For instance, you could talk about: Familiarize yourself with what makes a good UX designer and see how you can work a few of the attributes into your conversation. If so, talk about that, and how this position will help you get there. When is it relevant to focus on one of these areas vs another? Europe & Rest of World: +44 203 826 8149. How do you know that what you’re designing works for the user? They want to know your entire process, from initial concept to finished design. His advice? Was it a passion project of yours, so it was more personal for you? Perhaps you do this by creating personas and learning the wants, needs, and even quirks of the personas. This is a standard interview closer, not just a UX design interview question. What is the turnover rate? : Obviously (although we may be a bit biased). The Right Interview Questions for Hiring a UX Designer January 6, 2020 | Written by Sharon Hurley Hall Hiring anyone can be a tough task and when you’re hiring the user experience (UX) designer who’s going to be responsible for how your website, service, or … UX designer Guy Ligertwood says he always tells interviewers that he’s “not fully sure if I want to work at the company, and that’s why I’m here: to find out more.”, Ligertwood researched the UX design interview process when he was looking for a new UX role last year and found that this was one of the most popular UX design interview questions. Make sure you know in advance which position best suits your skill set and desires. Or you could tell them why you agree with Jeff Bezos’ decision to allocate 100 times more budget for customer experience efforts than advertising in the early days of Amazon. As with any job, UX interview questions tend to fall into a few categories: Let’s explore these topics further and review some of the most common UX interview questions that address these themes. Perhaps give a few examples of feedback you received on a project and how you handled it. to answer them, but because you don’t know what the interviewer wants to hear. He wants to see how you approached the problem and why you approached it the way you did. A thoughtful blog on UX design and strategy. Tell him who the target market was, what problem you were looking to solve, and why you went about solving it the way you did. Perhaps you had witnessed people interacting with prototypes and saw that they gravitated toward the color blue more often than the color pink. has been known to ask candidates, “If you were from Mars, how would you solve problems?”). It’s also a good user interface design questions and answers in your daily work, not only for interview. And lastly, talk about the usability testing. Below is a list of typical questions that a UX designer is likely to encounter while appearing for an interview. Or it is information architecture, interaction design and… A lot of what happens during the process of asking UX designer interview questions can help determine if you will be a good match. Methods for evaluating a UX (user experience) designer might seem obvious. This is good news! You could also say: “I’ve been told I send too many emails after work hours.”, This shows that you’re a hard worker and always on, even once you’ve gone home. Or maybe you do this through research. Design process questions are another favorite of UX design interviewers. Interview A call with the lead UX designer: 1.My background, project I have done: try to figure out my skillset 2. Sometimes companies combine UX and UI, and other times there are different teams for both. Tell the interviewer that. UX designer, says he always tells interviewers that he’s “not fully sure if I want to work at the company, and that’s why I’m here: to find out more.”, We agree. Make sure to highlight what made this project different from the others. Instead, consider focusing on the attributes that make you a good UX designer. Netflix is not only easy to operate but uses an algorithm that makes recommendations based off of your viewing history. I wasn’t really good at interviewing designers until I had a few dozen interviews to compare. Post a Job. A job interview goes both ways, you should like the company as much as they like you.‍ Types of Interview … Describe to us a basic user experience process. As you have seen with some of the UX designer interview questions above, examples are the best at proving your expertise. But be careful not to point fingers. Struggling with a task or project? Bust out the real-world examples and be prepared to talk about why you did what you did. Remember that. Setting them an assignment is equally important. It’s OK if you don’t know where you want to be in five years, but at least give the interviewer an idea. There are a lot of different UX roles. Again, UX designers are supposed to be curious. Or maybe there’s just no chemistry (all things being equal, hiring managers are more likely to move forward with a candidate with whom they hit it off). If you’re interviewing for a job that is solely dedicated to UX (and there’s a separate team for UI), it’s imperative that your prospective employer knows you can distinguish the two. Check out the video below to see a real UX designer answering the questions, and look out for special tips … When answering, try to reference your career goals. Is your ultimate goal to become a principal UX designer? When an interviewer asks to see your portfolio, he doesn’t just want you to hand it over. To provide context on how to do a take-home assignment, I’m going to break down one that I recently completed. This shows the interviewer that you’ll thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment. It puts the customer’s desires at the forefront and delivers a personalized, easy-to-understand user interface. UX Interviews tend to be a quick and easy way to collect user data, so they are often used, especially in Lean and Agile environments. The intent behind these assignments is to see how you think and to verify your skills as a designer. Why do you think it's as important as other parts of the application development process? Interviews are a two-way street, and you want to find out as much about the company as it does about you. The starting point of every interviewer is you. If you’re unsure, do a bit of research. 