I suggest that having to perform the task of product design
is blitheringly obvious to many journeymen programmers, who
regrettably don't yet have the legal authority to defenestrate
those who interfere with good software design.
Can it really be almost 15 years ago that Jack Reeves wrote his now-famous piece for C++ Journal (
http://www.bleading-edge.com/Publications/C++Journal/Cpjour2.htm), putting the case that programming IS design (and "build" is just what the compiler does)?
Perhaps if one went through the Product Design article and replaced "(Implicitly Dumb) Programmer" with "Compiler", and "Designer" with "(Competent) Programmer", one would get an interesting variation.
