their priorities from product and departmental strategy -- RrnfARCH + VAllOATION
to the customer experience. Involving designers in certain key
processes is critical to achieving this shift.
PROJfCT MANAGfMrnT
-- OfVflOPMrnT
-- PRODUCT SUPPORT

PRESENTED BY IIIVISIOII 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 10

 02 DESIGNER WORKFLOW

HOW DESIGNERS DESIGNER INVOLVEMENT, BY PROCESS STAGE*

SPEND THEIR TIME IDEA GENER ATION

95.4 %

Designers’ roles have expanded to include early-stage planning, WIREFR AMING + STORYBOARDING
user research, ideation, and—for more than half of survey 91.7 %
respondents—project management.
VISUAL DESIGN
89.1 %
PROTOT YPING
87.7 %

25
RESEARCH + VALIDATION
DESIGNERS ARE INVOLVED
/ IN CODE DEVELOPMENT.
68.9 %
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
54.6 %
DEVELOPMENT
41.8 %
PRODUCT SUPPORT
32.4 %

*INCLUDES ALL DESIGNER ROLES

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 11

 02 DESIGNER WORKFLOW

DESIGNER TIME ALLOCATION

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.

Research + Validation
Project Management

Average Work Week

+ Storyboarding

Product Support
Idea Generation

Visual Design

Development
Wireframing

Prototyping
*DESIGNER ROLE DATA STANDARDIZED TO 100%

CONCEPTUAL DESIGNER 17.4% 14.8% 13.6% 21.0% 10.3% 4.6% 13.6% 2.9% 43 . 9 HRS

DEVELOPER / CODER 8.7% 8.5% 8.8% 11.9% 12.4% 30.7% 6.2% 7.3% 44.2 HRS

EXPERIENCE / INTERACTION DESIGNER 15.5% 8.0% 21.2% 19.0% 14.4% 6.0% 9.7% 3.9% 43 . 6 HRS

INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER 17.4% 8.0% 13.2% 17.1% 14.8% 14.8% 10.4% 0.8% 44.7 HRS

I N F O R M AT I O N A R C H I T E C T ( I A ) 12.3% 12.8% 16.1% 13.6% 13.1% 12.3% 10.0% 7.5% 42.6 HRS

MARKETING DESIGNER 14.1% 16.4% 9.3% 32.6% 6.2% 8.9% 8.9% 7.7% 43 . 7 HRS

PRODUCT DESIGNER 15.1% 8.9% 16.8% 21.9% 13.3% 6.8% 9.0% 4.7% 44.0 HRS

USABILITY TESTING OR RESEARCHER 16.4% 7.7% 12.1% 4.4% 9.0% 1.6% 45.3% 2.0% 4 2 .1 HRS

VISUAL DESIGNER 14.7% 7.3% 14.6% 33.1% 10.9% 7.4% 6.1% 3.7% 42.7 HRS

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 12

 02 DESIGNER WORKFLOW

HOW HIGHER-EARNING
DESIGNERS SPEND THEIR TIME* I D E A G E N E R AT I O N
98%
WIREFRAME/
STORYBOARDING
VISUAL DESIGN
98%
98%

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. PROTOTYPING RESEARCH/ PROJECT
92% VA L I D AT I O N MANAGEMENT
84% 71%

*BASED ON THE TOP 10% OF DESIGNERS WITH NET INCOMES OF $125K+

DEVELOPMENT PRODUCT SUPPORT

37% 22%

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 13

 02 DESIGNER WORKFLOW

IDEA GENER ATION

15 %
15 %

MALE AND FEMALE DESIGNERS

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
9%
9%
SPEND THEIR TIME ON DESIGN WIREFR AME + STORYBOARDING

PROCESSES SIMILARLY. 17 %
17 %

VISUAL DESIGN
21 %
PERCENTAGES ROUNDED; INCLUDES FULL-TIME, PART-TIME 25 %
AND SELF-EMPLOYED DESIGNERS
PROTOT YPING
13 %
12 %