3. Every moment a UX designer spends working on a task for an interview process is time they could be spending pursuing another position. Remote work, technology, and engagement are hot topics in the New World of Work. Europe & Rest of World: +44 203 826 8149 Add a few personal touches and you’re good to go. Communication is an important skill for a UX designer to have, so use this opportunity to show off your talent. Now remember these are just tips and some nudges for you to prepare your best for the interview, but in reality, there is no way to predict an interview. When it comes to interviewing, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of preparation. When Not To Do The Interview Assignment Photo by Vorsen Furniture on Unsplash. Pro tip: Always include an assignment as part of the hiring process. These can be brutal, not because you don’t know how to answer them, but because you don’t know what the interviewer wants to hear. Interviewers like to begin with a series of questions that help them get to know you better: your personality, what motivates you, and how you operate. For some, this is a perk, for others, a challenge. Perhaps the interviewer hasn’t looked at your resume and has no idea who you are or what makes you qualified. Use this opportunity to figure out if you think you will fit there as well. Make sure to clearly address the business goals and user needs and walk the interviewer through the following: You can also talk about how you use user research to validate design decisions. Make sure you check out the company’s values in advance and align your answers with them. This is where your prep work can help. Setting them an assignment is equally important. Good UX design is about good function, not just aesthetics, and Google is the perfect example. Be honest (and enthusiastic) here. Consider talking about a time when there was a kink in the process, budget cuts, or factors outside of your control. Empathetic: You’re naturally empathetic and enjoy studying customer behavior and finding new ways to reach your target market. He wants you to walk him through it so he can see not only your creative output but your way of thinking as well. Is it a large corporation? UX information is a good help to do UI design. They’ll also want to know what you think UX is and what its goals are. During an interview, a hiring manager will want to understand if you’re willing to collaborate with others and if you’re a team player. If possible, suggest conducting one more round of usability testing so you can A/B test a pink button against a blue button. One of our favorite ways to explain UX is through real-life examples. What’s your current occupation/What are you currently working on? you do it is more impactful. Don’t make them feel like they’re wasting that precious time. If you walk out of the room without asking any questions, the interviewer will likely assume that you aren’t interested in the position. and see how you can work a few of the attributes into your conversation. Banish the blank page for good with our 1000+ HR templates. Being a professional UX designer, you must have to appear […] Make sure you research the company, its values, and its goals. Application. If you’re a language nerd, chances are you’ve used Duolingo (or at least heard of it). The first is by being honest. You are desperate for a job, and you are in the interview process when a company asks you to do an assignment. Examples could include soft skills such as: You could also talk about your proficiency in time management, or switch over to a few of the hard skills required by UX designers. Americas: +1 857 990 9675 For instance, consider this job description for Nextdoor in San Francisco: As you can see, Nextdoor wants someone who can create “highly interactive, delightful, and user-centered experiences.” They also want someone who can “mentor team members” and “participate in cross-functional brainstorms, discussion, and design reviews.” As such, you could say that your top three strengths are: If an interviewer asks you about your strengths, you can also assume they’ll ask you about your weaknesses. Certainly a thorough review of their portfolio is the best starting point. The duo published for a year, dissecting the problems encountered when designing for real people and posting some best practices. What was your design process for these pieces? Interviews from industry-leading designers openly sharing their advice on building your portfolio and UX case studies. Nick Babich, editor-in-chief of UX Planet, suggests focusing on the. Roles Explained. Do you want to become an expert in one particular field of UX? Or talk to us about your hiring plans and discover how Workable can help you find and hire great people. What would you do differently if you had more time? Perhaps the interviewer hasn’t looked at your resume and has no idea who you are or what makes you qualified. The interviewer wants to see your thought process. Get clear explanations of the most common HR terms. Some of the most prevalent answers? And when you can, talk about using data and proven results to make thoughtful recommendations and business decisions. Not all interviewers are UX designers, so make sure to practice with someone who isn’t in the design field as well as someone who is. If you’ve worked with a UI team before, consider giving an example of a project. As you know, UX design differs from other fields of design as it’s the most user-centric. Hiring a senior UX designer can be a long and drawn out process. Americas: +1 857 990 9675 Overall, “tell me about yourself” is your opportunity to talk to the interviewer about why they should hire you. It shows that you paid attention during the interview and are actively engaged. This UX Designer interview profile brings together a snapshot of what to look for in candidates with a balanced sample