I interview designers, here are 5 things I look for.

I am a designer, and so I know that if I’m hiring a designer, I’m in search of answers.

By comparison, when I am in search of a type of candidate to fill a specific need, I’m looking for a shape. My need has a shape, and so my candidate, to an extent, should fit that shape.

Design, however, is not a need. Design is an ecosystem that grows out of a healthy infrastructure, and can only exist if you have the right foundation, as well as the right talent. The shape of design is abstract and evolving, and so the candidate I’m looking for must have the resolve to handle the flow of design, and to cultivate that foundation.

Show your work

Right from the start, if you don’t have finished work with you, don’t show up to the interview. Otherwise, bring a laptop or tablet, have screens ready to swipe through, and practice talking through your swipes.

If I’m your interviewer, and I tell you not to bring design work, bring design work. Insist to me that I need to see your work to fully recognize who you are as a designer. Your work should be an extension of your voice, and I have no right to take part of your voice away.

Bring print, digital, GitHub, and articles you wrote. Have the content loaded and ready, organize your browser tabs and windows, and remember where everything is, even if you don’t need it all.

If you find yourself in a position where your interviewer truly does not want or care to see your work, and is only interested in checking boxes on a list, run. It won’t get any better after they hire you. You should only accept the terms of an interview if you’re given a fair chance to present yourself, and this means presenting the work you feel is relevant.

Know about us

I’m not a fan of corporate zeal, especially as a designer. If you consider yourself a designer, then you consider yourself a brand, and you should be fiercely loyal to your brand over all others.

With that said, you are bringing your brand to our house, so I expect that you should know something about the neighborhood. I may ask you a question like, “How do you see your style fitting in with our demands?”

This is not a question about how great and flexible your style is. I want to know if you anticipate any potential bottlenecks, and based on your professional experiences, I want an idea of your style of problem-solving. Maybe even recruit me for a hypothetical back-and-forth scenario:

You: “I know from research that this company has many clients with unique demands, and those demands don’t overlap perfectly. Is that accurate?”

Me: “Yes, that’s often the case.”

You: “So it’s possible I may be asked to design a new feature to solve a problem for which we already have several similar features. This is something I face in my work often, and since I have a minimal, integrated style, my first instinct is to research each variation of this feature that we’ve built, and design one which accommodates all of their needs in the newest instance.”

Me: “What if the client insists on a custom solution?”

You: “They often do, and I’ve had success explaining to them that their solution will absolutely be custom-tailored to their needs, but its component parts will be interchangeable, like bolts on a car. Is that a fair generalization?”

This is what I want. I want a discussion, because a discussion is what we will have when the problem becomes real. I don’t want a start-to-finish answer with no room for challenges. We will be solving problems together, so I want you to show me how you create a “together” atmosphere when you’re in charge.

Have an opinion

I’m not trying to be clever here: When I ask you a question, I’m hoping you will answer it. Most professional designers I meet have a built-in defense mechanism for avoiding subjective debates, and so they feel the need to over-qualify every answer. I am the same way.

If I’m asking for your opinion, it is not a test. I already have an opinion, and it’s clearly not working at the moment, which is why I am meeting with you. If your opinion is that the design is bad, then that’s probably the answer I’m looking for.

However, once you embrace your own professional honesty, you may discover that your opinion is actually more elaborate than just, “It’s bad.” Find that sweet spot between accommodating and uncompromising, convince me that your opinion carries weight, and that it can only be moved with the appropriate effort.

Do case studies

If you wanted to work on building the latest SpaceX rocket, you would have to pass an interview and background check, sign a bunch of contracts, meet important people, overhaul your social media… all in order to get access to the tools and problems you need just to get started.

Design, however, is out in the open. If you wanted to redesign your favorite app, all you would need is to open the app. Do it! There are apps out there for which your design style is perfect. Make yourself the boss in your mind, and work on it like it’s your job.

Presenting a case study of a large project shows that you have the resolve to handle the challenge, and that you want to do it. Case studies also show me that a designer has free energy in their work/life balance, and that they use some of that energy to get stronger. This is a clear sign of a top recruit.

Challenge me

At some point in the interview, I will inevitably ask you something like, “What is it that you hope to get from working here? What can we, as a team, do for you?” This may catch you off-guard, even if you’ve prepared for it. Suddenly, you’re being asked to make demands to a manager whom you’ve only just met.

When I ask you this question, I want you to be aware of your own potential, and to be mindful about whether or not my team can accommodate your potential. I want you to insist that you are looking for a “leadership track,” and to ask me what your “runway” looks like for the next year, 5 years, 10 years.

Ask me what a good leader on my team does at every one of those milestones. This way, you are painting a picture for me of a candidate focused on vision, the road ahead, and covering the distance.

An interview is a negotiation, and you get one shot to make the right deal.

I am truly shocked by how much a candidate is willing to surrender in that negotiation, just to avoid hearing the word “no.” Being overeager at an interview is among the most common career mistakes that a candidate can make.

As an interviewer, I expect to have to work to hire you, because you are worth it. While I know what it’s like to have a bad interview, the question of “What do you want from us?” is one opportunity where I expect every candidate to shine. All of your hard work and success has led you to this question, now all you have to do is be honest.

You are talented, this is why we noticed you. You are impressive, this is why we called you. You are a professional, this is why we want you. Never forget these things, and never let anyone else convince you otherwise. You are here with me as an equal, we will be helping each other find success. Make sure that the effort is worth your time.