Design Interview Questions & Prep

Source: http://syndhrome.tumblr.com/post/108948129803

Over the past month, I have interviewed with about 30 companies for UI, UX, Product, Interaction Designer roles. So, that’s a lot of different questions based on the company and the person who was interviewing me.

50 Questions

I know that’s a lot of questions but I was asked at least 5–8 of these questions in each round. It was a mix of personal, design, business and behavioral questions.

All of these questions might not apply to you based on what role you’re applying for. Although, it definitely helps to be prepared for most of these questions.

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What do you know about our company and this role?
3. What do you do in your current job?
4. What does your current company do?
5. How did you become a Designer?
6. Why do you want to change your job?
7. How did you find this role?
8. Why do you want to join our company?
9. How many people are in your team?
10. Who do you report to?
11. Tell me about a project you’re proud of.
12. Where do you get design inspirations from?
13. Do you follow any designers?
14. How do you keep yourself updated with the latest design trends?
15. Which company do you think does the best branding?
16. How do you define UX design?
17. What’s your favorite product or app and why?
18. Which product’s design do you dislike and how would you change it?
19. What design tools do you use?
20. What design tools are you proficient in?
21. Do you use whiteboard?
22. Can you code?
23. Have you faced any problems while working with developers? How do you solve it?
24. What do you do when project managers or clients don’t like your design?
25. Was there a scenario where you planned something for a client but something completely unexpected happened? How did you overcome it?
26. How do you convey your ideas to project managers or other designers?
27. Do you use any task management software?
28. How do you hand over your designs to the developers?
29. Do you like working with other designers?
30. Do you have experience leading a team or conducting presentations?
31. How do you handle critique on your designs?
32. Do you like flat design? If so, why?
33. Have you designed primarily with iOS or Material design guidelines?
34. How do you decide what visualizations to use for a particular data?
35. What design tools do you use for data visualizations?
36. Find 10 flaws with this illustration (interviewer shows you a design).
37. What do you do when you come up with a design but it doesn’t align with the research?
38. Have you done usability testing?
39. What do you think about collaborative work?
40. Do you have experience with people working remote?
41. Talk me through your design process.
42. When do you know a design is complete?
43. How do you stay organized or keep up with deadlines?
44. Do you follow Agile scrum or Waterfall methodology?
45. Do you design in Mac or Windows?
46. What do you look for in an ideal boss?
47. What do you do outside of work?
48. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
49. How much compensation are you expecting?
50. Do you have any questions?

Source: https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/first-time-interview-tips

Preparing for answers

I haven’t discussed the answers for these questions because they are based on many factors,

1. Your experience
2. Your profile
3. Company’s profile
4. Posted job’s requirements
5. Interviewer

So, before every interview, I would prepare with all of these,

1. When you’re asked a question, take a deep breath — think and recollect because you would have faced that situation in your life. It is not necessary to give an answer as soon as the question is asked. You’re not a robot!
2. Get thorough with your resume and projects. It is very important to know what you have done in the past and what your expertise is in.
3. More than often, you will be asked if you know anything about their company. And, you will definitely get bonus points for researching about the company — shows that you’re really interested in them.
4. It is good to read up on the job requirements and responsibilities, so that you can align your answers based on what they are seeking.
5. Go on LinkedIn and check who the interviewer is, to see if you have anything in common with him/her or to get an idea of their profile. This helps to know what type of questions you might expect.

Source: https://msresumehelp.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/how-to-ace-your-face-to-face-interview-show-notes/

What I do before an Interview

1. Of course, prepare for the interview. I read a lot about the company, role, myself, design articles., etc.
2. I talk to myself or someone about what I would say when a certain question is asked. Practice practice practice!
3. I always have some pointers written down, so I can quickly browse during the interview.
4. Staying calm is the key to nailing any interview! So I do something that calms me down — like meditating.
5. I go to a quiet room, so there is no disturbances during the interview.
6. I have a glass of water next to me because sometimes I get parched while talking a lot during the interview.
7. I have my laptop in front of me with the job posting open or to search something quickly or to even have my portfolio handy.
8. I have my iPad to take down notes.
9. I usually go to the restroom before so I don’t have to excuse myself during the interview. Pretty important!
10. Just 5 mins before the interview, I try to listen to a song or watch a video that I like. This usually loosens me up.

What I felt worked during the interview

1. Showing that you’re confident!
2. Joking and laughing about a few things.
3. Drawing on personal experiences and projects. Shows that you’re experienced.
4. Admitting to not knowing something and asking for the answer.
5. Asking a lot of questions.
6. Having your resume handy because they usually have it in front of them while taking an interview.
7. Focusing on identifying the problem instead of getting straight to the solution.
8. Sharing relevant information instead of talking too much in detail about everything.
9. If it is onsite or video call, looking presentable and professional.
10. Expressing towards the end that you’re very much interested in the role.

Overall, the interviewer is just another person who is as interested in you as you are in the job and company. So, stay calm and talk like you would to someone who wants to know about your profession and plans.

Hope this article helps you in preparing for your next design interview. Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or answers.

This article is also available as a YouTube video. Check it out!

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Good luck!