Whether you need a burst of creativity or a data-backed strong design strategy, there's a designer for that. Just make sure you're putting each team member's strengths to work. In our experience, design thinkers can be roughly divided into three categories.
Creative (divergent) thinking
"Open minds for open designs" — studies have shown that creativity is associated with openness and extraversion. Designers with creative thinking are a source of incredible opportunities for projects that require originality and imagination.
Convergent (analytical) thinking
Convergent thinking is the superpower that enables you to see patterns, find structure, and make data-driven design decisions. It's perfect for data-driven design and excels in projects built on research and constant validation.
Lateral thinking
Rare lateral thinkers can think in both modes simultaneously. Their brain can create original ideas based on structured information and logic or momentarily select the best, viable ideas from hundreds of creative ideas that come to their minds.
Whether you need originality and creativity or data-driven decisions and research-based insights, there's a way to make the most of your team's talents. So don't ask a creative person to spend a month analyzing data or an analytical person to come up with multiple original designs. Give them tasks and projects that match their strengths, and watch them shine.
9 questions you can ask during the interview process
Here are some universal questions that can help you gauge their experience and expertise, regardless of the context. From their professional background to their motivations, these questions will give you the insights you need to make the right hiring decision. So, let’s dive in and find the perfect talent for your team!
Tell us about yourself, what is your background?
When interviewing a candidate, creating a relaxed and sincere atmosphere is important. To achieve this, start with a casual question.
For instance, you can ask:
- “Can you share a bit about your journey and what got you excited to work in this field?”
- “What did you enjoy most about your previous position?”
However, it is essential to direct the conversation to avoid sidetracking and to keep it focused on the crucial information. You can ask additional questions to gather the required information.
Don’t be afraid to interrupt gently to steer the conversation in the direction you need.
What is your professional experience?
You may be thinking, “But I already know everything from a resume, don’t I?” The answer is both yes and no.
Reading a carefully planned, almost sterile description is one thing. Hearing the person describe their experience on the fly is entirely different. This can help you understand their career status, professional focus, how they frame their responsibilities, and whether they have a superficial view of the job.
When hiring a UX or UX/UI designer, pay particular attention to how empathetic they are towards users’ needs and how well they can map the customer experience. If they ignore or gloss over this issue, it may signal a lack of expertise or understanding of the role.
Who was your manager and how would they evaluate your job?
Asking about their previous manager and how they would evaluate their work is crucial because it provides insights into the designer’s self-awareness, ability to reflect on feedback, and professional growth. Understanding a candidate’s perspective on their performance and the dynamics with their manager can help you comprehend how they might fit into your team’s culture and work ethic.
What was your best role on the project?
This insight can help you align the candidate’s potential role within your team with what they do best, ensuring their job satisfaction and peak performance. Additionally, it reveals how they view their contributions to a project’s success, providing clues about their team dynamics, leadership qualities, and ability to collaborate.
How do you stay up to date with the design industry?
A designer must stay up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques. So, where do they get their information from? Here are some top resources to consider:
- Baymard Institute — a top provider of UX research data for e-commerce projects;
- Nilsen Norman Group — a #1 destination for interaction design findings;
- NFX.com — probably the best source of knowledge for people who create marketplaces and work with the network effect.
Of course, there are more relevant resources, books, and style guides. If the interviewee names a few you don’t know, feel free to check them out later. And don’t forget, reading design books is just as important as keeping up with the latest trends. It shows that a candidate is dedicated to learning and improving their craft.
What was the last design problem you solved and how did you approach it?
Understanding a designer’s approach to tackling the issues they face offers a direct glimpse into their problem-solving skills, creativity, and ability to handle challenges — key qualities for any UX/UI specialist. This question lets you evaluate their analytical thinking, how they research and gather insights, their process for generating solutions, and their capacity for critical feedback and iteration.
How would you do user research for our future market?
To evaluate the research skills of a UX designer, you could ask questions such as:
- For which product should we conduct research?
- What is the goal of our research?
- Who is our target market?
- What is the user journey and how to work with it?
When designing for user experience, it is important to consider various aspects of market research such as user demographics, preferences, and behavior patterns. In terms of research approaches, there are two main types:
- Qualitative research, which includes interviews, usability tests, and cultural background studies. When designing a user experience, it’s important to consider external factors such as the user’s environment, technological limitations, and cultural differences. This type of research helps to understand what and why the user wants something.
- Quantitative research, which includes analytics and surveys, is used to test whether implemented solutions work well.
