Understanding Design Disciplines

What is?

Five distinct disciplines, each with unique skills and focus areas, working together across the product lifecycle.

UX Design

Understanding user needs & behaviours

  • User research & interviews
  • Journey mapping & user flows
  • Wireframing & prototyping
Research insightsPersonasWireframesTest reports

UI Design

Visual interface & interaction design

  • Visual design & styling
  • Component design systems
  • Iconography & illustration
High-fidelity mockupsDesign systemsStyle guidesAsset libraries

Product Design

End-to-end design ownership

  • Feature definition & scoping
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • Design strategy alignment
Feature specsDesign proposalsRoadmap inputSuccess metrics

Service Design

Holistic experience across touchpoints

  • Service blueprinting
  • Cross-channel journey mapping
  • Front & backstage alignment
Service blueprintsJourney mapsEcosystem mapsOpportunity frameworks

Content Design

Words, structure & communication

  • Microcopy & UI text
  • Information hierarchy
  • Voice & tone guidelines
Content guidelinesCopy decksTerminology standardsHelp content
Product Lifecycle

When Each Discipline Contributes

Each design discipline has specific phases where they contribute most. Hover over a phase to see which roles are active.

No discipline works in isolation. The strongest outcomes come from overlapping contributions — where research informs structure, structure shapes interface, and content ties it all together. Click any cell above to see exactly how each role contributes in each phase.