When talking about job interviews for a UX position, we often discuss how to leave an incredible impression and how to negotiate the right salary. But it’s only one part of the story. The other part is to be prepared, to ask questions, and to listen carefully.
Below, I’ve put together a few useful resources on UX job interviews — from job boards to Notion templates and practical guides. I hope you or your colleagues will find it helpful.
The Design Interview Kit
As you are preparing for that interview, get ready with the Design Interview Kit (Figma), a helpful practical guide that covers how to craft case studies, solve design challenges, write cover letters, present your portfolio, and negotiate your offer. Kindly shared by Oliver Engel.
The Product Designer’s (Job) Interview Playbook (PDF)
The Product Designer’s (Job) Interview Playbook (PDF) is a practical little guide for designers through each interview phase, with helpful tips and strategies on things to keep in mind, talking points, questions to ask, red flags to watch out for and how to tell a compelling story about yourself and your work. Kindly put together by Meghan Logan.
From my side, I can only wholeheartedly recommend to not only speak about your design process. Tell stories about the impact that your design work has produced. Frame your design work as an enabler of business goals and user needs. And include insights about the impact you’ve produced — on business goals, processes, team culture, planning, estimates, and testing.
Also, be very clear about the position that you are applying for. In many companies, titles do matter. There are vast differences in responsibilities and salaries between various levels for designers, so if you see yourself as a senior, review whether it actually reflects in the position.
A Guide To Successful UX Job Interviews (+ Notion template)
Catt Small’s Guide To Successful UX Job Interviews, a wonderful practical series on how to build a referral pipeline, apply for an opening, prepare for screening and interviews, present your work, and manage salary expectations. You can also download a Notion template.
30 Useful Questions To Ask In UX Job Interviews
In her wonderful article, Nati Asher has suggested many useful questions to ask in a job interview when you are applying as a UX candidate. I’ve taken the liberty of revising some of them and added a few more questions that might be worth considering for your next job interview.
- What are the biggest challenges the team faces at the moment?
- What are the team’s main strengths and weaknesses?
- What are the traits and skills that will make me successful in this position?
- Where is the company going in the next 5 years?
- What are the achievements I should aim for over the first 90 days?
- What would make you think “I’m so happy we hired X!”?
- Do you have any doubts or concerns regarding my fit for this position?
- Does the team have any budget for education, research, etc.?
- What is the process of onboarding in the team?
- Who is in the team, and how long have they been in that team?
- Who are the main stakeholders I will work with on a day-to-day basis?
- Which options do you have for user research and accessing users or data?
- Are there analytics, recordings, or other data sources to review?
- How do you measure the impact of design work in your company?
- To what extent does management understand the ROI of good UX?
- How does UX contribute strategically to the company’s success?
- Who has the final say on design, and who decides what gets shipped?
- What part of the design process does the team spend most time on?
- How many projects do designers work on simultaneously?
- How has the organization overcome challenges with remote work?
- Do we have a design system, and in what state is it currently?
- Why does a company want to hire a UX designer?
- How would you describe the ideal candidate for this position?
- What does a career path look like for this role?
- How will my performance be evaluated in this role?
- How long do projects take to launch? Can you give me some examples?
- What are the most immediate projects that need to be addressed?
- How do you see the design team growing in the future?
- What traits make someone successful in this team?
- What’s the most challenging part of leading the design team?
- How does the company ensure it’s upholding its values?
Before a job interview, have your questions ready.
Not only will they convey a message that you care about the process and
the culture, but also that you understand what is required to be
successful. And this fine detail might go a long way.This is an excellent and comprehensive list of questions to ask during a
UX design interview, particularly when you're assessing a team, company
culture, role expectations, and future opportunities. To help you make
the most of these questions, here's a categorized breakdown and some
brief context on why and when to ask them:
Team & Collaboration
What are the biggest challenges the team faces at the moment?
What are the team’s main strengths and weaknesses?
Who is in the team, and how long have they been in that team?
What traits make someone successful in this team?
What’s the most challenging part of leading the design team?
How many projects do designers work on simultaneously?
Use these to evaluate team dynamics, work distribution, and leadership challenges.
Role Clarity & Success
What are the traits and skills that will make me successful in this position?
What are the achievements I should aim for over the first 90 days?
What would make you think “I’m so happy we hired X!”?
What does a career path look like for this role?
How will my performance be evaluated in this role?
Great to ask during final interview rounds or when speaking to your potential manager.
Company Vision & Strategy
Where is the company going in the next 5 years?
How does UX contribute strategically to the company’s success?
To what extent does management understand the ROI of good UX?
How do you see the design team growing in the future?
How does the company ensure it’s upholding its values?
Ask senior leaders or hiring managers to gauge alignment between design and business.
Design Process & Impact
What part of the design process does the team spend most time on?
How do you measure the impact of design work in your company?
Who has the final say on design, and who decides what gets shipped?
