What do product designers do in an AI company?
2022/03/18⏱ 15mins -
Jamie (Content Marketer)
이 글은 <업스테이지 토크_디자인 커피챗 (영상 비공개)>를 재구성하여 작성되었습니다.
-
✔️ THOSE WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT AI PRODUCT DESIGN
✔️ Those who are curious about the role and work of a designer in a technology-oriented company
✔️ Those who are curious about the upstage design team’s work method, culture, and talent
-
WHAT KIND OF WORK DOES THE PRODUCT DESIGN TEAM OF AN AI COMPANY HAVE AND WHAT KIND OF CULTURE DOES IT HAVE? YOU CAN CHECK THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF BEING A DESIGNER IN AN AI COMPANY, WHERE THE UPSTAGE AI PRODUCT DESIGN TEAM LEAD ANSWERS DIRECTLY, AS WELL AS THE COLLABORATION CULTURE AND RECRUITMENT CONDITIONS.
-
✔️ Introduce yourself and your team
✔️ WHAT IS AI PRODUCT DESIGN?
✔️ LEVEL OF DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE FOR AI PRODUCT DESIGN
✔️ AI PRODUCT DESIGN CHALLENGES
✔️ Collaboration with developers and culture
✔️ What is the design team of a technology-focused company?
✔️ The difference between a large company and a startup
✔️ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN B2B AND B2C COMPANIES
✔️ Pros and cons of remote working
✔️ FELLOW AWARD FOR AI PRODUCT DESIGN TEAM
entering
Hello. Upstage is so hot. But what about designers? As the upstage awareness increases, many inquiries regarding recruitment have been received. Thank you again. Among them, many of you may be curious about which designers are hired by AI companies and what roles they play. This part was written to answer those questions. In AI companies, technology-oriented job groups are given preference, and a culture centered on them is not formed. Fold these questions finely and go up to the sky. Don't miss out on the role, culture, and recruitment of upstage designers from the designers of AI companies.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, THERE ARE TWO TEAMS IN THE UPSTAGE DESIGN TEAM. THE BRAND DESIGN TEAM AND THE AI PRODUCT DESIGN TEAM. IN ORDER TO CAREFULLY CONVEY DIFFERENT TASKS AND CULTURES FOR EACH TEAM, WE CONDUCTED A Q&A ON THE 'AI PRODUCT DESIGN TEAM'.
📍 Please briefly introduce yourself and your team.
HELLO. MY NAME IS JOOHEE YOON, UX DESIGNER FROM THE 'AI PRODUCT DESIGN TEAM' OF THE DESIGN TEAM. I JOINED UPSTAGE EARLIER THIS YEAR. PREVIOUSLY, I WAS IN CHARGE OF PLANNING THE NAVER PAPAGO AI TRANSLATION SERVICE FOR A LONG TIME.
CURRENTLY, OUR DESIGN TEAM CONSISTS OF 6 PEOPLE, DIVIDED INTO TWO DIVISIONS, WITH 2 PEOPLE FROM THE BX TEAM AND 4 PEOPLE FROM THE AI PRODUCT DESIGN TEAM (UX, UI). WE PLAN TO CONTINUE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE. WE PLAN TO INVITE PEOPLE WITH VARIOUS SPECIALTIES, SUCH AS UX DESIGNERS, VISUAL DESIGNERS, ETC.
📍 WHAT IS AI PRODUCT DESIGN?
YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM PRODUCT DESIGN. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THAT 'AI PRODUCT DESIGN' IS UNFAMILIAR TO MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE AI IS ATTACHED TO THE FRONT OF THE WORD. THINK OF PRODUCT DESIGN AS A BIG CATEGORY. IF YOU ARE DESIGNING AND DESIGNING ANY PRODUCT THAT INCLUDES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY, YOU FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY. NOW, WITH MY OWN DEFINITION, I WILL TALK ONLY ABOUT THE IT FIELD. PRODUCT DESIGN IN THE FIELD OF IT SERVICES SEEMS TO BE BROADLY DIVIDED INTO THREE CATEGORIES.
First, AI technology itself is a good that becomes a service . Services such as Papago and Clover Notes are examples.
Second, it is a 'goods in which AI technology adds value to traditional business models' . Take Netflix and Spotify as examples. The video and music industries are companies that have maximized the value of their services by introducing artificial intelligence (customized curation through a recommendation algorithm) into their business models.
Lastly, it is a ‘good that delivers AI technology itself to users’ . This is a service that introduces AI technology and delivers the technology to customers who want to use it. Upstage applies here. In this way, designing and designing all goods that can be made into products using AI technology can be defined as 'AI product design'. Upstage's AI product design team is participating in the commercialization of Document AI, etc., along with the development team.
