Can a Product Designer Become a Game UX/UI Designer?

After switching to the Gaming Industry, from time to time, I come across the question: what is the main difference between a Product Designer and a UX/UI Designer? Or is it possible for one to effectively handle the role of the other? So I gathered some thoughts on the subject and decided to share them with you guys. PRODUCT DESIGN vs UX/UI Product Design has always been about problem-solving, understanding how things work and behave, and improving, changing, or adjusting them to make them better (or worse). The main goal of Product Design is to align user needs with business goals . UX/UI Design in Games has always been focused on the player’s experience. Regardless of what they are called nowadays, games are not just products. They meant to entertain, to make players feel something, whether that's good, bad or something in between. Experience matters in Product Design too, but not to the same extent as in UX/UI Design in Games . Product Design relies heavily on universal patterns and flows, and can, therefore, feel a little soulless and repetitive. With Games, it's different. Games are all about all kinds of experiences, and most of the time, the player’s journey within any game starts with the UX/UI Design . Whether he launches the game, waits for the next step while the screen is loading, or looks through the menu. Experience should be seamless; it shouldn’t pull the player out of the story. In other words, it should help overcome issues, not create new ones. ART DIRECTION This is why we, as UX/UI designers, rely on Art Direction in Games. Art Direction helps a lot to craft a mood, create visual storytelling - something that can't be solved with universal patterns and flows. As I mentioned above, Games are entertainment, not Products (at least from my perspective), so there's always plenty of narrative, game design, and art disciplines involved because you and your team are crafting unique experiences. While yes, story, mechanics and everything around the game loop matter, Art Direction and UX/UI are the most “in-your-face” things in games. I like this very cool example where Art Direction meets UX/UI in a very unique way - the symbolism of the Prey game goes from Main Screen to Inventory. You don't have your typical Grid Inventory in Prey; it was made in a non-conventional way and looks like a spiral staircase. Is it a good solution? Probably not, but a) it has a unique visual aesthetic, b) experience behind interaction creates a sense that it is part of the world of Prey. You don't have such a thing in Products, while yes, if you want to stand out on the market, you need to pursue a unique look, but the problem will always be efficiency and business goals. PRODUCT DESIGNER IN GAMES Could a product designer's perspective be helpful in a Game Dev Company ? Absolutely! And I think in some cases and for certain types of games, like “game as a service,” for example, or anything on the mobile games market, development would benefit from having a Product Designer on the team. Why? Well, because it's a different breed of games, and most of the time, they have very similar User Journeys and flows. Call of Duty is a prime example of how a Game became a product, and now you can't drastically change UX/UI because the audience has gotten used to certain patterns/flows/behaviour. This is where a Product Designer could shine. So, to sum up. Is it possible for a Product Designer to effectively handle the role of the UX/UI Designer ? From my own experience, I would say, yes - your knowledge around working in a product can be very helpful in a Gaming Company, especially if you choose a certain type of game (or market) as shown in the example above. But you need to keep in mind one thing if you choose to switch - you are not a Product Designer anymore. While you still have a goal to make a very intuitive, good UX/UI, your new main goal is to make your next design part of the player's journey or part of the player’s experience. \ \ \