How long do projects take to launch? Can you give me some examples?
What are the most immediate projects that need to be addressed?
Ideal for design managers, product managers, or senior team members.
Research & Data
Which options do you have for user research and accessing users or data?
Are there analytics, recordings, or other data sources to review?
Helpful to understand the maturity of research and data-driven design at the company.
Learning & Growth
Does the team have any budget for education, research, etc.?
Shows your interest in continuous learning and staying current.
Onboarding & Workstyle
What is the process of onboarding in the team?
How has the organization overcome challenges with remote work?
Use these to judge how well they support new hires and remote collaboration.
Design Infrastructure
Do we have a design system, and in what state is it currently?
Important for understanding how scalable and consistent the design process is.
Stakeholders & Collaboration
Who are the main stakeholders I will work with on a day-to-day basis?
Ask this to understand cross-functional dynamics (e.g., PMs, engineers, marketing).
Fit & Feedback
Do you have any doubts or concerns regarding my fit for this position?
Why does the company want to hire a UX designer?
How would you describe the ideal candidate for this position?
These help you gather honest feedback and tailor your pitch or closing remarks.
Final Tip:
You don't need to ask all these questions in one sitting. Pick the most relevant ones based on:
The stage of the interview
The role level (junior, senior, lead)
Who you're speaking with (HR, manager, team member, leadership)
Would you like a condensed list of top 10 questions for a final-round interview?
You said:
Answers
ChatGPT said:
Sure! Here's a sample set of strong, thoughtful answers to each of your
questions — as if they were answered by a hiring manager or design
leader. These examples are general but realistic, and they can help you
understand what to listen for in a real interview. Let me know if you'd
like answers tailored to a specific company or role.
Team & Collaboration
Q: What are the biggest challenges the team faces at the moment?
A: We're currently scaling quickly, which means balancing long-term
design quality with short-term delivery speed. Also, cross-functional
alignment can be a challenge when product and engineering timelines
shift unexpectedly.
Q: What are the team’s main strengths and weaknesses?
A: Strength-wise, we have a very collaborative team that’s strong in
interaction design and accessibility. Our main weakness is research—we
rely heavily on assumptions due to limited user access, though we’re
working to improve that.
Q: Who is in the team, and how long have they been in that team?
A: We have 5 designers: 1 lead, 2 senior, and 2 mid-level. Most have
been here 1–3 years, and there's a healthy mix of tenure and fresh
perspectives.
Q: What traits make someone successful in this team?
A: Curiosity, strong communication, and a proactive mindset. Designers
who ask questions early, collaborate closely with PMs and engineers, and
advocate for users tend to thrive.
Q: What’s the most challenging part of leading the design team?
A: Balancing each designer’s growth with business priorities. Also,
protecting the team’s focus and preventing burnout in a fast-paced
environment is a constant effort.
Q: How many projects do designers work on simultaneously?
A: Typically one primary and one secondary project. We try to avoid
context switching but sometimes need to flex based on deadlines.
Role Clarity & Success
Q: What are the traits and skills that will make me successful in this position?
A: Strong UX fundamentals, stakeholder management, and the ability to
translate user insights into action. You'll also need resilience and
adaptability.
Q: What are the achievements I should aim for over the first 90 days?
A: Build relationships with the team, understand our product and users,
and deliver your first complete design iteration—ideally something we
can test.
Q: What would make you think “I’m so happy we hired X!”?
A: If you take ownership, collaborate openly, and help elevate the
quality of both our design and our process. Being a good communicator
and bringing new thinking also goes a long way.
Q: What does a career path look like for this role?
A: We offer both individual contributor and leadership tracks. You can
grow into a senior designer role, a design lead, or even specialize in
research or systems design.
Q: How will my performance be evaluated in this role?
A: Based on impact (e.g., measurable improvements in user experience),
collaboration, initiative, and how well your work aligns with business
goals and user needs.
Company Vision & Strategy
Q: Where is the company going in the next 5 years?
A: We’re expanding internationally and investing in AI-powered
personalization. Design will be central to that evolution, especially in
improving end-to-end journeys.
Q: How does UX contribute strategically to the company’s success?
A: UX is a partner in product strategy. We’re involved from discovery
through delivery, and leadership increasingly relies on design to shape
roadmap priorities.
Q: To what extent does management understand the ROI of good UX?
A: It’s growing. Our leadership sees UX as a differentiator, especially
in retention and conversion, and we’ve recently started tying design
metrics to business KPIs.
Q: How do you see the design team growing in the future?
A: We plan to double the size in the next 12–18 months and add roles in design ops, UX research, and content design.
Q: How does the company ensure it’s upholding its values?
A: Through regular team check-ins, anonymous feedback channels, and
making sure our hiring and leadership decisions reflect our values—like
inclusion, transparency, and ownership.
Design Process & Impact
Q: What part of the design process does the team spend most time on?
