The top 10 UX design interview questions & what they’re really asking
Follow these tips to conquer imposter syndrome and get that job!
If you are changing careers, or have recently completed a UX bootcamp, or Google’s UX Design certification, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed with the interview process. After reading several nightmare stories about the 200+ rejections people go through, I know I was feeling disheartened. Luckily, the whole process doesn’t have to be that painful.
You’ve learned a lot, and now you’ll need to learn a little more to get over the hump and land that job. Each will be different, but most UX interviews include a whiteboard challenge, a portfolio presentation, and questions for the designer.
But before we jump into what happens during interviews, let’s talk about portfolios. In your interview, you will likely present two case studies to design managers. First, make sure your portfolio is responsive, accessible, and contains some case studies that are based on real people’s needs or problems that need to be solved.
Each case study should tell a cohesive story and reflect what you learned from the people with whom you tested your designs. And second, know your framework inside and out to show enthusiasm for the studies you did. If you have one that didn’t work as well as you intended, and aren’t exactly proud of it, that’s ok.
Failure is a great teacher, and hiring managers care more about the method you took, the story it told, and what you learned during the entire process. They want to learn about you. How you work as a designer, why you make the design decisions you make, and how well you’ll fit in with their team.
Although having great designs to show is important, if you can admit to shortcomings and be open to criticism about your work, that’s more meaningful than pixel-perfect case studies.
The dreaded questions
Now let’s talk about the questions they will ask. Some hiring managers will throw you a curveball just to see how your brain works. If you get one of these impossible questions, just take a deep breath and do your best to talk them through how you would go about the solution. Normally, however, there are certain questions that are common to the UXD interview that you should be aware of, and what they’re really asking.
It’s a good idea to use the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method to answer, based on the situation that arose, what you did, and what happened because of your actions.
Tell us about yourself
When they say, “tell us about yourself”, they want to know what brought you to this moment in time. What led you into UX, and how it prepared you for a job in this field?
I suggest reading the job description to prepare for this question. Pull a few keywords about what they’re looking for in a candidate, and tailor your response. Tell them about your education and previous jobs that relate to UX, even if they aren’t specifically in the field. User experience design covers a lot of ground and encompasses psychology, communication, design, research, leadership, ideation, etc. My point is, that you can find overlapping characteristics of UX in almost any field. Take this opportunity to tell them how your job in restaurants prepared you to be really good at detecting user needs and made you curious about how people think, for example. Or, how you love using problem-solving skills in the classroom when everyone seems to be on different levels. This is one of those great opportunities to shine, even if you don’t have a background in design. Relay to them that you have proven expertise to cover their needs.
Why UX?
When asked why you chose UXD as a career, show your enthusiasm for this remarkable field that solves problems. And again, refer to their job description for hints about what they value. Highlight stories from your past that relate to collaboration, attention to detail, problem-solving, and empathy. And tell them which part of UX is most exciting to you. Are you a T-shaped designer with many skills, or do you want to become a master of interaction design?
Explain how essential it is to study the person that may use the product, and what their needs are, instead of focusing on designing a beautiful product.
Why us?
It goes without saying that you need to show enthusiasm for the company you’re applying to and do your research. Learn about their history, mission, and roadmap for the future, and pair your values where they match.
Try to find out who will be interviewing you and learn a little about them, too.
Learn about any exciting projects they have going on, and express interest, if you have some. The four types of businesses that hire UX designers all have different experiences. A large corporation will have a huge design department where you’ll be on a team, as opposed to a startup, where you’ll most likely be the only designer. Design studios and advertising agencies work with several different clients at once and can introduce you to the latest technology and trends, while smaller businesses will expect you to cover a range of activities that may have nothing to do with traditional UX tasks.
How do you define UX design?
Wikipedia: User experience design is the process of creating evidence-based, interaction designs between human users and products or websites. Design decisions in UX design are driven by research, data analysis, and test results rather than aesthetic preferences and opinions.