DEVELOPMENT
9%
7 %

RESEARCH + VALIDATION
9%
10 %

PRODUCT SUPPORT + TROUBLESHOOTING

5% WOMEN MEN
4 %

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 14

 02 DESIGNER WORKFLOW

IDEA GENERATION : DESIGN IS USABILIT Y TESTING/RESEARCHERS

100 %

MORE THAN VISUAL PRODUCT DESIGNER

98 %
EXPERIENCE/INTER ACTION DESIGNER
96 %
All designer roles are highly involved in idea generation.
MARKETING DESIGNER
Designer involvement in roles typically reserved for non-designers suggests 95 %
design is being included in the strategic agenda, but some areas still
lag: product support + troubleshooting, research + validation, CONCEPTUAL DESIGNER
and development. 94 %
VISUAL DESIGNER
93 %
INFORMATION ARCHITECT
92 %
INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER
88 %
DEVELOPER/CODER
75 %

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 15

 02 DESIGNER WORKFLOW

PROJECT MANAGEMENT : DESIGNER INVOLVEMENT IN MANAGEMENT,

BY ORGANIZATION TYPE
DESIGNERS AS PROJECT STARTUPS

MANAGERS 61 %

FREELANCE/CONTR ACT ORGANIZATIONS

54 %
From keeping projects on track and on budget to ensuring client expectations
are fulfilled, involvement at the project management level shows designer IN-HOUSE (SMALL BUSINESSES)
roles are increasingly more client-facing. 53 %

Designer roles involved in project management are different by gender. 75% AGENCIES
of male conceptual designers and 65% of female marketing designers
50 %
exercise project management skills.

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
67% of highest-paid designers use project management skills daily.
46 %

EDUCATION COMPANIES
37 %

3/5 DESIGNERS ARE INVOLVED IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

AT ORGANIZATIONS WHERE DESIGN PLAYS A LEADING ROLE.
* NUMBERS ROUNDED UP OR DOWN TO THE NEAREST WHOLE INTEGER.

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 16

 02 DESIGNER WORKFLOW

PROTOTYPING :
PROTOTYPING IS PARAMOUNT

Design-centric organizations use prototypes early to visualize,

76
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.
%
The ability to create and recreate real-life test products shortens
design cycles—a huge plus for organizations looking to save time
and money.

76% OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS USE R APID PROTOT YPING TOOLS.

46% USE CODE-BASED PROTOT YPING TOOLS

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 17

 “PROTOTYPING IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE
MOST PRAGMATIC BEHAVIOR THE INNOVATIVE
FIRM CAN PRACTICE.”
MICHAEL SCHRAGE, INNOVATION EXPERT, RESEARCH FELLOW, MIT CENTER FOR DIGITAL BUSINESS
03 DESIGNER’S TOOLS

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N
The 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.

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 18

 03 DESIGNER’S TOOLS

DESIGN-CENTRIC ORGANIZATIONS IDEA GENER ATION

ANALOG TOOLS

KNOW TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL TOOLS

93 %

73 %

STOR AGE / VERSIONING

GENER AL SYNCING TOOLS
To create and execute sound design strategy, leaders must embrace the
importance of technology. Doing so means investing in tools that empower 83 %
designers to learn, improve, and iterate.
VISUAL DESIGN
LOCALLY INSTALLED APPLICATIONS
LEGEND 98 %
A N A L O G P E N , PA 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
WIREFR AMING / STORYBOARDING
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
REPURPOSED SCREEN DESIGN TOOLS
G E N E R A L S Y N C I N G D R O P B OX , G O O G L E D R I V E , B OX , I N V I S I O N , AW S , O N E D R I V E
81 %
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 ANALOG TOOLS
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 72 %
PROTOTYPING INVISION, FLINTO
PROTOT YPING
R 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
R APID PROTOT YPING TOOLS
76 %