A: Ideation and iteration. We use a dual-track agile approach, so
discovery and validation are continuous. But handoff and QA still need
improvement.
Q: How do you measure the impact of design work in your company?
A: Through both qualitative (usability scores, feedback) and
quantitative (task completion, funnel conversion) metrics. We aim to tie
design decisions to real outcomes.
Q: Who has the final say on design, and who decides what gets shipped?
A: Designers own the experience, but decisions are made collaboratively
with product and engineering. PMs own prioritization; designers own
usability.
Q: How long do projects take to launch? Can you give me some examples?
A: It depends—small optimizations can go out in 2–4 weeks, while larger
features can take 2–3 months. A recent example: our new onboarding flow
took 8 weeks from concept to ship.
Q: What are the most immediate projects that need to be addressed?
A: We’re revamping our dashboard experience and launching a new
self-serve flow for onboarding. Both have research and design needs
starting now.
Research & Data
Q: Which options do you have for user research and accessing users or data?
A: We use UserTesting and also do 1:1 interviews. Our product team helps
recruit from our user base. For B2B, we often go through account
managers.
Q: Are there analytics, recordings, or other data sources to review?
A: Yes. We use Mixpanel for analytics, FullStory for session recordings,
and Looker for product KPIs. Designers have access and are encouraged
to explore data.
Learning & Growth
Q: Does the team have any budget for education, research, etc.?
A: Yes—each designer has an annual learning stipend of $1,000, and we
support attending conferences, buying books, or taking courses.
Onboarding & Workstyle
Q: What is the process of onboarding in the team?
A: You'll start with a 2-week onboarding plan: product deep dives,
meeting cross-functional partners, shadowing user calls, and setting up
design tools. We assign a design buddy too.
Q: How has the organization overcome challenges with remote work?
A: We’ve invested in async communication, documented processes, and
regular design critiques. We also do quarterly onsites to maintain team
cohesion.
Design Infrastructure
Q: Do we have a design system, and in what state is it currently?
A: Yes, we have a shared Figma design system and component library, used
across all squads. It’s about 80% complete and maintained by a
dedicated team.
Stakeholders & Collaboration
Q: Who are the main stakeholders I will work with on a day-to-day basis?
A: Primarily your PM and engineering lead. Depending on the project, you
might also work with marketing, customer support, or sales enablement.
Fit & Feedback
Q: Do you have any doubts or concerns regarding my fit for this position?
A: Not major concerns—just want to ensure you're comfortable with a
fast-paced environment where priorities can shift quickly. Your
portfolio shows strong work.
Q: Why does the company want to hire a UX designer?
A: We’re at a stage where we need deeper user insights and more
intentional design thinking. We want to improve retention and reduce
friction in key user flows.
Q: How would you describe the ideal candidate for this position?
A: Someone who's user-centered, communicates clearly, balances craft
with speed, and can work autonomously while collaborating closely with
cross-functional peers.
Don’t Forget About The STAR Method
Interviewers closer to business will expect you to present examples of your work using the STAR method (Situation — Task — Action — Result), and might be utterly confused if you delve into all the fine details of your ideation process or the choice of UX methods you’ve used.
- Situation: Set the scene and give necessary details.
- Task: Explain your responsibilities in that situation.
- Action: Explain what steps you took to address it.
- Result: Share the outcomes your actions achieved.
As Meghan suggests, the interview is all about how your skills add value to the problem the company is currently solving. So ask about the current problems and tasks. Interview the person who interviews you, too — but also explain who you are, your focus areas, your passion points, and how you and your expertise would fit in a product and in the organization.
Wrapping Up
A final note on my end: never take a rejection personally. Very often, the reasons you are given for rejection are only a small part of a much larger picture — and have almost nothing to do with you. It might be that a job description wasn’t quite accurate, or the company is undergoing restructuring, or the finances are too tight after all.
Don’t despair and keep going. Write down your expectations. Job titles matter: be deliberate about them and your level of seniority. Prepare good references. Have your questions ready for that job interview. As Catt Small says, “once you have a foot in the door, you’ve got to kick it wide open”.
You are a bright shining star — don’t you ever forget that.
Job Boards
- Remote + In-person
- IXDA
- Who Is Still Hiring?
- UXPA Job Bank
- Otta
- Boooom
- Black Creatives Job Board
- UX Research Jobs
- UX Content Jobs
- UX Content Collective Jobs
- UX Writing Jobs
Useful Resources
- “How To Be Prepared For UX Job Interviews,” by yours truly
- “UX Job Search Strategies and Templates,” by yours truly
- “How To Ace Your Next Job Interview,” by Startup.jobs
- “Cracking The UX Job Interview,” by Artiom Dashinsky
- “The Product Design Interview Process,” by Tanner Christensen
- “10 Questions To Ask in a UX Interview,” by Ryan Scott
- “Six questions to ask after a UX designer job interview,” by Nick Babich
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