If you are curious about the products Upstage is creating, please check the Document AI tab.
📍 HOW MUCH DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE IS REQUIRED TO DESIGN AI PRODUCTS?
THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE IS NOT REQUIRED. THIS IS BECAUSE THE HIGHER THE UNDERSTANDING OF AI TECHNOLOGY, THE BETTER THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF THE PRODUCT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN. HOWEVER, IT IS TRUE THAT THERE ARE BARRIERS TO ENTRY IN THE AI FIELD AT THIS POINT, AND IT IS NOT EASY TO RECRUIT PEOPLE WITH SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE. SO, WHEN HIRING DESIGNERS, WE DON'T ASK FOR DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE OR CHECK IT WITH A BIG DEAL. SO DID I. THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AI FIELD, BUT I COULDN'T SAY THAT I HAD A HIGH LEVEL OF DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE. AFTER JOINING UPSTAGE, I HAVE BEEN STUDYING WITH MANY PEOPLE AND ACCUMULATING KNOWLEDGE WITH THE HELP OF COLLEAGUES AROUND ME.
UPSTAGE WAS SURPRISINGLY WELL EQUIPPED FOR INTERNAL AI TRAINING. IT SEEMS TO BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE ALL INTERNAL MEMBERS AGREE WITH ONE MIND THAT IN ORDER TO CREATE A HIGH-QUALITY AI SERVICE, A LEVEL OF TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING ABOVE A CERTAIN LEVEL IS REQUIRED. THEREFORE, NOT ONLY DEVELOPMENT STAFF, BUT ALSO DESIGN, MARKETING, AND PEOPLE AND CULTURE TEAMS CAN SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHTS AND GROW BY SHARING INFORMATION WITH EACH OTHER. SINCE EVERYONE HAS AN OPEN MIND, THERE IS NO NEED TO FEEL BURDENED EVEN IF THERE ARE PARTS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW OR NEED. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND BELIEF THAT YOU CAN SUFFICIENTLY INTERNALIZE THESE TECHNOLOGIES, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GRADUALLY BUILD UP YOUR DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE.
📍 What problems are you facing when designing the technical services that Upstage presents?
We are fiercely commercializing the AI Pack that Upstage is making for a quick market launch. There are difficulties with this process. That's because Upstage's service is close to a solution, so there is no reference product in the current market. What Upstage is doing is close to pioneering a new field that has never been seen in the world, so there seems to be a lack of reference objects when designing or designing. If this is a challenge, you can call it a challenge. In the case of overseas, there are companies that are trying similar services, but it is safe to say that there are no cases of services perfectly similar to Upstage. As a result, various research methods and attempts are being made to design abstract things from the ignorant state. Even with these concerns, I think I can work with a sense of satisfaction and pride that I am doing new challenges and innovations together.
TO TELL YOU ONE MORE THING, I AM THINKING ABOUT DESIGN THAT CAN CONVEY THE VALUE OF TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTS TO USERS. THIS PART IS GRADUALLY BEING RESOLVED AS THE UNDERSTANDING OF AI TECHNOLOGY INCREASES. THE MORE WE UNDERSTAND AI TECHNOLOGY, THE MORE WE SEEM TO BE SPECIFYING THE BEST WAY TO REACH USERS WHO WILL USE IT. EVEN AT THIS TIME, I AM GETTING A LOT OF HELP FROM THE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE MAKING PRODUCTS TOGETHER, AND I AM ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE LIKE LIGHTNING. UPSTAGE DEVELOPERS HAVE THE BEST TECHNOLOGY AND EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY. THEY TELL ME WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW LIKE A TUTOR, AND I'M LEARNING A LOT IN THE PROCESS OF THINKING AND DISCUSSING TOGETHER TO CREATE THE BEST PRODUCT. UPSTAGE'S GREAT STRENGTH IS THE CULTURE OF GIVING AND RECEIVING HELP, AND SHARING INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE, EVEN IF THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES.
📍 How about your fellow developers? Tell us about how you collaborate with developers.
A product designer is a profession that works very closely with developers. Designers do upfront work, including research on products that will come to market. However, after a certain level of research work, we work with developers until the product is completed. We also share a lot of opinions with developers at all stages of work before service design. When composing user scenarios, information architectures, wireframes, etc., we come up with ideas and build a big skeleton. Since we've been collaborating from the beginning, I think we can choose the best option for how our results should come out.