COMMUNICATION / COLLABOR ATION

DEDICATED REAL-TIME MESSAGING
80 %

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 19

 03 DESIGNER’S TOOLS

THE DIFFERENCE TOOLS MAKE THE TOP 3 TOOLS THEY USE INCLUDE :

VISUAL DESIGN
DESIGNERS PREFERRED TO USE LOCALLY INSTALLED APPLICATIONS
Per tool used, designers work 10 minutes more and earn $41 more per week. 98.1 %
The top 10% of higher-earning designers use 21 tools and work 45.5
hours per week.
IDEA GENER ATION
DESIGNERS PREFERRED TO USE ANALOG TOOLS
94.3 %
* DATA IS AN AVER AGE; TOP DESIGNERS INCLUDE TOP 10%
OF $125K+ ANNUAL EARNERS
FILE STOR AGE AND VERSIONING
DESIGNERS PREFERRED TO USE GENER AL SYNCING TOOLS
91.5 %

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 , PA 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 OX , G O O G L E D R I V E , B OX , I N V I S I O N , AW S , O N E D R I V E , E T C .

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 20

 03 DESIGNER’S TOOLS

TESTING TECHNOLOGIES

Automated Testing Tools

Moderated Testing Tools

Screen Recording Tools

Asynchronous Data
Analyzation Tools
Testing is no longer the final step. Testing throughout the design and
development process enables teams to learn, experiment, and take risks as AGENCIES 38.2% 26.1% 13.3% 6.2%
they create. It provides potentially product-enhancing insight through each
E D U C AT I O N C O M PA N I E S 42.1% 21.1% 10.5% 5.3%
iterative round.

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 41.0% 20.5% 14.1% 9.6%

Overall, startups and small businesses are more likely to use testing tools,
compared to other organization types. G O V E R N M E N T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S 27.3% 18.2% 18.2% 0.0%

IN-HOUSE (SMALL BUSINESS) 49.4% 30.6% 23.0% 11.4%

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 S TA R T U P 44.2% 32.0% 11.4% 21.3%

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

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 21

04 DESIGN TEAMS

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N
Design 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.

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 22

 04 DESIGN TEAMS

ORGANIZATIONS BUILD THEIR

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

Education Companies

Freelance / Contract

(Small Businesses)
Organizations

Organizations
Government
Agencies

In-House

Startups

Other
What do today’s design teams look
like? Which roles make up design
teams across various organizations?
CONCEPTUAL DESIGNER 40.0% 0.0% 5.0% 0.0% 15.0% 35.0% 5.0%

ROLES THAT AMOUNTED TO 3% OR LESS DEVELOPER / CODER 40.0% 0.0% 15.4% 1.5% 13.8% 24.6% 4.6%
AND THOSE WITH 300 OR FEWER RESPONDENTS
EXCLUDED. EXPERIENCE / INTERACTION DESIGNER 25.0% 1.9% 9.9% 0.4% 30.7% 26.7% 5.3%

INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER 28.6% 0.0% 14.3% 0.0% 28.6% 14.3% 14.3%

I N F O R M AT I O N A R C H I T E C T ( I A ) 7.7% 7.7% 15.4% 0.0% 46.2% 23.1% 0.0%

MARKETING DESIGNER 22.5% 2.5% 5.0% 0.0% 37.5% 32.5% 0.0%

PRODUCT DESIGNER 10.7% 0.6% 7.1% 0.8% 26.2% 50.8% 3.8%

USABILITY TESTING OR RESEARCHER 4.5% 4.5% 0.0% 0.0% 50.0% 36.4% 4.5%

VISUAL DESIGNER 34.8% 0.7% 14.6% 1.0% 20.6% 24.7% 3.5%

OTHER 14.0% 0.0% 10.0% 0.0% 36.0% 36.0% 4.0%

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 23

 04 DESIGN TEAMS

WORK ENVIRONMENT 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.