Although this is correct, hiring managers need to know that you understand that UX makes products and technology easy to use, regardless of skill level. It cares about the motivations that inspire people to do what they do and is concerned with providing features that help the user complete tasks. It takes into consideration the different types of people that may use a product and should offer an accessible experience for those who are typically left out.
I see it as a problem-solving tool that can open the doors to equity.
Talk us through your workflow
When you get this question, they are trying to figure out how you work. Which framework you generally use, and how you go about solving the problem a user is facing. If you typically use the design thinking framework, take them through your process of empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing, expanding on each phase to go further in depth. Relay about how you decide which framework to use based on the project, and have in mind 2–3 other frameworks to reference that you also use.
Tell us about your most successful project, and one where things didn’t go as planned
Questions like these are asked to find your strengths and weaknesses. They are looking for problem-solving skills and are trying to figure out what gets you excited. They want to know why you find a project “successful”, or not, and how you deal with obstacles. Do you stay cool under pressure, and continue to communicate, or do you shut down and go silent? All of these things matter to someone running a design team. As you continue to learn new design skills and trends, don’t forget to also learn skills in communication, empathy, and collaboration.
What websites or apps do you use for inspiration?
Talk about the app that inspires your work or that website you use every day. We’ve all had bad experiences with technology, as well as the ones that keep us coming back. Have a couple of sites in mind that you find exemplary, and be able to explain what it is about them that delights you. As an example, my ‘go-to’ app every day is Duolingo. They have mastered the language teaching art by providing an engaging platform with fun characters and stories, snippets of language lessons, rewards, competitions, interesting facts, and reminders to complete a lesson. I didn’t think I was a very competitive person, but when they text me to tell me Javier has just passed me, I laugh, then do another lesson. I also thought I wasn’t able to learn a language until using Duolingo, but today is day #620 in my Spanish class and I’m getting better and better. ¡Me encanta Duolingo!
How do you get inspired?
Although talking about designs from Dribbble or Behance might be where you go to get inspiration and see how other designers work, they want to know how you get ‘unstuck’. What trade magazines or blogs do you follow? What designer is teaching you the latest skills and trends? Do you take a break from your desk and go for a walk, or swim, or meditate?
We all need inspiration, from time to time, and there is no “right answer” to this question, so make it personal. If doing the dishes somehow gets your creative juices flowing, don’t be afraid to say that.
Questions for the interviewer
Now that you have a better idea of what to expect during your interview, let’s talk about questions to ask the hiring manager. If you have a chance to ask a question or two before they start the interview, find out what they are looking for in their ‘ideal’ candidate. This will give you a better idea of how to tailor your responses to their questions. And, try to find out if they are in a rush to hire immediately, or just looking to fill a spot when they find the right person.
After the interview, you’ll have a chance to ask questions. Take this opportunity to show them that you’re not just going through the motions, looking for any job. Express your desire to work with them by asking about projects that are currently being worked on and what that looks like for the UX designers. Ask about the other departments' designers work closely with, and how many projects the company completes each year, to get an idea of the big picture.
Most importantly, ask how your performance is measured, and what the career path of a UX designer looks like at their company.
You can do it! You’ve already accomplished a lot. UX design is an awesome field that can change your life and countless others. To keep your designer muscles warm, try these three resources that let you practice UI designs, whiteboard challenges, and interviewing.
- Daily UI will send a UI challenge to your email box, Monday — Friday, which you can share on Dribbble (or your favorite design platform).
- Designersize is a site you can visit daily to practice Whiteboard exercises.
- Big Interview is a site you can visit daily to practice interviewing.
The key takeaway here is to read the prospective job description well! Decide on previous experiences you can match to their needs, and be enthusiastic about the possibility of working there. Do your homework about the companies you want to work for, and practice your answers again and again.
It won’t be easy, but you can do it. Stay positive, continue learning, practice, and good luck!
