Getting an interview invitation for your next potential UX design position can be exciting! Now that you already have a chance to meet your future employer, your next step is to prepare yourself to make an excellent first impression. Enroling in a graphic design course can also help you refine your skills and knowledge.
There are no specific questions, and interview methods might be different depending on the company’s culture. However, the employer’s goal remains the same. It is to see whether you’re a good fit based on the job requirements and the company’s values.
From that, we suggest that you get an idea of what the interviewer’s mindset could be like. While it’s important to show your expertise in UX design technical skills, it’s not the interview’s goal to only check for that. Instead, the procedure is to see how you think, work, and apply your values to your outputs.
Potential employees are like investments; the company needs to know that whom they’re paying for will work in the long run. That’s why your future employer might expect you to fit in with the team and bring innovation to the company.
Let’s take a look at this guide and excel at your UX design interview!
UX Design Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself.
It’s an ice-breaker question that is mainly asked in the first session of interviews. It would be best to avoid giving personal information when answering this question because that’s not what the interviewer wants to hear. Instead, focus on your life stories that relate to the UX design. If you’ve taken a graphic design course, mention how it shaped your career and skills.
You can articulate how you discovered your passion for UX and what you have done since. We would advise you to tell your potential employer about your previous experiences, such as educational background, internship, and previous jobs.
Make sure that you present yourself as a good candidate for the company. You could finish it with a positive statement like, “I wish I could show you how my background, experience, and approach to UX will make a great addition to your team.”
Why did you choose a career in UX design?
It’s time for you to show your potential in the UX design field! Tell your interviewer about your passions and capabilities as a UX designer. It’s great to explain that you’re intrigued with this field and willing to strive to improve the business’ products. Highlight any graphic design courses you’ve taken that have equipped you with the skills needed for UX design.
Here are a few strengths that could support your excitement for building your career in the UX design industry:
- Empathy: Show that you’re an empathetic person and gauge what the users would expect in their experience.
- Problem-solving: Demonstrate your analytical skills by providing solutions to users’ problems.
- Curiosity: Showcase your curiosity about how user experience impacts your site and want to improve your skills to deliver better solutions.
- Time management: Present yourself as a good team player and diligently do tasks for clients to follow the brand’s deadline policies.
What makes you interested in working in this company?
Interviewers will ask this question to see if you have an understanding of the company. So it would be best if you do some research on the company’s values, missions, and visions.
Think of yourself as a potential asset for the company. Therefore, you need to focus on what you can give them instead of highlighting what you want.
Shifting the attention to the company will help the interviewer grasp why they should hire you. They will see what values you will bring to their products and how you would support the company and the team to grow.
Being diplomatic is essential to answer this question. For example, you could say, “In the previous roles, I didn’t get to do as much qualitative user research as I would like. I see that your company values qualitative user research. Therefore this is something that I can offer to the team.”
Which expertise is your focus – UX researcher, UX designer, or visual designer?
It would be best if you’ll answer this question honestly. You don’t need to make yourself seem like an expert in all departments as your future employer is trying to see your most robust expertise.
Furthermore, the question intends to assess your knowledge about various roles in the UX or design field. It also helps employers to see your potential and where you’ll perform best.
Can you show me your portfolio?
When the interviewer asks this question, they don’t expect you to hand over your portfolio. Instead, guide them through your portfolio and provide simple explanations and reasonings behind your designs.
The next question is usually a follow-up to this one.
Can you walk me through one of your projects?
The critical tip for answering this question is to avoid telling the logistical steps and the details of the projects. Interviewers are likely not interested in knowing who you were working with, how many people were in the team, the roadblocks, and the project’s duration.
Instead, your interviewer is more intrigued by seeing the goal of the project, your role, and your tasks. As they test your communication and decision-making skills, walk them through your portfolio by only explaining the relevant details.
For example, you could tell them why you made specific decisions, where things went off track, and how you managed to get back on track. This information will evaluate your work ethic, thought process, and how you dealt with the obstacles.
What did you do when your projects didn’t go as planned?
Almost everyone has faced a situation where projects didn’t go as planned. It’s OK to share your unpleasant experiences related to the UX design position. There are no right or wrong answers as the interviewer intends to see your problem-solving skills and how you stay calm under pressure.
Answering this question honestly and providing the real cases shows that you’re a humble person. You’re willing to admit mistakes and change your ideas when you realise that you were on the wrong track.
Remember that acknowledging failures won’t be a downside for your interview. Instead, the employer will value you more if you can portray yourself as someone who can move together and fix any issues with the team.
So, articulate your troubles, and don’t be afraid to show your mistakes!
What are apps and websites designs that you love?
Telling your interviewer about your favourite apps and websites will show them how you appreciate other artists’ works. Other than that, it will also demonstrate the way you approach the UX design principles.
They want to see if you understand what it takes to make a product successful. You can explain why some websites and apps’ designs caught your attention.
You can mention a few factors that make a design decision a good one, such as enhancing user engagement and the discoverability of new content. So it’s best to avoid explaining your favourite products with simple sentences like, “I love the apps or websites because they have nice UX design.”