43.5
Most designers work for companies with a corporate office or
headquarters.
HOURS PER WEEK
COMPANY, CORPORATE OFFICE
COMPANY, CORPOR ATE OFFICES, OR HQ
74.5 %

44.5
DISTRIBUTED TEAM: HOME OR REMOTELY HOURS PER WEEK
15.5% DISTRIBUTED TEAM, WORK FROM HOME
SHARED OFFICE OR CO-WORKING SPACE
9.9%

45.3
HOURS PER WEEK
SHARED OFFICE OR CO-WORKING SPACE

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 24

 04 DESIGN TEAMS

GENDER DIVERSITY STARTUPS

27.6 %
72.4 %

IN-HOUSE

Here is a gender breakdown of survey respondents, 34.2 %

based on where they work.
65.8 %

Men in general are more confident (62.8 percent versus 52.6 AGENCIES
percent) design plays a leading role at their organization, no 18.7 %
matter where they work. Women are far more likely to work as 81.3 %
in-house designers than as a freelancer or at an agency.
FREELANCE/CONTR ACT ORGANIZATIONS
19.8 %
80.2 %

OTHER (GOV’T & EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS)

BELIEVES DESIGN PLAYS A LEADING ROLE AT THEIR ORGANIZATION 40.0 %
52.6 % 60.0 %
62.8 %

WOMEN MEN

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 25

 04 DESIGN TEAMS
BECOME MUCH MORE DIVERSE 10 12 %

9 7%

DIVERSITY AS 8 23 %
A BUSINESS NEED
7 23 %

Overall, the design community is optimistic their teams will grow 6 16 %

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. NO CHANGE 5 15 %

43% of men feel strongly that their organizations will

become more diverse, compared to 40% of women.
4 1%

3 1%

2 1%

1 <1 %

BECOME LESS DIVERSE 0 <1 %

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 26

05 DESIGN LEADERSHIP

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N
As 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.

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 27

 05 DESIGN LEADERSHIP

AS DESIGN BECOMES MORE DESIGNER ROLES THAT SAY DESIGN PLAYS A LEADING ROLE

PRESENT IN BUSINESS ENTRY LEVEL DESIGNER

27 %
LEADERSHIP, DESIGNERS SUPERVISOR / MANAGER

INCREASINGLY SEE DESIGN AS 49 %

HAVING A CRITICAL ROLE AT

DIRECTOR
61 %

THEIR ORGANIZATION. VP
63 %

C-LEVEL
70 %
Within C-level design leadership, designers average
the longest hours—44.9 hours per week.

*NUMBERS ROUNDED, REPRESENT AVER AGES; FULL-TIME DESIGNERS (30+ HOURS PER WEEK)

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 28

“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
 05 DESIGN LEADERSHIP

SELF-EMPLOYED DESIGNERS SEE DESIGN

MEN AND WOMEN HAVE SIMILAR LEVELS OF DESIGN SENIORIT Y

AS HAVING HIGHER IMPORTANCE AT THE ENTRY LEVEL

7%
8%
COMPANIES THEY CONTRACT WITH THAN SUPERVISOR / MANAGER

IN-HOUSE DESIGNERS FEEL ABOUT THE 25 %

24 %

COMPANIES THEY WORK FOR. DIRECTOR

33 %
36 %

VP
12 %
DESIGN PLAYS A LEADING ROLE FOR 10 %

C-LEVEL
9%
10 %

83 %
SELF-EMPLOYED
DESIGNERS
58 %
FULL-TIME
DESIGNERS
51 %
PART-TIME
DESIGNERS
OTHER
14 %
12 %

WOMEN MEN

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 29

 05 DESIGN LEADERSHIP

DESIGN LEADERSHIP AT
GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION
ORGANIZATIONS VARIES. MOST
35
/
OF EDUCATION COMPANIES EMPLOY
DIRECTOR-LEVEL DESIGNERS.

EMPLOY MANAGER-AND
DIRECTOR-LEVEL DESIGNERS,
34
/
OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS HIRE
MANAGERIAL-LEVEL LEADERSHIP DESIGNERS.

