Does Product Design Not Mean Industrial Design Now?

It’s interesting that these terms can be interpreted completely differently depending on whether one party is in or out of the design community. Inside I have found “product design” to overwhelmingly refer to UI/UX these days. When I’m explaining what I do to someone outside the community, though, I often use “product design.” In casual conversation it’s more straightforward and a better descriptor than “industrial design,” which is almost always misinterpreted as something akin to designing factories. In fact, if you asked her, my grandmother would still tell you I’m an industrial engineer. She only ever hears the word “industrial” and associates that with engineering. Neither “industrial” nor “product” seems to be the perfect descriptor.