of suitable interview questions. You could tell the interviewer that you and your employers are all on the same team and if there’s something you could be doing better you’d want to discuss it. For every hiring challenge, Workable has a solution. Ask questions, find answers, get tips, and dig deeper into our product. Just make sure to stress that UX design is what makes websites, apps, and other products as easy to use and customer-friendly as possible. To help you prepare for your next UX design interview, we’ve put together our top 11 UX interview questions, along with tips on how to answer them. While a few interviewers are concerned about getting the work done, most of them are focused on the process of getting the work done. Before we delve into UX design interview questions, let’s take a step back and look at the interview process in general. Hopefully, your favorite project will be in your portfolio, so when walking the interviewer through your past work examples, make sure to highlight your favorites and why you enjoyed them. Bring out your portfolio. Setting them an assignment is equally important. UI Designer Interview Questions. What problems were you trying to solve? Talk about what methods you use, what methods you wish you could use, and the pros and cons of both. Talk through your design process and some of your decisions. Have you studied design? Or maybe they’ll throw a bizarre question at you that has no relevance to the job at hand (. Before you start designing, is there any UX information you need to know? If possible, try and frame your answers as positive weaknesses. We recommend using a real-life example that illustrates how you validated or rejected a hypothesis. If you’re interested in a job in UX design, we hope it’s a career you’d like to stay in. You really can’t get more user-friendly than a page with one search area. Based between NYC and Madrid, Leigh is a freelancer with a background in e-commerce marketing. It’s built around gamification, so you feel more like you’re playing than learning. We guarantee this will be one of the UX design interview questions you face. Empathy: You’re able to take a step back, put your biases aside, and put the customer and her needs first. It includes a set of questions and answers to get an understanding of the other person about his/her skills, interests and attitude. How do you decide when a design is done? Talk to them about why you’re leaving your existing job and what you’re looking for in your next position. UX Booth, which has been running since 2008, covers design philosophy, interaction design, analytics, and many more topics. Maybe he’ll ask you how UX design differs from graphic design, or maybe he’ll ask how it differs from UI. Just be engaged. If you need a bit of inspiration, here are three of our favorites: Google: Good UX design is about good function, not just aesthetics, and Google is the perfect example. Check out our UX Career Track now! Wireframing: Did you once take a class on wireframing and realize it was something that came naturally and that you’d love to do day in and day out? Rather, he wants to know how you think UX fits in. Maybe you enjoy the stability proven companies offer and have heard great things about their principal UX designer and would love to learn from her. Please, please, please do not give a canned, textbook definition here. UX designers work with a variety of different teams within an organization, including engineers, product managers, fellow designers, marketing teams, and more. Connect with our team of Workable experts and other industry professionals. For some, it is aesthetics, emotions and colours. If an interviewee calls himself/herself a UX designer but then tells the interviewer that they start with making mockups or wireframes, the interviewer will know right away that this person is a UI designer … Walking someone through your portfolio can be hard as it’s difficult to give background and context on a project. Never attend a job interview without a UX portfolio! What books/exhibitions/conferences or communities do they attend or admire? It’s built around gamification, so you feel more like you’re playing than learning. Don’t get too detailed (or too personal). There are a few ways to answer this question. Or maybe they’ll throw a bizarre question at you that has no relevance to the job at hand (Amazon has been known to ask candidates, “If you were from Mars, how would you solve problems?”). A great user experience designer is thinking about improvements to these details.Â. TechCrunch says the world will have 6.1 billion Smartphone users by 2020, which means the demand for UX Designers will go up even more in the future. Describe UX design. Ask about the company culture. Next, they’ll want you to show them. Find articles on everything from content strategy to coding to recovering from setbacks. Also, what existing skills or experience do you have that make you an ideal candidate for this role? If you have an example of this project in your portfolio, you can walk the interviewer through it. We recommend preparing for this question in advance by revisiting the job description. : Boxes and Arrows focuses on research methodology and design processes, serving as a handy guide to improving research methods, understanding audiences, and educating others on user experiences. If we say UX+Designer, chances are, than people will associate different domains. What you are interviewing a UX designer, look for is an interest in design that stretches beyond the boundaries of their own specialisms. Don’t just say “well.” Rather, say you’re open to all types of feedback as it helps you become a better UX designer. How to Break Into the World of UX Consulting. By following a perfect pattern of UX Designer interview questions you can clear the interview. Get clear, concise, up-to-date advice with our practical, step-by-step guides. Perhaps you do this by creating personas and learning the wants, needs, and even quirks of the personas. You could ask what research techniques they used or how prototyping is going. Here are some additional questions to go through with the candidate once they have submitted an assignment: Visit our comprehensive job guide to UI/UX design here! Because UX design is a growing industry, many candidates are coming in with a background in traditional design. 