How to nail your next Product Design interview

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During these past two years I’ve interviewed a lot of Product Designers, each one with their unique skill set. Finding the right match for our team is not an easy task (but that’s a story for another time). I found myself meeting candidates that have potential but don’t pass the professional interview.

I bet you’re asking yourself: Where do they go wrong? What can candidates learn from this? Or in other words: What can they do differently next time?

In this article I’m going to write about common mistakes candidates make and how to avoid them, share tips and insights from my experience, as well as those from other recruiting design managers, that will help you pass the interview and be one step closer to getting hired.

*On a personal note, I’d like to thank all the design managers that shared their insights and helped make this article even better.

The hiring process

Each company has their own process, but there is one step you’ll need to pass in order to get hired and that’s the professional design interview.

In some cases, this interview is with the hiring manager or a designer from the team. You will be asked to present your portfolio or some of your recent work. In other cases, this interview will be in front of multiple people (AKA a panel) and you will be asked to present a home assignment or a specific use-case you have prepared.

In both cases, the interviewer’s goals are:

• To get to know you
• Learn about your work process, the way you think and approach problems
• Check how you present and defend your work
• Check how you handle unexpected questions
• Most importantly: Decide if you’re a person they’d want to work with

Tips: Before the interview

#1. Stick to the brief

Before you send your assignment to the hiring manager, go back to the brief you received and make sure you have solved the problem. You wouldn’t believe how many designers don’t actually solve the problem they were given.

Pro tip: If the brief is unclear, or you have questions — reach out to the hiring manager or a representative from the company and ask your questions.

Many candidates fear that this will hurt their chances of getting hired, but I’m here today to tell you that the opposite is true. Asking questions and making sure you understand the assignment, can only help your case: You will know that you’re on the right track, the hiring manager can get to know you better through your questions, and may even remember you as a result. We encourage candidates to reach out and ask questions, however most of them don’t. Those who do automatically stand out from the crowd.

#2. Keep it simple

One of the managers I talked to shared that she had candidates who presented many designed screens because they thought this was the way to prove they could solve complex problems. In reality, she was overwhelmed and didn’t understand a thing.

“What candidates need to understand is that this interview is not to go over their portfolio, which I’ve already done, but rather to get a deeper understanding of their work process and thoughts.”

The candidates forget the first rule of design (AKA visual communication) — communicate with your audience and keep it simple.

#3. The power of storytelling

Many designers immediately jump to showing their final design solution. But wait… there’s so much more that needs to be said. The story you tell is more important than the final design.

Storytelling is a craft you should aim to master. Here’s a structure that will help you build your story:

1. A bit about you: Introduce yourself and your background. This doesn’t have to be long: 1–2 slides are enough. Remember that the interviewer wants to get to know you and this is the perfect way to showcase yourself. Share your experience and anything extra that you’re a part of: side projects, volunteering, mentoring, public speaking, etc.
2. A short intro about the project: Share some background on the project and the company. You’re the only one ‘in the virtual room’ that worked on this project and knows the goals. Don’t forget to mention your part and role in the project.
3. Your work: Explain the problem you tried to solve, share your research and its results, define your project’s users, elaborate on your work process and who you collaborated with. After all of these… Share your designs.
4. End with a bang: Share the impact this project had on the company and how it was measured. If you needed to do this project all over again, what would you do differently?

A great example on how to structure your presentation is this video by Femke van Schoonhoven.

#4. Research

In most cases, you know in advance who’s going to interview you. If you don’t, you can always ask the recruiter and find out. Approach this interview like you would any design challenge and start from researching.

Learn about the company, what they do and their culture. In addition, search for information on your interviewer(s). Social media makes it pretty easy: What can you find on them? What is their background? Do you have any connections with them?

Your goal is to be remembered, and the best way to do this (besides being professional and leaving a great first impression) is by forming some kind of connection with them.

#5. Preparation is everything

Your interview was scheduled and you only have one shot at making a good first impression. Being prepared for the interview may be the difference between passing or failing it.

This may seem obvious, but I have met designers who did not go over their presentation in advance, were searching for the files during the interview, and were trying to remember why they made a certain decision. This led to unexpected surprises during the presentation (and not the good kind).

Do yourself a favour and be prepared.