BECAUSE OF SUCH A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE, IT SEEMS THAT PRODUCTS IN WHICH ALL PARTICIPANTS HAVE OWNERSHIP CAN COME OUT. IN ORDER TO FORM A CONSENSUS ABOUT THE PRODUCTS WE CREATE TOGETHER AT EVERY MOMENT, UX AND DEVELOPMENT DO NOT SEPARATE WORK, BUT WORK IN CONSTANT COLLABORATION. BECAUSE OF THIS CULTURE, THE IMPORTANCE OF CO-WORKERS WHO ARE COMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER IS EMPHASIZED. AS MUCH AS COLLABORATION WITH OTHER TEAMS HAS, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, AND FEEDBACK SEEM TO BE VERY IMPORTANT. DEVELOPERS WITH UPSTAGE SKILLS AND PERSONALITY ARE WORKING TOGETHER. THERE ARE MANY SUCH WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN REPORTED IN THE MEDIA, SO IT IS THE BEST PLACE TO SHARE EACH OTHER'S DIVERSE EXPERIENCES. THERE ARE DEVELOPERS FROM AMAZON, FACEBOOK, AND GOOGLE WHO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN GLOBAL COLLABORATION, SO WE ARE EXPERIENCING A LOT OF LEARNING IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION.
📍 What about the design team of a technology-focused company?
YOU SEEM TO BE MOST CURIOUS ABOUT THIS PART. PREVIOUSLY, I WAS IN CHARGE OF PLANNING THE NAVER PAPAGO AI TRANSLATION SERVICE, SO I WAS A MEMBER OF A TEAM WITH HIGH TECHNICAL IMPORTANCE. IT WAS A QUESTION MANY PEOPLE ASKED WHEN MOVING TO UPSTAGE, A COMPANY WITH UNRIVALED TECHNOLOGY IN AI. AREN'T THESE COMPANIES WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS IMPORTANT AND DESIGN IS NEGLECTED? IN FACT, THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. DEVELOPERS KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE THAT, FOR TECHNOLOGY TO SHINE, IT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO MAKE USERS USE IT WELL. THEREFORE, IT IS AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH DESIGN THAT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE USER AS MUCH AS TECHNOLOGY IS RECOGNIZED AS VERY IMPORTANT. DESIGN ALSO PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN DELIVERING THE VALUE OF TECHNOLOGY TO USERS. TO DO THAT, DESIGNERS ALSO NEED A DEEP INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING OF TECHNOLOGY. IF THESE THINGS ARE AGREED UPON AT THE COMPANY LEVEL, IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT DESIGN IS CONSIDERED LESS IMPORTANT THAN TECHNOLOGY. EVEN UPSTAGE, EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT WHETHER DESIGN IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR EXCELLENT TECHNOLOGY TO BE DELIVERED TO USERS.
As I mentioned earlier, it is important for designers to be familiar with AI technology. Designers must also continue to study. There are advantages to working at a technology-oriented company, especially in the upstage. This means that the company is making efforts to provide diverse information and knowledge in all directions. Currently, I am learning various unfamiliar technologies to create a product called Document AI. At this time, the company provides solid support so that you can fully learn about new artificial intelligence technology. And there are many people who help to ensure that such technology is implemented well in terms of design. No matter how technology-centric a company is, everyone feels that value does not occur if the technology does not reach users. This is especially true for companies with high technological capabilities. For this reason, we provide a variety of support to help you design a design that combines technology and value.
📍 You have work experience in both large companies and startups, what is the difference?
As I have experienced both large companies and startups, I will share my personal experiences and feelings. I think the biggest difference between large companies and startups is their momentum and sense of speed . After joining Upstage, I was surprised at how quickly it was possible to work like that, and the tremendous momentum. In retrospect, I think it was thanks to the culture of upstage. It seems to have been possible because there was a culture of fast implementation first and sharing later. It seems to be a case of the same line of thinking about various contents such as Coffee Chat soon after it was said that an additional manpower of the design team was needed. If it was a large company, it would have gone through a vertical approval process, but upstage, such a process is not complicated, so the speed of work seems to be extraordinary. The same is true for decision-making. Because it is a structure where you can quickly share the parts to be confirmed and make a decision, it is more efficient to derive results. Such momentum and speed seem to be difficult for large corporations to keep up with.
Another difference is the 'RnR' part. Unlike large corporations that only have to focus on one task, startups seem to have no choice but to become all-rounders. Apparently, there are parts that are not as well-organized as large corporations, and there are situations where one person has to cover multiple domains. Obviously there are difficulties. However, it is also true that as an all-rounder, you can achieve tremendous growth in a short period of time. As we enter our 10th year of corporate life, is there a time when we sometimes move away from growth? I had an idea. However, it is surprising to me that after coming to Upstage, I feel that there are still many unknown fields, and that I am growing in various ways by leading collaboration with related departments to make one product. I can confidently say that I am having a positive experience of being an all-rounder who can see my surroundings with this wider field of view.