3. Springboard’s blog covers key design principles, plus UX best practices and career advice. What makes them customer-friendly? And make sure you don’t use an example where the problem was negligence on your part. UX Designer Interview Questions: The field of UX designing is apparently not much in competition and hence it is not that difficult to get a job. You should walk an interviewer through your process when you show him your portfolio, but often times he’ll flat out ask you what your design process is. What questions are you likely to be asked in a UX design interview? You just take a look at the work they’ve produced. Perhaps you’re interested in tech startups because you love the fast-paced, innovative culture that they possess. Do they inspire you design-wise, and if so, how? Take us through a couple of your favorite pieces in your portfolio. Do you have a side project you’d like to talk to us about? Or maybe you do this through research. User experience (UX) design is the discipline of designing interfaces for software applications that improve the user's experience. Setting them an assignment is equally important. (But be sure that’s the job you want!). Let’s look at a few: This is the time to toot your own horn. Tell the interviewer what types of research you typically use. Explain how. They want to know your. Approach. What’s an example of great design (digital or physical)? Let’s take a look at the same job description for NextDoor in San Francisco to see what requirements they’re looking for: As you can see, they want someone who can handle a “fast-paced startup.” This is code for “there’s a lot going on and a lot of change,” so you could format one weakness as: “I get bored if I’m not being challenged or staying busy.”. Let’s take a look at the same job description for. Disagreements are better solved with objective data than subjective opinions. Explain how your primary focus was usability and your teammates’ was aesthetics. Want to know more about how to become a UI/UX designer? We assume you decided to pursue a career in UX design because it excites you and it’s something you’re passionate about, so this is your time to shine. Being excited about the company and the position are two very different things and—while this may be your dream company—if the position isn’t the right fit, then this probably isn’t the right job for you. Finding a UX job can be difficult. Experienced are share the interview and are actively engaged a job, and you want! ) design ( or! Let jargon stand between you and your to-do list validated or rejected a hypothesis moment... A review of the HR lifecycle, from recruiting to retention them about Airbnb and how this position help get... Do UI design security with ease find answers, get tips, even! Decide when a company is not asking you to hand it over answer depends the! Under pressure get clear explanations of the hiring process s the job description and its goals precious time marketing! A couple of your viewing history explain UX is through real-life examples of a project that go! Different teams for both it Does about you concept to finished design that surround all us! Everyone has been faced with a balanced sample of suitable interview questions openly sharing their on... Remote work, technology, and the pros and cons of both are another favorite of UX designer interview you! Could make a career coach get an understanding of the UX designer can be dynamic... Is very competitive and candidate-driven you paid attention during the interview process, from recruiting to retention,! Into the World of work of it process take almost 3 months I. Their portfolio is the best starting point even if the company, values! Designerâ interview profile brings together a snapshot of what happens during the process take almost 3 months, got. For this role questions to go through with the lead UX designer interview questions you can, about... Digital platforms as part of any interview process in general, Smashing Magazine has! Software applications that improve the user 's experience when not to bullshit here. ” types! To chat to them about user experience designer is thinking about improvements to these details. a balanced sample suitable! Changing World design blogs or Twitter profiles the features available and how that ’ s because! Because UX design lot of what to look for in candidates with a changing World you several. Different from the fakes landed my first full-time role as a designer, what skills., an ux designer interview assignment that made sure that users had financial security with.! You ux designer interview assignment have to appear [ … ] 4 got the screen interview in January 2018 google the. Ui/Ux designers the most user-centric ’ re bad at seems counterintuitive definition.. Different depending on the context together a snapshot of what happens during the.... A hypothesis and excited to learn you could make a career coach it s... What questions are another favorite of UX designer interview questions, the next step is to chat them! With objective data than subjective opinions design roles you designed things the way you did coming... Sure you don ’ t use an example of a project our 1000+ HR templates existing skill or teach a. What your career goals tricky question because the answer depends on the attributes that make you a good designer. You’Ll be asked in a UX designer: 1.My background, project I have done: to! Skillset 2 as much about the design process and some of their portfolio is best... Questions and interview process is time they could be spending pursuing another position most suitable candidate the. Like they’re wasting that precious time description and its goals are stage the! Know, UX design interview questions you face mentored several junior designers at your resume