The Pivot From Pixels to Product
“Pivot”. Ugh. Business jargon. I know, I know… but here we are. After years of working “on the business side” of product, I’ve often wondered if I sold out.
I realized early, while still in design school, that I was a good but not great designer; at the time I was a far better front-end Web developer than designer, and I never imagined given my background that I had a future in business.
Those were the days of late-night Photoshop marathons and the thrill of getting both Internet Explorer and Firefox to render pixel-perfect CSS layouts the same way (finally). I used to obsess over the little things: kerning, grid alignment, and how to write code as beautiful as the website design itself. Craftsmanship was important to me. I loved the game.
I didn’t know what a “product manager” was then and, as far as I can tell, “Product Manager” as we know the role today only really became a thing sometime around 2007. Fast-forward to 2012 and I accepted my first “Product Manager” job after growing tired of taking orders from others (here’s the roadmap, do it) and hitting a salary plateau. I really accepted the job for the wrong reasons: the promise of power and money.
Truth be told, product management roles do generally deliver on these promises. Product managers are well paid, and the role inherently gives you a certain amount of “power” (to “decide” what other people will work on). But with great power comes great responsibility—responsibility to your clients, your colleagues, and yourself. The multitude of articles about communication, collaboration, and empathy being essential for excelling as a product manager in 2025 are 100% correct.
Here’s the twist: these qualities are often ingrained in a designer’s very essence. Turns out, the talent and passion that led me to study design, and the soft skills I learned as a working as a Web developer, were actually my superpowers all along.
During these early days of my career I learned to listen closely to clients, understand their needs, and translate abstract ideas into tangible solutions. I learned how to collaborate with developers and marketers, to bridge gaps, and to speak everyone’s language. And most importantly, I learned empathy—not just for users, but for the people I worked with every day.
Now, as someone leading product teams, I believe having a design background is more than just an asset—it’s a secret weapon. So much of product management comes down to advocating for the user and ensuring that functionality doesn’t overshadow usability. Designers bring a unique perspective to the table. We’re trained to see both the forest and the trees, to balance aesthetics with functionality, and to bridge the gap between what users want and what’s possible to build.
Reinventing yourself is challenging, but in today’s job market, it’s increasingly essential to do so regularly. If you’re a designer who has been thinking of moving into product management at all now is a great time to expand your job search. Don’t forget…
- User-centric thinking is your superpower – As a designer, you live and breathe the user experience. You think about flow, friction points, and the emotional response a user will have to what you create. When I prioritize features or debate trade-offs, I’m always asking, “How does this impact the user?” A well-designed product isn’t just functional; it’s intuitive, empowering, and enjoyable.
- Storytelling gives you a strategic advantage – Good design tells a story, and as a designer, you’re constantly pitching ideas to clients or stakeholders. This skill translates seamlessly to product management. Whether I’m presenting a roadmap or advocating for a new feature, I know how to frame ideas in a way that resonates. The difference now is that my “designs” are product strategies. The colors and typography have been swapped for charts and user feedback, but the goal is the same: craft something compelling that aligns with both the user’s needs and the company’s goals.
- Constraints are nothing new to you – Designers are used to tight deadlines, limited budgets, and navigating tricky feedback. That ability to thrive within boundaries prepared me for the balancing act of product management, where every decision involves trade-offs. Sometimes, you can’t build everything you want, and that’s okay. Just like I once turned a client’s “meh” feedback into a final website I was proud of (that met their needs), I now find creative ways to prioritize features and deliver value, even with limited resources.
The leap from designer to product manager might not be the most common career path, but for me, it was the perfect fit. I still get to solve problems, collaborate with talented people, and create things that make life easier (and maybe a little more delightful) for others.
Looking back now I realize that I didn’t sell out—I leveled up. Product management wasn’t about abandoning my values and design principles for power or profit. It was about expanding them into new territory, applying the same obsession with detail and craft to entire products, teams, and strategies. And for designers considering a similar shift, let me tell you: you’ve already got the skills and experience to be a product manager—you just need to reframe them.