BUT AT MOST GOVERNMENT

ORGANIZATIONS, THE HIGHEST
DESIGN GOES IS MID-LEVEL.
AT
75 %
OF GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE HIGHEST
DESIGN-ORIENTED ROLES ARE MID-LEVEL

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 30

06 DESIGNER SNAPSHOT

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N
Designers 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.

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 31

 06 DESIGNER SNAPSHOT

MEN AND WOMEN ARE MORE EVENLY REPRESENTED (±15%)

IN INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE, MARKETING DESIGN,
AND USABILITY TESTING ROLES.

WHO THEY ARE USABILIT Y TESTING MARKETING DESIGNER INFORMATION ARCHITECT CONCEPTUAL DESIGNER
FEMALE: 446 (26.9%) /RESEARCHER FEMALE: 56% FEMALE: 46% FEMALE: 40%
MALE: 1,211 (73.1%) FEMALE: 57% MALE: 44% MALE: 54% MALE: 60%
MALE: 43% 12% DIFFERENCE 8 % DI F FE R EN CE
1 4 % D I F F E R E NC E

VISUAL DESIGNER EXPERIENCE/INTER ACTION INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER PRODUCT DESIGNER DEVELOPER/CODER

FEMALE: 28% DESIGNER FEMALE: 25% FEMALE: 23% FEMALE: 9%
MALE: 72% FEMALE: 28% MALE: 75% MALE: 77% MALE: 91%
MALE: 72%

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 06 DESIGNER SNAPSHOT

WHERE THEY WORK WORK ENVIRONMENT

STARTUPS
36 %
Male and female designers are equally likely to work at startups. IN-HOUSE
27 %

37 36
AGENCIES
% % 21%
WOMEN MEN
FREELANCE/CONTR ACT WORKERS
10%

ALL RESPONSES AF TER EXCLUSIONS; REMAINING 6 PERCENT WORK FOR

EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 33

 06 DESIGNER SNAPSHOT

WHERE DO TOP-EARNING DESIGNERS* LIVE?

SAN FR ANCISCO OAKLAND LOS ANGELES NEW YORK

88 % 62% 7% 7% 16%
USA

57 %
CALIFORNIA

*Top 10% of designers who

earn $125K+ annually;
numbers rounded

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 34

 06 DESIGNER SNAPSHOT

87% OF DESIGNERS
ARE EMPLOYED FULL-TIME

Self-employed designers make 3.7% more than full-time

designers regardless of where they work.
87 %

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 35

 06 DESIGNER SNAPSHOT

PART-TIME VERSUS FULL-TIME EDUCATION LEVEL INCREASES BY GENDER

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.

How do designers learn? It’s almost evenly split between educated BACHELOR’S
and self-taught designers. 60% of all designers hold a Bachelor’s degree.
71.5 %
55.8 %

51 49
MASTER’S
% % 17.3 %
16.9 %
FORMAL SELF-
BACKGROUND TAUGHT DOCTOR ATE
0.9 %
0.6 %

WOMEN MEN

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 36

07 DESIGNER’S COMPENSATION

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N
Across roles and organization types, compensation for
designers varies.

2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 37

 07 DESIGNER’S COMPENSATION

DESIGN SALARIES,
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

BY THE NUMBERS companies employ director-level leadership, their design salaries are
comparably low.

CONCEPTUAL DESIGNER $47,432 $40,000

The average annual salary for a designer is $80,606. The highest-paid $59,836 $60,000
DEVELOPER / CODER
designers work at startups or in-house (small businesses).
EXPERIENCE / INTERACTION DESIGNER $74,746 $70,000

$ 72,912 FREELANCE/CONTRACT $ 79,889 STARTUPS INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER $44,214 $50,000

I N F O R M AT I O N A R C H I T E C T $72,256 $55,000
$ 60,611 EDUCATION COMPANIES $ 84,438 IN-HOUSE MARKETING DESIGNER $44,730 $43,500