Improve your story by articulating the features, design choices, and design decisions. Demonstrate the reasons why those grabbed your attention and what are the things that you can apply to the company’s products.
Regardless of your favourite apps and websites, maybe the main point is to showcase your design values through intriguing stories. From that, the employer can value your potential and judgment to create high-quality UX designs for their company.
What is your definition of UX design?
This question might seem easy, but the reality is many UX designers failed to nail it. Our advice would be to avoid giving textbook definitions of UX design because the interviewer wants to know what you value as a user experience designer.
It would be best for you to provide practical demonstrations based on your previous experiences. You can perform a whiteboard design challenge if your interviewer asks you to do that. From that, you can highlight the importance of empathy and user-centricity. Explain why the user-first approach is crucial and how it can improve the business’ products.
Show that you have mastered the importance of UX design to the users and company. Talking about user research, customer journey, and usability testing would highlight your capabilities.
In the end, don’t forget to relate the importance of UX design to their business and how good UX will add value to their products. So avoid answering this question with textbook explanations that are easy to find on Google or Wikipedia.
How do you differentiate UX design from other design disciplines?
You need to understand the reason why the interviewers ask you this question. The interviewer would hit you with the question for a reason. It is because they want to know how you differentiate UX design from other design disciplines. They’re also interested in evaluating how you apply UX design to other design fields.
From that information, you can learn that you don’t need to go into detail by explaining each specific design field. Instead, you can focus on describing the importance of UX design and how it aligns with them.
For example, you can give a simple explanation like, “While other design disciplines provide aesthetic outputs, UX design focuses on functionality. So you can achieve the objectives of creating user-friendly apps or websites by combining beautiful designs and user experience together!”
What’s your design process?
Describing your UX design process is essential to let your interviewer know that you’re familiar with the user-centred approaches. Providing real-life examples would be beneficial for your interviewer to have a better understanding of your experience.
However, here is the list of essential points you should focus on:
- User research
- Persona
- User flow
- Wireframes
- Usability testing
How do you practice universal design?
Your product might reach a greater audience if you use a universal design approach as a UX designer. The universal design promotes inclusivity so everyone can access your products with ease.
To create a universal design, you might want to provide a variety of options for users all around. For example, users can choose whether to use audio or text-based content. It’s highly beneficial for people with constraints and impairments.
Other than that, practising universal design is good for the brand’s reputation. It gives the idea that the products are not limited to certain types of people. Instead, everyone has an equal chance to enjoy and benefit from the products.
How do you choose features in your designs?
Great user experience assists users in finding what they want faster by reducing the time between comprehension and action. That’s why UX designers need to choose the right features for the products. This is why taking a graphic design course can help you understand user experience better, helping you choose the best features.
When your interviewer asks you this question, you can use real-life examples based on a user’s needs. Tell them that prioritising features is vital because users tend to compare one product’s characteristics to another.
Making users feel comfortable when accessing the products is important too. You can convey that even though building high-functioning features might take a long time and cost more money, you’re willing to do it. Here are some elements you need to consider:
- Know who your target market is.
- Set prioritised goals for your audience.
- Determine what problems the features solve.
Where do you find inspiration?
Your potential employer wants to know how you stay updated with the current trends in the UX design field. They want to see if you’re willing to learn and are eager to expand your knowledge in this industry.
So it would be best if you mention online courses or books that inspire your skillset. Other than that, you can also tell about apps and websites with high functionality that influence you to create user-friendly interfaces.
Although no one can predict the future, it will also be good to mention the next big trend in the UX field. You can relate to the business’s needs and goals by explaining how the current trends might contribute to their success.
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What are research methods that you apply?
We recommend you give a genuine answer to this question. Show your preferable research methods to your interviewer, as well as the reasons behind the techniques.
For example, you can tell the interviewer that you preferred an online survey due to deadlines and budget constraints. Besides, you could also explain the effectiveness of face-to-face interviews to receive feedback and deliver solutions with the information they’ve given.
Other than telling your research methods, you could also tell the challenges you faced when conducting research. Don’t be afraid to share your difficulties as long as you follow them with realistic solutions.
What are your strengths?
It’s a universal question asked by many interviewers for any job. When being hit with this question, you need to show your confidence by acknowledging your strengths relevant to the job position.
You can focus on expounding these strengths and how they will match what the potential employer is looking for:
- Empathy: Put customer needs first to understand their struggles.
- Leadership: How do you mentor junior designers and support their growth?
- Collaboration: Brainstorming and explaining something that a team with different expertise can easily understand.
What are your weaknesses?
Nobody’s perfect, and no company’s searching for a perfect candidate!
It’s OK to tell your weaknesses as it will show that you’re an honest person by showing you are self-aware about them. However, it would help if you made sure that you positively portray your shortcomings. Don’t let the interviewer assume that your weaknesses won’t be a complete roadblock in your work.
It’s good to give them the impression that although you have failures, you still have the confidence and willingness to overcome them. For example, you can say, “I get bored easily if not doing challenging projects. However, I have learned and shifted my focus on the small details instead of the big steps.”