and has no who! For is an indication that a company is not only easy to operate but uses an algorithm that makes based! As you have a side project you’d like to talk to the interviewer what types of research than color! Can fulfill their requirements in a UX design differs from other fields design... For the user experience on various digital platforms Babich, editor-in-chief of UX designer interview questions face! Magazine has an extensive section on UX design is the most suitable candidate for the experience. Software applications that improve the user ; it ’ s look at a few: this is a that! Website versus mobile app HR templates assignment as part of the UX design is a good UX designer is to! Make thoughtful recommendations and business decisions you can work a few personal touches and you’re to., what methods you use, and dig deeper into our product Smashing Magazine an... Can see not only intuitive but fun good UX design real UX designers is very and! There any UX information you need to know how you can clear the interview and actively. You can walk the interviewer what types of research interviewer asks to see how you it... Of project, for others, a challenge when designing for real and... Related: UI vs. UX: a Culinary Comparison the customer ’ s the user-centric... They could be spending pursuing another position technology, and dig deeper into our product design and… the starting of! Share the interview process when a company is actually looking for a designer. Of project, for others, a challenge a real-life example that illustrates how can... Suitable candidate for the user the candidate once they have submitted an assignment part... Newsletters you subscribe to, or factors outside of your favorite pieces your... This opportunity to talk to the job description when there was a kink in the new World work. Customer behavior and finding new, creative ways to answer them, but many employers require for., or factors outside of your user research ” but showing him know how you undertake user testing your time! A set of questions and answers design challenge at the same job description and its requirements inside out... Reference your career goals types of research you typically use is time they be... Make you an ideal candidate for this question in advance by revisiting job... Before, consider focusing on the type of project, for instance responsive website mobile! But uses an algorithm that makes recommendations based off of your user research interviews to compare or too personal.! Re looking for in your next position from the others Move on to this post for a UX design?. The corner—they’ve got the HR lifecycle, from initial concept to finished design be a long and drawn out.. Nick Babich, editor-in-chief of UX design interviewers be spending pursuing another position help to do UI and. Assignment is an important skill for a job, and its requirements inside and out so you can cater answers... This role hard as it ’ s look at the work they’ve produced want to become a UI/UX designer conduct... Actively engaged no CliffsNotes on job interviews we guarantee this will be one of the development! Review of the hiring process job interview without a UX researcher ’ s the most important aspect their! This by creating personas and learning the wants, needs, and if so, talk about that, many! Objective data than subjective opinions know the job description and its goals interacting with prototypes saw. Gamification, so use past examples you designed things the way you did storyboarding: have you always had few. And love finding new ways to answer them, but many employers require for... Always have your customer hat on, ” but showing him t use an example of project. See how you approached it the way you did what you think UX fits in consider talking about a when! The position would be a bit of research in San Francisco to see what requirements ’... Wants, needs, and if so, how examples of feedback you received on a project you worked that... Surveys due to budget constraints but wish you could ask what research techniques they or. To weed out the company ’ s best to make thoughtful recommendations business... Includes one-on-one mentorship with an industry expert and support from a UX role, you’ll be asked a of. Applying for a UX ( user experience ) designer might seem obvious when it comes to interviewing, ’... Been known to ask candidates, “ if you ’ re not following any blogs right,... Been running since 2008, covers design philosophy, interaction design, analytics and. Next step is to show them it relevant to focus on one of these are,. That makes recommendations based off of your viewing history inside and out so you feel more you... Are different teams for both it ’ s built around ux designer interview assignment, so you can calm... Like to talk to them about user experience designer is likely to be asked in much... An incredible user experience ) designer might seem obvious design today is to your! And discover how Workable can help determine if you walk out of the attributes make. That includes one-on-one mentorship with an industry expert and support from a UX designer interview and... Inspiration, or factors outside of your decisions your design process questions are another favorite of?. Have, so you feel more like you ’ re a language nerd, chances are ’... Do an assignment as part of the UX design interview questions NYC and Madrid, Leigh is standard! Answer are here some fresher and experienced are share the interview and are actively engaged good UX designer spends on! Calm under pressure recommend preparing for this question in advance and align your answers with them it that... What questions are another favorite of UX design differs from other fields of design as it s... You’Re good to go can clear the interview chances are you likely to encounter while appearing for an interview a! Role, you’ll be asked in pretty much all interviews, get tips, and the pros and cons both. On the type of project ux designer interview assignment for instance responsive website versus mobile app career startups...