The Essential UX Interview Questions (And How To Answer Them!)

Summary

In this video, Dee shares valuable insights and strategies for acing a UX design interview. Drawing from over 12 years of experience in UX design and leadership, Dee explains how interviewers assess not just technical skills but also teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Common questions covered include how to discuss your favorite digital product, explain why you want to work at a company, walk through a project, and handle challenges. Dee emphasizes the importance of clear communication, humility in admitting mistakes, and aligning your values with the company's needs to make a strong impression.

Takeaways

• 😀 Interviewers want to know what it will feel like to have you on their team, not just your technical skills. Focus on how you work and fit within the team culture.
• 😀 When asked about your favorite digital product, focus on why its UX design is successful (e.g., user engagement, discoverability) rather than just naming the product.
• 😀 For the question 'Why do you want to work here?', emphasize how your skills will benefit the company, not just what you hope to gain from the job.
• 😀 When walking through a project, highlight key decisions, challenges, and your problem-solving skills instead of detailing the entire project process.
• 😀 Interviewers want to assess your communication skills by seeing how clearly you can explain your thought process and decisions in past projects.
• 😀 When describing a challenge, focus on how you handled the situation, learned from mistakes, and collaborated with others to solve the problem.
• 😀 Acknowledge failure or setbacks in your career. Being able to admit mistakes shows maturity and the ability to learn from experiences.
• 😀 Prepare in advance for common questions so you can reframe your answers to demonstrate how you can contribute to the company, not just what you want from them.
• 😀 Think critically about your past projects and pick one that highlights your strengths, such as decision-making, teamwork, and problem-solving.
• 😀 Avoid overly technical jargon or logistical details when describing your projects. Focus on the narrative, the decisions you made, and their impact.
• 😀 Interviewers value candidates who are self-aware, can handle challenges constructively, and work collaboratively with others to overcome difficulties.

Q & A

Why do UX interviewers ask about your favorite digital product, and what are they really looking for in your answer?

Interviewers ask about your favorite digital product to gauge how well you understand good UX design. They want to see if you can articulate the design features that make a product successful, such as user engagement, discoverability, and ease of use. It’s not about the product itself, but about how well you can analyze and justify the design decisions behind it.

How should you answer the question 'Why do you want to work here?' during a UX interview?

Instead of focusing on what you want to gain from the company (e.g., career growth or learning new skills), you should emphasize how your skills and experiences can contribute to the company’s success. Show that you understand their values and how you can add value to their team, particularly in areas that align with their needs, such as UX research or design.

What is the best way to discuss a project from your portfolio in a UX interview?

When asked to walk through a project, focus on the decisions you made and the challenges you faced. Explain your role in the project, how you collaborated with others, and how you resolved problems. Avoid listing every step of the project; instead, tell a compelling story that highlights your problem-solving abilities and communication skills.

What do interviewers hope to learn by asking about a challenge you've faced and how you handled it?

Interviewers want to understand how you handle difficult situations in UX design and teamwork. They’re looking for evidence that you can identify and learn from mistakes, pivot when necessary, and collaborate with others to find solutions. A good answer demonstrates humility, adaptability, and strong problem-solving skills.

Why is it important to avoid simply naming a favorite product in a UX interview?

Simply naming a favorite product without explaining why it's a good example of UX design doesn’t offer much insight into your skills or thought process. Interviewers want to know if you can critically assess design choices and explain how they contribute to a positive user experience. This shows your ability to analyze and communicate design decisions.

What makes a great answer to the question 'Can you walk me through one of your projects?'

A great answer focuses on the key decisions and challenges you encountered during the project, rather than listing every detail. Show how you handled obstacles, how you collaborated with others, and how you arrived at the final solution. Your ability to distill the relevant points and clearly communicate them is as important as the project itself.

What should you do if you're asked about a challenge you faced but you didn’t succeed?

If you didn’t succeed in overcoming the challenge, that’s okay. What’s important is how you respond to setbacks. Show that you can acknowledge your mistakes, learn from them, and use that knowledge to move forward. This demonstrates humility, a growth mindset, and the ability to handle failure constructively.

How should you approach talking about your UX experience when transitioning from another role?

When transitioning from another role, avoid framing the interview as just a step in your personal career development. Instead, focus on how your previous experience has prepared you to contribute meaningfully to the UX team. Explain how your transferable skills, such as research or problem-solving, will add value to the company.

How can you show your ability to communicate effectively in a UX interview?

You can demonstrate your communication skills by clearly explaining your thought process and decision-making in response to interview questions. Whether discussing a project or a challenge, focus on how well you can distill complex information into clear, concise points that make sense to the interviewer.

What kind of answers do interviewers expect when asking about failures or challenges faced in UX design projects?

Interviewers expect answers that highlight your ability to face setbacks with humility and resilience. They want to hear about real challenges and how you responded—whether by adjusting your approach, collaborating with others, or pivoting to a new solution. The key is to show that you can learn from mistakes and improve the process moving forward.