How do you handle criticism and negative feedback?
Receiving criticism and negative feedback might feel uncomfortable. However, you need to avoid taking the comments personally because you’ll receive feedback from many people, such as your boss, clients, or teams.
To answer this question professionally, you need to show that you are open-minded and willing to receive criticism and feedback. Portray yourself as someone who’s sincere in accepting constructive criticism because it can be beneficial for you to achieve the company’s goal.
Do you mind handing over projects to developers?
Interviewers want to see whether you’re a good team player or not by putting you in a position where you need to collaborate.
Although many UX designers struggle to hand over projects to the developers, you can tell the interviewer that you’re willing to hand over tasks and assist the developer team in achieving the best outcome.
What would you do if you disagreed with your teammates’ opinions?
Disagreements occur in all types of work environments. However, showing that you know how to handle them portrays your strong capability as a team player!
It would be best to answer this question by saying that you’re a data-driven person. So every time you disagree with your teammates, it’s based on rational reasoning. That way, it will show your thoughtfulness and logical thinking in delivering user-centred decisions to develop the business’s products.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
When interviewers ask this question, they generally want to see your vision in terms of your career goal. From your answer, they will evaluate whether you’re passionate about your current skills or only doing it for short-term hustle.
Answering this question will require you to show that you’re interested in developing your skills in UX design or any other similar role. Portray yourself as someone willing to take the learning journey to improve your career.
In addition, you can end your statement by saying that the company you’re applying for shares the same values and mission as yours. So joining the company will give you a comprehensive working and learning experience because your goals align with one another.
What makes you excited about this position?
To answer this question, you need to focus on the company’s goal instead of your benefits. Show that you see that the company’s values match yours and that you see yourself passionate about developing their business’s products.
Avoid mentioning the salary benefit as it will give the assumption that you’re only looking for money. In addition, it’s best not to put too much focus on your career development. It avoids the interviewer’s assumption that you’re only using the company to step up your career instead of giving your values.
You might also want to say that the company’s products inspired you to improve your UX design outputs. Mention the specific characteristics of the business’s products that you think are great and how the features make you feel excited to join the design team.
Do you have any questions for me?
When the interviewer asks you this question, make sure you ask them back!
Giving questions to your interviewer shows you are engaging during the interview process. It also shows that you’re interested in that position. Leaving the interviewer without asking them questions will create the assumption that you’re not interested in joining the company.
You can ask the interviewer about the culture of the company itself. More specifically, you can ask about their design process, how the current design team is structured, and how they work together.
Mistakes To Avoid During Your First UX Design Interview
Have you ever experienced getting called for an interview only to bomb it? It happens to the best of us, especially when this is your first-ever UX design interview. However, with a little preparation and awareness of common pitfalls, you can avoid these interview mishaps and showcase your skills and enthusiasm for UX design.
Here are some key mistakes to steer clear of:
Not Doing Enough Research
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to just wing the interview. If you don’t research the company beforehand to understand their products and design philosophy, it means you did not do your homework. Your potential employer will see you as someone who’s uninterested, unprepared and a bit unprofessional.
Remember, preparation is key! Take time to explore their website, read recent news about them and get a sense of their UX design style.
Not Showing Your Personality
While a strong portfolio and well-rehearsed answers are important, a UX interview isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s a chance for the hiring team to see if you’d be a good fit for their company culture and team dynamic.
Who are you outside of work? What hobbies are you involved in when you’re not facing the computer screen?
Keep in mind that you’re more than just your resume. Yes, it highlights your skills and experience, but your personality showcases who you are as a designer. Are you passionate, collaborative, or a creative problem solver? Sharing your personality allows the interviewer to envision you working alongside the team.
Not Asking Questions
The interview isn’t just about the company asking you questions. It’s a two-way street. This is your chance to assess if the role and company culture align with your career aspirations. You can also take this opportunity to show that you’re curious and interested in the company and what they have to offer.
Make sure you come prepared with insightful questions. Your questions can also reveal potential red flags you might not have otherwise noticed. Ask about team dynamics, project timelines or design processes to gauge if the environment aligns with your expectations.
Conclusion
Now you have a better understanding of what kind of interview questions they’ll ask for UX designer positions and how you can answer them. As you can see, you need to hone your communication skills to articulate your answers better. Although having technical skills is required, potential employers want to see if you’re a good communicator and confident with your expertise.
Another point you need to convey to them is that you can be a good team player because, as a UX designer, you will work with other team members. It will help if you deliver your ideas in a way that everyone can understand and be able to solve problems together.
You also saw that UX designers need a solid user-research approach. Having empathy and understanding the user’s struggles and problems is important as well. The core value of UX design is solving the issues and making a smoother navigation process for the users as they go through the company’s products or services.
Also, remember that sometimes employers are not designers, so it will be good if you’re able to explain the concept of UX design in layman’s terms. Imagine you’re explaining how a UX designer works to a beginner.
Prepare your answers and good luck with your UX design interview! Take our graphic design courses now to give you a competitive edge.
