Early in my career, I obsessed over how things looked. Colors, grids, harmony. But one client project — a beautiful website with a 78% bounce rate — changed everything. We redesigned with a focus on user flow, CTA placement, and emotional messaging. Bounce dropped to 29%.

That’s when I realized: good design solves problems. It drives outcomes. Thinking like a product person means asking the right questions: What’s the user’s goal? Where do they hesitate? What does success look like?

Now, every project begins with goals. Conversion, retention, onboarding — these are design challenges. The pixels are tools, not the product. Aligning with product thinking makes your work more impactful, more strategic, and more respected in the room.