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5 More Design Interview Questions

And questions you should ask in return

There are a lot of good articles out there featuring some of the most frequent questions that are asked. Other than the fundamental questions, here’s a list of non-frequent but equally important and thoughtful questions that I was asked during my job-hunt this year —

1. Talk about a well designed physical product or system.

Or maybe a badly designed one.

You maybe prepared to answer the question on your favourite apps, what you like in them and what you don’t like in others. But here’s a thought — take out some time to think about physical products and systems you use everyday and how they affect your life. What they want to understand is how you approach the world from a designer’s perspective. Use specific examples and explain why you like something or why you don’t. I use the example of a Wacom Intuos tablet that I was using everyday (not anymore) and that I still love. It is very well designed — it has clear annotations for removing the nib, installing a battery and wireless dongle and more. All the use-cases I have for it are well thought of, which makes its use a joyful experience for me. If you talk about something that you don’t like, make sure to explain how you would design it to make it better.

2. Do you lean on data or intuition for design decisions? What do you do when you don’t have data?

This is a question for people who are coming from a product that has a small user base and hasn’t been around for long. In my case, both of my previous experiences were at places that didn’t have mature user base or analytics. The first time I was asked this question, I thought that this was a trick question and whatever I answered would be considered wrong. But it’s not a trick. They’re trying to judge your experience in designing products where there are a lot of unknowns and not enough data present. In my case, whenever I was in this situation, I tried to make use of common sense and established patterns to design some prototypes. Then I tested them with prospective users to validate my reasonings. I wasn’t always doing the right thing, but it helped prove my hypothesis and in some cases, brought me back on the right path.

3. What is one habit that you bring to your design process?

I was pretty impressed by this question. It uncovers parts of your process without being too technical. The point of this question is to understand how you work and what are the aspects of the process you pay attention to. I have a lot of OCDs — I have organised bags/folders/desk, I like to maintain order and prioritise everyday work by breaking it into small tasks. Similarly, I break design goals into smaller tasks. I maintain a debt sheet for the times when I have finished work before a deadline, so I can explore out of my designated projects. I like structure. These habits are part of my everyday life, but also make my design process simpler and make it easier to navigate through a day’s work without stumbling.

4. How do you know when your design is “done”?

This is an important skill to have. As designers, we tend to be perfectionists and want to handoff designs only when we are 100% happy with it. While this may work in some situations, the truth is that you will never have enough time to finish an average design project. It’s always incomplete — in the sense that you’re always evaluating your design and trying to make it better. But you don’t always have the time and resources to polish it off the way you want. I deliver designs on project basis — some are so important and crunched on time that you can’t be picky with everything, others are crucial for your product’s success, so you have to to take your time and provide the richest experience you can. You have to consider all these factors and as a designer you must possess the skill to know when to stop.

5. As a CEO, why should I invest in design?

Another question for relatively smaller startups. You maybe the only designer at your company and may receive friction from people who have, for no fault of their own, never worked with a designer before. I’ve been in this position twice and it’s not for everyone. At times, you maybe the only person who would be willing to spend one more day of work on design — making sure that every pixel is as polished as it can be. Others may see it as a wasted day and may want you to spend your time on something else. The smarter hiring managers are aware of this and will evaluate you on the basis of how you plan to handle this. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. What they’re really trying to see is whether you can be your own salesman. You need to be very clear on what you think a product can gain from design and you will need to continuously blow your own trumpet. As time goes on, your work will earn credibility and trust for you. The more WHYs you answer, the lesser questions you will receive in future.

Questions that you should ask —

I am a big believer in cross-questioning the interviewer. It shows confidence and that you take the job seriously. Here are some questions that I asked the interviewers (PMs or Designers) that helped me understand how the company works and where I would fit —

1. For products in multiple countries, how do you design for multiple landscapes? This gives you a good look into the research techniques of team and what they do to understand their audience.
2. How do you make sure your team stays motivated? This tells you how important the team members are for the hiring manager and how she intends to nurture them.
3. How are conflicts resolved between PMs/Devs/Designers? This gives you a rough idea of what the culture is and helps you understand if you’re a good fit.

Interviews are hard. Most of it is conversation and you have to be really careful with what you’re saying. It’s not just the literal meaning of words that is taken into consideration, but the thought behind it and the way you speak it. Be prepared, but don’t sound like you’re reading it from somewhere. Have an idea of what you want to talk about before you speak. Go out there and get that job you want so much. Good luck!