You've polished your design resume, applied for a few UX design job positions, and finally got invited for an interview. What next? UX designer interviews can be quite intimidating, especially if it's your first design job or you're transitioning to UX design from another field. By discovering what questions a hiring manager may ask you and understanding the structure of the UX design interview process, you'll feel less nervous when entering the interview room. Nail your next interview with these UX interview questions and answers, and take the next step by exploring UX design jobs and other design-related positions on UX job boards.
1. What is UX Design?
User experience design is how a person or the user, feels about interacting with or experiencing a product.
2. What is UI Design?
User interface (UI) design is the process of designing the look, feel, and interactivity of a digital product.
3. Difference between UI/UX and how do they relate?
While the terms UI and UX are sometimes used interchangeably, they represent distinct roles in the product development process.
User Interface (UI) is anything a user may interact with, to use a digital product or service. This includes everything from screens and touchscreens, keyboards, sounds, lights, etc.
On the other hand, User Experience (UX) evolved as a result of the improvements to UI. UX is mainly how users feel about interacting with the UI.
4. What is a design thinking process?
Design thinking process is an iterative process used by designers to solve problems. It is classified into 5 stages:
- Empathise
- Define
- Ideate
- Prototype
- Test
5. Explain each step in the design thinking process.
- In the Empathise stage, we find the real problem of the product and based on that I will select relevant age group users.
- In the Define stage, we work on user research where I can do qualitative, quantitative and competitive analysis.
- In the Ideate stage, we will start working on designing information architecture and wireframes like low fidelity wireframes and high fidelity wireframes.
- In the Prototype stage, we start with making interactions on the screens to make it look realistic. This is an experimental phase. The aim is to find the best possible solution for each problem found.
- In the Test stage, we rigorously test the prototypes. Although this is the final stage, design thinking is iterative. If we find any issues while testing, we go back to previous stages and do required alterations.
6. Talk us through your design process! (OR) With the use of a case study from your portfolio, walk us through your process and methods in use!
Instructions: This question is all about analyzing your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Pick a successful project you’ve worked on in the past and walk through the steps you took. Structure your answer much like the design process itself by mentioning how you researched, designed, and validated your design decisions. Avoid the temptation to answer this question in general terms.
7. Show us your portfolio!
- Introduce yourself and give an overview
- Tell which project is your favorite and why
- Talk about the team setup, your role, and activity in a project
- Explain the main challenge
- Describe your process
- Mention UX methods and user insights
- Show your solution
- Elaborate on one major design decision
- Showcase the results
8. When planning the design layout, what parameters do you consider? Do you have a design checklist?
( Tip: When this question is asked in an interview, walk them through your design process. This helps the interviewers to imagine you as their employee. This is an opportunity to showcase your approach to a foundational design task while highlighting your ability to apply conceptual knowledge in a hands-on scenario.)
A successful layout will present information in a way that helps users seamlessly achieve their goals. To design an effective layout, you’ll need to consider key parameters like information hierarchy, the size and type of device through which users will access the product, and the ways in which users will interact with the product. You’ll also need to consider default layouts that users already know—familiarity reduces friction. A design checklist will help you optimise your layout by directing your attention to the efficacy of core design features like:
- Typography: The goal is readability. Consider line height, uppercase tracking, font style, font weight, text contrast.
- Spacing and Margins: Use padding to clarify relationships between UI elements and introduce information gradually to prevent overwhelm.
- Imagery and colour: A cohesive look is key for brand recognition. Use iconography with consistent line widths, weights, sizes, and colours. Stick to your colour palette. Image sizes should be cohesive.
- UI elements: Reuse UI elements. Check how all UI elements are displayed on screens of different sizes and how they respond to various orientations. Ensure interactive elements function correctly.
9. What are the research methods you follow?
- (a)Qualitative - Why and How
- (b)Quantitative - How much and How many
- (c) Attitudinal - What people say
- (d)Behavioural - What people do
10. What is a prototype?
Prototype is nothing but a simulator of a real time product. It is basically an interaction between one screen and another screen to make it look like real interactions.