📍 IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY YOU WORK AS A DESIGNER IN B2B AND B2C COMPANIES?
I'VE BEEN IN B2C FOR A LONG TIME, AND NOW I'M NEW TO B2B. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE I FELT WHILE WORKING IN BOTH PLACES.
The first is 'user accessibility' . Unlike B2C, where users are face-to-face, users in B2B are often behind buyers, so they don't have many face-to-face opportunities. So I think more about how to get good feedback from users. In the case of B2C, there were many routes to collect direct feedback, such as click logs and user surveys, but in B2B, it is difficult to grasp user feedback through these routes. So we need to change our perspective on how we gather feedback. In the product design stage, we are considering not only the design, but also how to collect user feedback after launch. This part can be quite challenging, but since you can't feel real user feedback, you can think and try to get feedback and broaden the scope of your thinking.
Second, 'considering the buyer's experience' . In the case of B2C, we design products with a focus on end users who will use them directly. Because the buyer is the user. So the user experience of the product was paramount. But the case of B2B is different. Buyers and end users often do not match. A design and design that considers the experience of the 'buyer', which is another intermediate gate, beyond the actual user is required. As a designer, the range of things to consider has broadened.
The last is 'customer purchase hurdles' . In the case of B2C, it is possible to attract customers and generate profits through continuous communication with customers, gradual development and feedback. B2B customers, on the other hand, have a clear purchase purpose and goal to achieve. Therefore, the economic value of the goods must already be guaranteed to some extent, and the economic value and your purpose must be met to induce the purchase stage. This means that the value of the money paid must be guaranteed by the experience of the product, and if the experience is not satisfactory, it is difficult to lock in our service. As customer hurdles are high, comprehensive consideration in terms of value from design, development, and design is required so that a product with a satisfactory business impact is released.
📍 Upstage all employees work remotely, so please let me know if there are any advantages or disadvantages.
The trend in the IT industry is towards remote work. Remote work seems to be an important value for career selection and job change. The biggest advantage of remote working is that most work schedules are set up for regular meetings in advance, and the rest of the time is freely used. In order not to reduce communication due to the company-wide online environment, I often meet with co-workers at a set time. So, although there are quite a few regular meetings, we are carefully arranging so that there is not a shortage of personal free work time.
Of course, there are times when I feel sorry for the lack of opportunities to meet with colleagues in person through remote work. We cannot ignore the fact that face-to-face work helps build rapport between co-workers. Still, we are resolving our dissatisfaction through various activities within the company. Upstage, there are fun activities such as Bob Stage (a place where teams of 4 people eat together once a month) and Backstage (1:1 tea time with various members every week). If there is something that needs to be met offline, we also freely hold offline meetings and workshops. On the UX side, offline workshops are sometimes held because work efficiency increases when you face-to-face in the initial ideation work. We get together and have a heated discussion. Other tasks seem to be sufficiently covered through business collaboration tools and video conferencing.
📍 Lastly, tell us about a colleague you would like to work with.
I think the most necessary competency for a UX designer is the ability to identify problems . Beyond problem solving, I admire people who understand the situation and actively discover and define hidden problems and meanings. We are trying to find out what kind of problem you found during the interview process, and how you define those problems. If you are a person who is full of curiosity and challenge for new learning, I would like to join with you with a happy heart.
And above all else, ' collaboration ' and 'communication' with co-workers are important. In particular, our team works closely with developers. For this reason, if you have experience collaborating with other departments or multiple people in an interview, we focus on how you communicated. Currently, various positions are listed. What you focus on is slightly different for each position. The UX side is checking the portfolio focusing on problem solving. (For reference, all of the AI product design team members said that their undergraduate major was not design) However, the UI and GUI design positions are more visually checked in the portfolio.
concluding
So far, we've looked at how product designers at AI companies are working. I hope that today's content has been able to resolve some of the questions you've had in the past. At Upstage, all occupational groups are working together toward a common goal, practicing the value of One Team . 🙂 If you want to build a great career upstage, don't hesitate to find out through the links below. In the next part, we will take a look at branding designers in AI companies. thank you
Announcements currently being recruited
AI Product Designer (UX Design) *
AI Product Designer (UI/GUI Design) *
Brand Designer (Product experience)
* INDICATES AI PRODUCT DESIGN TEAM.
-
Under the mission of 'Making AI beneificial', Upstage is developing AI products such as OCR Pack and Recommendation Pack to create a better world with AI. Upstage is working with leading designers with various backgrounds and experiences. Experience new career growth opportunities with them right now! Support line, worry after!