1. Open the project(s) you want to present in advance. Make sure everything is working as planned. Searching for the files during the interview is unprofessional.

Pro tip 1: Save an off-line version of your work. Wifi or internet connection problems can occur and you don’t want to add more stress to an already stressful event.

Pro tip 2: Prepare a folder with additional projects you can present. During the interview you might be asked to present a project from a certain field, with a specific kind of user, etc. In order to know what the interviewer wants to review, all you have to do is ask in advance when your interview is being scheduled.

2. Go over your work. Try to remember the process, the dilemmas, and problems you wanted to solve. I’ve interviewed candidates that were trying to recall the problems and why they made certain decisions. They didn’t know how to answer my questions and the impression they left was not a good one.

Answering ‘I don’t know’ or ‘This issue was not raised during the work’ are both legitimate answers. This could be a great opportunity for you to share how you would approach the problem.

3. Write down what you’re going to say while presenting and rehearse it. You need to pass this step in order to get hired. Your goal is to showcase the best version of yourself, so preparation is key and the more you practice, the more confident you’ll be.

Check out this great talk on preparing for your job interview by Femke van Schoonhoven and Lily Konings.

Tips: During the interview

#1. Lights, camera, action

When you’re invited to an in-office interview, you dress the part and arrive a couple minutes earlier. But what happens when your interview is online? Many candidates forget the most basic rules.

Find a quiet space, turn your camera on (you’re trying to make a connection which is much easier to achieve when the interviewer can actually see your face) and make sure your background isn’t distracting (if it is — use a virtual background).

#2. Stay calm and focused

When you’re distracted, it causes the interviewer to believe that you aren’t taking the interview seriously and don’t really want the position.

I’ve interviewed a candidate who took the call from his workplace and was distracted each time someone passed by him. Another one had their dog in the room and was distracted from the dog’s barking and movement. A different one took the call from a cafe and was distracted by the people around, the music, and all the talking. By the way, all of these are also distracting the interviewer — instead of focusing on you, they are focusing on what’s going on in the background.

Interviews are stressful enough, so try to remove other factors that can add to this stress. If you’re taking the interview from home, isolate yourself from the other household members and schedule the interview for a time that will be convenient for you.

Pro tip: A smile can get you pretty far, so don’t forget to smile.

#3. Do you have any questions?

You’ll be asked this at the end of your interview. Asking questions shows you are interested in the position, and of course this is a great way for you to learn more about the company and position. Many candidates are surprised when the roles are reversed and they get the chance to ask the questions. My advice is to write down some questions in advance.

Here’s a list of questions you can ask:

• What will my day to day look like?
• Who will I be working and collaborating with?
• What are the challenges designers in the company face today?
• What are you looking for in your next hire?
• What concerns or questions do you have regarding my fit for this position?

You can find additional questions in this article by Jeremy Bird.

#4. Do we have a match?

The interviewer is trying to decide whether you are a good fit for the position and team. They are trying to answer these questions:

• Are you a good fit for the current team?
• Are you the kind of person they would want to work with?
• Do you possess the skills and experience they are looking for?
• What makes you stand out from the other candidates?

Your goal is to help the interviewer decide that you are the best fit for the job. Try understanding exactly what they are looking for, and then showcase those skills and qualifications in the interview.

If you get a rejection, that doesn’t mean you are not a good designer. It just means that they have found someone else who was a better fit for this specific position or team.

Another important thing to remember is that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. Try to get as much information as you can on the responsibilities of the role, who you’ll be working with, and anything else that might help you decide if this is a place you would like to work for.

Your goal is to pass this step, and then have the upper hand. Pay attention to your body language and what it’s saying. If you don’t want this position and are not showing enthusiasm, the interviewer will be able to tell.

Let’s summarize

Interviews are stressful and in order to successfully pass them you need some preparation.

In order to know what to expect, all you need to do is ask the recruiter: Who’s going to be in the interview and what exactly do you need to prepare or present?

Use storytelling to build your presentation, research the company and your interviewer(s). Write down what you’re going to say and rehearse it.

During the interview make sure you’re in a quiet space, are focused, and that nothing is distracting you. Turn your camera on and don’t forget to smile.

I hope this article helps shed some light on what hiring design managers are looking for and how you can excel your next professional design interview.