PRODUCT DESIGNER $89,229 $80,000

$ 55,727 GOVERNMENT ORGS $ 63,900 AGENCIES
USABILITY TESTING OR RESEARCHER $87,270 $83,750

VISUAL DESIGNER $57,995 $51,000

Mean

Median
P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 38
 07 DESIGNER’S COMPENSATION

AVERAGE DESIGNER
SALARIES, BY GENDER

Female
Male
AND ORGANIZATION TYPE
AGENCIES $63,406 $61,389

E D U C AT I O N C O M PA N I E S $62,364 $52,763

SELF-EMPLOYED $70,857 $61,681

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
$79,372
G O V E R N M E N T O R G A N I Z AT I O N S $56,125 $54,667
FULL-TIME
IN-HOUSE (SMALL BUSINESS) $86,694 $78,637
$76,544
* 30+ hours per week S TA R T U P S $77,614 $79,517

When compared to their full-time counterparts, self-employed Men, on average, are paid slightly more than women. For men, an average
designers are more likely to be self-taught: 59.4% vs 47.3% and salary of $77, 123 with a median of $70,000. For women, an average salary
less likely to have a Bachelor’s degree: 50.3% vs 62.2% of $76,014 with a median of $68,000.

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 39

 07 DESIGNER’S COMPENSATION

DOES EDUCATION IMPACT

SALARY? Designers with doctorates earn marginally less than those with
bachelor’s degrees.

ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE
Designers with formal training earn 4.6% higher annual $60,595
salaries than those who are self-taught.
BACHELOR’S DEGREE
$ 8 3 ,45 0
DESIGNER WITH A DEGREE
$78,061 MASTER’S DEGREE
$89,385
SELF-TAUGHT DESIGNER
$ 74 , 6 57 DOCTOR ATE

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

$ 7 9 , 5 45

Designers without formal college or university degrees The highest earning designers both with and without degrees hold
are 27% less likely to be among the top earners in the following titles:
their field.
EXPERIENCE/INTER ACTION DESIGNER
* Top 10% of designers with $125K+ annual salaries
PRODUCT DESIGNER

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 40

 07 DESIGNER’S COMPENSATION

WEEKLY DEMANDS MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

49.3 HRS
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
38.4 HRS
KIEV, UKR AINE
49.2 HRS

Around the globe, designers are putting in more hours than

the average work week typically demands.

Average time worked each week around the world is

43 hours.

ap
Time 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 WORK
MORE THAN 40 HOURS A WEEK PORTLAND, OR CHARLOT TE, NC MIAMI, FL
39.1 HRS 39.1 HRS 50.4 HRS

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 41

 07 DESIGNER’S COMPENSATION

DESIGNER BENEFIT PACKAGES

Full-time designer benefits are generally limited to compensation
for health care and out-of-office time. Relocation expenses,
education benefits, or gym plans are far less common.

VACATION TIME PAID HOLIDAYS/FLEX TIME SICK TIME HEALTH CARE PLAN 401(K) RETIREMENT
85% 80% 75% 75% 55%

LIFE INSUR ANCE/ GYM MEMBERSHIP TUITION REIMBURSEMENT RELOCATION BENEFITS CHILD/ELDER-CARE BENEFITS
DISABILIT Y 24% 19% 18% 13%
45%

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 42

 07 DESIGNER’S COMPENSATION

FACTORS FOR PROFESSIONAL

HAPPINESS
What factors impact a designer’s decision to accept a new position?

PROFESSIONAL GROW TH QUALIT Y OF WORK ACCOMPLISHED WORK-LIFE BALANCE LOCATION ROOM FOR ADVANCEMENT
81% 80% 71% 60% 59%

EMPLOYER’S REPUTATION VARIET Y OF WORK RETIREMENT PLAN OTHER (PAY-RELATED)

49% 46% 16% 8%

P R E S E N T E D BY I N V I S I O N 2016 PRODUCT DESIGN REPORT 43

 BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
To 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

P R E S E N T E D BY 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 — BY I N V I S I O N