Nailing your UX Interviews : How to Make It Through All The Rounds
Introduction
The job-search process can be lengthy and frustrating. You may have to go through several rounds of interviews before you find the right position.
While each company is unique in its approach, we'd like to share more about the various rounds, since there is a pattern that you can expect.
Every company will conduct design interviews differently but essentially you need 3 things to feel ready for the interview:
Yourself - the way that you respond to interview questions, the way you present yourself, the way you bridge your background to what the company is seeking
Portfolio - 3-5 case studies that showcase your expertise & relevant projects
Resume - a holistic overview of your relevant background
You might speak with a variety of folks during the interview process including:
HR / Recruiter (Recruiters can be internal or external)
Your UX manager (Whoever will be your boss)
Senior and mid-level designers
“Design-adjacent” teams like
Marketing
Analytics
Engineering
Finance
Main stakeholders that would work closely with you
Interview breakdown
There is no "one-size-fits-all" template for interviews, but a common breakdown for an interview, but a common formula is :
5 minutes dedicated to small chit chat: Usually you can chat about the weather, coffee, where you're from, etc. This is a great way to ease into the interview, and it allows you to get a better sense of who your interviewer is. It also helps you relax and be yourself in an informal setting.
5 minutes dedicated to introductions: The interviewers will give a brief introduction of themselves, and then ask you to tell them about yourself.
10 -20 minutes dedicated to behavioral questions: These are questions that require you to describe a situation and explain how you handled it. For example, "Tell me about a time when you had to work with difficult people?" or "How do
20 minutes dedicated to portfolio reviews or case studies: You will be asked to describe a project to the team / interviewer and explain the details of how you handled it. This is your chance to show off your skills and passion for design.
5-10 minutes for your questions for the interviewers : You should come prepared with some questions for the interviewers, but you might also get new questions sparked during the discussions.
Again, there is no formula, and the timing will differ depending on who you're speaking to (manager vs senior UX researcher / designer), and how much time you have allotted for the round.
Getting ready by looking at the company information
You will be asked about the company but this is the time you gather details and information that you can use to ask your interviewers questions.
Understanding the strategy that the company is undertaking and its goals, the vision it has, will make your answers much stronger and your stories much more impactful since you’ll be able to tie in your ability to distinguish value.
To find company information:
Visit the company website and seek out their news, content and Blog pages (these pages might not be available based on company size). Companies will put out information on their progress and it will be imperative for you to know how your role will fit into these projects.
Interact with the company's products & services. If they have a mobile app, download it and check out their functionalities. Go to their store (let’s say you’re applying to work at Target)
Look at their LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
Look at the company’s Press Release page (Google [XYZ Name press release]
Find podcast episodes, YouTube videos, books, magazines, and any pieces of content you can digest to truly get a holistic understanding of the company + industry
Look at outlets like Google News, Market Watch, Fast Company, Inc Magazine, Forbes, Tech Crunch, and others for updates and opinions on company / industry news
Round 1 : The recruiter
The first one will likely be with a recruiter, who will ask you questions about your experience and why you're qualified for the position. Usually this interview lasts about 15-30 minutes.
Types of recruiters
You might meet with 2 types of recruiters : the internal, and the external. An internal recruiter works for the company, while the external one might work for a staffing agency such as TEK Systems, Creative Circle, Aquent, etc.
The internal recruiter will ask you questions about why you want the role they're staffing for, while the external recruiter will try to work with you to find fitting roles with their clients.
When you meet with a recruiter, they will be able to tell you more about the company and its culture, as well as projects that you might work on.
Common interview questions from recruiters
Please remember as you are conversing with recruiters, to be respectful but firm about your choices and answers.
Common internal recruiter questions you might be asked:
Tell me about yourself
Can you tell me about a project that focused on [XYZ skill] (usually something that pertains to the role).
Walk me through your workflow
What do you know about the company and its products?
Have you ever used the products from the company?
What stood out to you about the job description?
What tools do you use the most often as a designer?
What are you looking for in your compensation?
Have you worked in an Agile environment? What Agile tools are you used to working with?
Common external questions a recruiter might ask you are:
What kinds of industries would you like to work in?
Are you open to contract? Are you looking for full time? a
What salary range are you pursuing?
Are you looking for remote roles? In-person? Hybrid?
When are you looking for a new job?
Why did you leave your previous role?
What are you looking for in your next role?
Questions you could consider asking the recruiter:
Tell me about the kinds of projects I would be doing in this role
What's the team like? Are there UX researchers? Project managers?
Round 2 : The manager
After you pass the first round, you get to meet with someone who would be your manager. Usually this interview lasts about 30-45 minutes.
Often, the manager will spend a portion of the time telling you about the company, the culture of the team, the kinds of challenges they're working to solve, and so on.
Typical questions you might get from the manager might include:
What motivates you?
Why did you leave your previous role?
How would you describe what a UX researcher does on a day-to-day basis?
Can you describe your UX process?
Can you tell me about a project you've done?
How do you respond to negative feedback?
Can you tell me why you chose a career in UX design?
