Design Exercise Interview

Interview method to get candidates away from scripted process and be able to see how they think and collaborate with the team first hand. It’ll review the designer’s critical thinking ability and ability to move quickly through ideas by leveraging patterns. The exercise will have the designer work through a problem on the spot.

Product Designer

Time

90 minutes

• 1h 15m of exercise
• 15m for candidate’s questions

Participants

Hiring manager, designer, product manager

Competencies

Design Thinking

• Creativity / Generativity
• Critical Thinking / User-Centered / Handle Ambiguity
• Visual Thinker
• Hard Skills
• Information Architecture
• Interaction Design
• Business Fluency

Soft Skills

• Humility / Collaboration
• Communication / Passion / Leadership
• Passion

Prep

1. Pick key areas of your product that even a first time. Suggestions: Home, Search, Onboarding, Reading, Navigation, Notifications, Common Consumer Features (ex.shopping cart).
2. Define the design brief of the exercise. Include:
   1. Outline the ask (Tip: focus more on broad directions), what success looks like, and scope
   2. Provide key data points and anecdotes
3. Create a Figma board (or an alternative digital whiteboard). Include:
   1. Primary flow of product
   2. Reiteration of instructions provided in email
   3. Design brief
   4. Space for problem definition and solution ideation

Expectation Setting

See templates below.

Agenda

1. Ask clarifying questions with hiring manager. [20m]
2. Individual Time [20m]
3. Receive feedback & Riff together [35m]
4. Questions from candidate [15m]

Panel Tips

• If needed, hiring manager takes lead on coaching and answering questions but anyone can chime in as we go.
• Interview group are expected to ask questions, provide feedback, and participate as if they were collaborating with any other teammate.
• Show interest in the candidate’s solution and be engaged.

Panel Questions to Ask / Statements

• Where would you go from here?
• How would you break down the priorities?
• How would get alignment?
• Why did you approach it that way? What about alternatives?
• What are you using for inspiration?
• State what you like and dislike

Evaluation

See Rubric Template below.

Templates

• Email Templates
• Evaluation Rubric
• Exercise Figma Template

References

• https://library.gv.com/how-to-interview-a-designer-with-the-perfect-design-exercise-2c99e6646612
• https://blog.prototypr.io/the-design-interview-exercise-6d5ff8add0e6
• https://blog.prototypr.io/product-design-exercises-we-use-at-wework-interviews-2ee1f5a57319
• https://dribbble.com/stories/2019/11/12/guide-to-hiring-with-design-exercises
• https://uxdesign.cc/5-steps-to-master-a-whiteboard-design-challenge-6ecbe9ec38b7