What is your greatest professional success/failure?
A tricky yet insightful question.
The first variation helps to discover what the person considers “success” and “best.” Is it about the awards their projects have won or about increasing customer engagement by 25%?
The “greatest failure” question reveals the person’s humility and ability to own up to their mistakes, especially in the era of “failing fast.” Additionally, ask about the cause to see if the person tries to shift the blame on anyone or anything but themselves.
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but they will help you understand where the person stands.
What are your motivations?
Soft skills and emotional intelligence are crucial for productive collaboration and a healthy, spirited atmosphere in the workplace. It’s no wonder some employers prefer less experienced candidates with better soft skills over highly skilled but “abrasive” professionals.
Emotionally intelligent individuals not only make for more pleasant colleagues, but they also minimize conflicts and potential burnout.
To assess a candidate’s emotional intelligence, motivations, and personality, you can ask some of the following questions:
- What motivates you in your work?
- What types of things tend to make you feel irritated?
- If you were unable to pursue design, what would you do instead?
- Are there any projects that you would decline regardless of the circumstances?
Mistakes to avoid when hiring a designer
Looking for talent can be a daunting task, but with these tips, you’ll be able to avoid costly mistakes and find the perfect candidate.
Avoid merging several roles
Specialization is key. A jack-of-all-trades but a master of none-designer may struggle with complex projects. Focus on finding someone with a deep understanding and proven track record in the specific area you need, whether that’s UX research, UI design, or interaction design.
Don’t prioritize specific skills
While certain technical skills are necessary, looking at the candidate’s entire skill set, including soft skills and their ability to adapt and learn is important. Consider how their overall experience and approach to design thinking will benefit your team and projects.
Don’t overestimate a UX portfolio
Portfolios highlight completed projects but may not reveal the challenges encountered or the designer’s exact role in the solution. Dive deeper during the interview to understand their problem-solving process, how they overcome challenges, and how they collaborate with team members.
Don’t expect a quick turnaround time
Quality design takes time. Set realistic research, ideation, prototyping, and testing deadlines to ensure the final product meets user needs and business goals. Clear communication about timelines from the start can prevent misunderstandings and rushed work.
Don’t post a boring job ad
Capture the essence of what makes your project or company special. An engaging job ad should reflect your company’s culture, the exciting challenges the designer will tackle, and the impact their work will have. This approach attracts candidates who are not just looking for any job but are excited about what you’re doing.
Don’t ignore the fiercely competitive UX market
To attract top talent, offer a competitive package that includes not only salary but also benefits, work-life balance, and opportunities for professional growth. Highlighting these aspects can make your offer stand out in a competitive landscape.
Don’t skip the cultural fit assessment
Beyond skills and experience, the talent’s fit with your company culture is crucial. An employee who shares your company’s values, work ethic, and team dynamics is more likely to succeed and contribute positively to the team.
Don’t overlook communication skills
Effective communication is essential, as designers must articulate their ideas to team members, stakeholders, and users. Evaluate their ability to communicate complex design concepts clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Test assignment
Typically, when evaluating a junior or mid-level candidate for a position, you’ll assign them a substantial design task to complete in their spare time. This task should mimic their expected work and test their fundamental skills, including research, analysis, and actual design.
For a senior specialist, providing a longer paid task or a few paid days of work with your team is better.
During the job interview, there are also tasks you can give potential candidates to quickly assess their skills and ability to work under time constraints. For example, you can prepare a few screens with usability flaws to show your candidates and ask them for improvement ideas. This will help you better understand their design mindset and make an informed decision on whether or not they are a good fit for your team.
What should be the answers?
- Newbie designers: In the worst case, you may receive vague, subjective feedback such as “It’s bad,” “I would completely redesign it,” “I don’t like the colors/icons,” or “The screen is too dense.” These are indicators of an inexperienced designer.
- UI-focused designers: If the interviewee tells you how to fix colors, icons, fonts, layout, and screen density, their main focus is visuals. It is perfectly fine, especially if you need strong UI expertise.
- UX-focused designers: These specialists have ideas for new features that can improve the user experience (UX). They can also suggest ways to reduce the number of clicks or scrolls required, how to provide better element naming, and how to improve data visualization.
- Designers with a business-oriented mindset: Some interviewees will start by asking more questions about design goals and main usage scenarios. If you’re unsure how relevant their questions are, ask how they will use this information to change the design.
For example, here’s the screen with a few usability flaws we use.
