How to Prep for a Design Interview with Examples!

1. Understand the role:

Research the job description and the responsibilities of a Product Designer. This will help you understand what the interviewer is looking for and how you can demonstrate your skills.

For example, if the job description mentions that the Product Designer will be responsible for conducting user research, you should be prepared to talk about your experience with different research methodologies, how you analyze user feedback, and how you translate research insights into design solutions.

2. Research the company:

Look up the company you're interviewing with, their products and services, their target audience, and their design style. This will help you understand the company's needs and how you can fit in as a designer.

For example, if you're interviewing with a company that creates software for healthcare providers, you should be familiar with the needs and pain points of healthcare professionals, and how your design solutions can address those needs.

3. Demonstrate your design skills:

Bring your portfolio and be prepared to talk about your design process, your design decisions, and your design outcomes. Show your ability to solve design problems and create user-centered designs.

For example, you can showcase a case study in your portfolio that demonstrates how you solved a particular design problem, such as improving the user experience of a mobile app. Be prepared to talk about your design process, how you conducted user research, how you arrived at design decisions, and how you evaluated the success of your design outcomes.

Bonus: We have a FREE resource on how you can present your portfolio during an interview

How to Present Your Design Portfolio in an Interview

4. Prepare for common interview questions:

Research common Product Design interview questions and prepare answers that demonstrate your design skills and experience. Be ready to talk about your design process, how you work with stakeholders, how you prioritize design decisions, and how you collaborate with others.

For example, you can prepare answers to questions such as "Can you walk us through your design process?" or "How do you prioritize design decisions when faced with conflicting stakeholder feedback?"

Use our Figma template to develop questions based on core company values with examples:

Designer Questions for Interviewing

Check out our Tiktok on some questions you should definitely be asking during your interview:

Nail your next interview with these questions! 🫱🏿‍🫲🏽

5. Showcase your UX research skills:

In certain higher-level positions, you will be expected to lead and conduct UX research. Be prepared to talk about your experience with research methodologies, usability testing, and user feedback analysis.

For example, you can showcase a case study in your portfolio that demonstrates your UX research skills, such as how you conducted user interviews and usability testing to identify pain points in a user journey and how you used those insights to inform your design decisions.

6. Showcase your leadership skills:

If you’re interviewing for a higher level position, you will be expected to lead teams and manage projects. Highlight your leadership experience and your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

For example, you can talk about a project you led in the past, how you managed the team's priorities, and how you collaborated with stakeholders such as developers and product managers to ensure successful project outcomes.

7. Demonstrate your strategic thinking:

Dig deep and show off your strategic thinking and the ability to align design with business goals. Be prepared to talk about your experience developing design strategies and your understanding of the business and market.

For example, you can talk about a project where you had to align design with business goals, such as increasing user engagement or revenue, and how you developed a design strategy to achieve those goals.

8. Understand the company's design philosophy:

Research the company's design philosophy, culture, and values. This will help you align your approach with the company's expectations and demonstrate your fit with the company's culture.

For example, if the company values simplicity and minimalism in design, you should be prepared to showcase your experience with those design principles and how you incorporate them in your work.

Bonus Tip: Here are some questions you can ask to find out more about their design philosophy!

1. Can you describe the company's design culture and values?

2. What is the company's approach to user-centered design?

3. How does the company ensure that design is aligned with business goals?

4. How does the company incorporate feedback from users and stakeholders into the design process?

5. What is the company's approach to design collaboration and cross-functional teams?

6. How does the company ensure consistency in design across different products and platforms?

    

    

9. Be familiar with design systems:

A design system is a set of guidelines and components that help designers create consistent, cohesive, and scalable designs. Familiarize yourself with design systems and how they can improve design consistency and efficiency. Here's an example of how you can showcase your experience with design systems:

Example: “During my time at Company X, I led the development and implementation of a design system that improved the consistency and efficiency of our design process. We started by auditing our existing design elements and identifying inconsistencies and redundancies. Then, we developed a set of guidelines and components that were shared across the team and updated regularly based on user feedback. This design system helped us reduce design inconsistencies, improve collaboration between designers and developers, and ultimately led to faster design iterations and a better user experience.”

10. Be prepared to talk about your vision:

As a higher level position, you should have a vision for how design can impact the business and the world. Be prepared to talk about your design philosophy, your vision for the future of design, and how you plan to achieve it.

Example 👇

"My vision is to create experiences that are not only intuitive and functional but also emotionally engaging and memorable. I believe that design can be a powerful tool for creating meaningful connections between people and brands, and that it can help drive business success in today's digital age.

To achieve this vision, I am constantly exploring new design technologies and techniques that can help me create more immersive and engaging experiences for users. I am also passionate about staying up-to-date with the latest design trends and best practices, as well as collaborating with other designers and stakeholders to ensure that my designs are aligned with business goals.

Ultimately, my goal as a designer is to create products and experiences that not only meet user needs but also delight and inspire them. I believe that design has the power to positively impact people's lives and the world around us, and I am excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible through my work."

Bonus 🌟

Prepare an example of how you can improve their business

As a Product Designer, you should be able to think strategically about how your design work can impact the business and drive growth. Be prepared to discuss your experience developing design strategies and your understanding of the business and market. Here's an example of how you can showcase your ability to think strategically about design and how you can improve their product:

Example 👇 

“During my time at Company Y, I worked on a project for a similar product to yours. One of the main issues we identified was that users were having trouble finding the information they needed, which was leading to a high bounce rate.

To address this, we redesigned the navigation and added a search bar to the homepage, which resulted in a 30% decrease in bounce rate and a 20% increase in time on site.

I believe that your product could benefit from a similar redesign of the navigation and adding a search bar to the homepage, based on my research of your current user experience.

I understand the importance of aligning design with the business goals and driving growth through design. I am excited about the opportunity to bring my strategic thinking and design skills to your team and improve the user experience of your product.”

You got this!

Preparing for a product design interview can seem challenging, but with these tips, you'll be well on your way to landing your dream job.

However, if you want to take your preparation to the next level, consider booking a mock interview with our Founder, Sera Tajima. During your session, you’ll simulate a real interview and she’ll provide honest feedback on your performance, as well as actionable steps to help you improve. With her experience as a Professional Product Designer at Webflow, Zendesk, and BetterUp she can provide valuable insights that can help you stand out from the competition.

So don't leave your interview success to chance - book your mock interview with her today!

Kharina Parla 

Marketing at The Craft 

When you're ready, here are 3 ways we can help you 💡

• Get Coached by an Expert Identify and achieve your career goals 1-1 with Sera. 
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