Questions you could consider asking when meeting with your manager:
Do you have any specific goals for this role and how would I fit into them?
What does success look like for this position over the next year or two years?
Other resources:
1. 21 Essential UX Interview Questions & How to Answer Them
Round 3: Panel interview & The Portfolio Review
The portfolio review is a way to see if you have the right skills for the job. Please make sure you know which case studies you'd like to bring up during your interview.
You can present your portfolio in 2 ways : by pulling up your portfolio on your website (or any location where its hosted), or by preparing a portfolio presentation in Figma which will guide you through your various case studies.
Portfolio review
You will begin the round by showing a project
What makes something feel like it was designed well?
What do you think about when you hear the term "user experience"?
What is your success criteria for a project? How do you know that you've "succeeded"
Can you tell me about a user-centric project? How do you know that the customer uses and enjoys this product?
How would you describe your personality type (i.e., introvert vs extrovert)? How does this affect how you approach designing experiences for others?
How do you choose the features of your designs?
Explain your design process
Technical questions
You will be also asked (whether as it relates to your portfolio, or not) some technical questions about your UX, UX research, UI design knowledge (depending on the role you're applying for).
What are some examples of websites or apps that have an excellent user experience? How do they accomplish it?
How do you learn new tools? How do you stay up-to-date on new developments?
How do people make decisions about what products they want or need in their lives?
What kinds of things can designers do during the design process that lead people down different paths based on their preferences and needs?
What kind of research method do you use for new projects?
Round 4: Whiteboard challenge or design challenge
Depending on your experience, and the company policies, you might be asked to conduct either a whiteboard challenge or a design challenge.
Whiteboard challenge
You might be given a whiteboard challenge which is meant to evaluate your skills in a short amount of time with a focus on interaction design and collaboration.
Problem definition — how well can you explore the problem space and identify big problems to go after?
Solution finding and idea generation — how quickly can you explore multiple creative options without being married to any one idea and identify the best one to develop further?
Interaction design knowledge — how well can you make trade offs between platforms, global and local interaction patterns? Is your story and interaction flow coherent?
Collaboration — how well do you work with your interviewers by responding to their prompts and getting them interested in the approach that you’re taking?
Resources
🔗 Crushing the product design whiteboard challenge
Design challenge
An exercise where the company offers a challenge to test your thinking and design skills
A design challenge should:
Not take you more than 2 hours to complete
Not benefit the company directly (Imagine Google saying ‘Please re-design our search functionality’)
Test your skills, especially if they have not been covered by some projects in your portfolio
Not be utilized by the company, but be beneficial for you and your portfolio
Take your schedule into consideration. (If you need more time, e-mail the company and ask for more time if a turnaround time is too short).
A design challenge can sound like:
Design a web app for a grocery store that helps the user compile their shopping list based on online recipes they are interested in, and check items off a list as they shop in the store.
Design a freelancing platform for Behance to connect freelancers and clients.
Design a market place for Pinterest to link influencers and merchants.
Design a roommates finding & matching service for Airbnb.
Design a ticket selling & buying service for Spotify.
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Please be warned!
A company might accidentally or purposefully give you a take-home exercise that is essentially free work. Imagine if Instagram said “Redesign the profile page” or “Redesign a new concept for the Reels experience”. Nope! We are not doing free labor for companies and allowing them to dangle the carrot of employment in front of us.
What happens when you feel like company is trying to take ⚠️ advantage⚠️ of you?
You might need to cut ties, or attempt to say “Do you have a different challenge I could complete?”
You can display your findings / product in a Power Point and discuss why/how you solved the problem.
An example of a bad design challenge can sound like:
As the first project, we’d like you draft mobile / desktop versions of a [Company Name] account page that communicated the above Spending Limit concept to a user. This is how the current desktop and mobile experiences attempt to convey this information. Some of the main challenges we’ve faced are 1) limited screen real estate (85% of traffic is mobile) 2) defining and communicating these interrelated concepts clearly and 3) articulating/prioritizing information through clear calls to action.
We’re looking for a fresh perspective and a new approach, so don’t feel limited to match any of the current design language or UI components. The only limitations on the new design are the following.
Primary color: #367abb
Secondary color: #5fa27b
→ If it feels wrong, and the challenge feels like the company is trying to take advantage of your labor, talk to us on Slack (talk to Khrystyna Oros) or via hello@ideatelabs.co. Let us be your sounding board to understand if the challenge is a true test of skills, or just a ploy to get free design thinking.
Other resources:
Conclusion
The interview process for a UX designer can be long and stressful, but it's important to remember that these are professionals who understand what they're doing. They want you to succeed in the job and will do their best to make sure that happens! The most important thing is that you stay calm throughout all rounds of interviews so that you can answer questions clearly and honestly about yourself.
Need extra help? Start with our signature resume review. We’ve helped hundreds of students land more UX interviews through ATS friendly recomendations and helpful keyword refinement.
🧭 Ideate Labs is proud to have a mission to introduce more women, minorities, and POC to UX design and make the field more inclusive and diverse. If you need our help with your career, here are some resources from our team:
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