How to do well in a UX Design Interview — 8 tips to help you stand out
During my interviews and job search, I talked to a lot of people and read a lot of articles about what to expect and how to approach different scenarios. Before I move into covering my perspective, here are some examples of great ones out there:
These cover, in a great detail, what to expect during design interviews. But there’s something I’d like to add.
I‘m focusing on the most important step in the process, the on-site interview. These are some things that no one really tells you out loud.
1. The first impression — Let me guess, are you a designer?
You’re waiting in the lobby for your hiring manager to welcome you. There, he looks at you and thinks, “Wah, nice glasses”. He forms an impression of you right there when he looks at you for the first time. The way you interact, the way you shake hands, and the way you look him in the eye. It all matters and shows your personality. Don’t dress up like a cowboy to grab attention, but just be elegant, confident and unique in the way you dress and interact.
2. Everyone’s unique. Can you prove it?
Interviewers hear the same shit again and again. Design processes, user research, prototyping, wireframing..blah blah blah. Bring something that’s unique, realistic and pleasantly surprises them. That’s when you’ll catch their heed.
As an example: In one of the interviews, instead of drawing the wireframe on whiteboard, I used a set of dry-erase iPhone mockups to explain my thought process and labeled them for easy discussion.
This helped me spark their curiosity and gather more confidence.
3. It’s cool that you have a story, but how engaging is it?
People love stories. Everyone asks you to be honest, straight-forward and simple. I get that. But to make your presentation/story interesting and engaging requires something more than that.
How engaging it is, depends on the way you present and sell it. As an example: Instead of putting the number in words (60 thousand), if you put 60,000 and fill the screen, it gathers more eyes.
Subtle things like making data visual go a long way in helping you stand out and stress on your achievements as a designer.
Nothing sells itself, not even good design.
4. What being prepared really means..
Designer’s job is about observation, creation and improvisation. This one time, I memorized a UX process (..and thought I was prepared) for the design exercise round and tried to simply fill in the details. It sucked, because it was clear that I didn’t think about the problem at all.
Don’t memorize things, this isn’t a test of your memory but your personality which you’ll bring to your designs in future.
You should be ‘prepared’ to talk about past experiences which fueled your current standing as a designer, and have confidence in choosing a particular step in the design process. If you’ll memorize jargons, you’ll falter.
5. “That’s great feedback.” — Say it. Mean it.
Your design decisions/perspective will be challenged during the interview. You should be welcoming of their feedback and should show that you are willing to work with them to arrive at a plausible solution.
And don’t just say that it’s great feedback. Build upon it, really care about their thoughts and work with them. Listen and interact. That makes you a strong team player.
6. The big picture. User Advocacy and the Business Perspective.
Well, yeah they both matter and there are times when they intersect.
Designers need to care about business as much as they need to care about their users. And there will be times when these two run opposite. Do not ignore these situations and honestly explain your perspective. What do you think when this situation arrives? How would you handle it? Give a scenario and explain.
There is no right or wrong here, it is about the level of experience you have and how much flexible you are. Be clear and straight-forward.
7. Goals. So what’s next?
What do you see yourself doing in the next role? Why? It’s okay to not have long term goals I feel, but it’s not okay to not have a clear focus on what you’re looking for. You are evaluating the company as much as it is evaluating you. You should have a clear understanding of what you’re looking for and why you’re interested.
Don’t just say vague things which most people would ignore. Be honest.
8. Little things.
Lastly, little things like using a clicker to present, standing and moving around while you talk about your work, smiling and looking in the eye are all that add up to form a bigger positive impression. Take care of these little things and you’ll score.
I learned this stuff while interviewing and making mistakes. You will too. And then you’ll have things to add. That’s how it works. I’d love for you to do so. We’re designers, we build over each other’s work and get inspired.
More about me here: https://rachit91.github.io/
