Interview questions

Question 1

What do you want to do / what you are currently looking for in the role

Answer 1

I can explain it in three levels:

1. Higher level: I want to make a positive impact on people’s lives by designing the product. In past I used to work for social gaming company and I left it because I understood that I can not devote myself for something I don’t feel making a positive impact in general.
2. Middle level: One of my ambitions is to feel that I helped a company to rise not only user experience and excitement but also some clear business metrics.
3. Lower level: I want to deal with UI, UX, researches, product experiments via A/B testing and active collaborating with the whole team.

Question 2

Where you want to grow?

Answer 2

1. Deepen industry knowledge: I would like to specialize in a particular industry, such as healthcare, finance, or education. I would like to learn more about industry trends, attend conferences or events, and talk to industry experts to gain deeper insights into user needs and challenges.
2. Develop a deeper understanding of the business: I am interested in learning more about how the company operates, its goals and objectives, and how design fits into the broader strategy. I would like to work more closely with other departments, such as marketing or engineering, to gain a holistic view of the organization and its priorities.
3. Improve my technical skills: I would like to learn more about how to make interface which resonate with user behavior patterns, experiments with A/B testing and data analysis techniques.
4. Expand their leadership capabilities: I would like to mentor junior designers, or take on more strategic roles within the company. I would like to develop skills such as communication, delegation, and project management.

Question 3

What you don’t want to do

Answer 3

• I really don’t want to work on unethical features and don’t want to use dark UX patterns (like sneaking to the cart some extra goods by default hoping that the person doesn’t notice and buy it by mistake, or hiding a close icon on a payment wall and showing this in some seconds later)
• I do believe in the power of long-term relationships with customers

Question 4

Your current employment status

Answer 4

I am currently working remotely part-time on a startup mobile application, while spending the rest of my time as a stay-at-home parent. However, I have grown bored with this setup. Now that my baby is ready for nursery school, I am eager to transition into full-time office work. I am excited to join a full-time office job where I can contribute my skills, deliver value, and make a positive impact on the lives of customers.

Question 5

What is SUM

Answer 5

Unites 3 dimensions of usability—effectiveness, efficiency &
satisfaction.
The four metrics that are used to derive the SUM score of a system in a summative evaluation are: task completion rates, average number of errors, average time on task, and post-task satisfaction.

Question 6

What is completion rate

Answer 6

A binary measure of pass and fail (coded as 1 or 0) provides a simple metric of success. If users cannot complete a task, not much else matters with respect to usability or utility

The average task completion rate is 78% (quality level)

Question 7

How to measure satisfaction level after completing a task

Answer 7

We are using 7 point scale and SEQ.
For 7 point scale, it’s normal 5 for 5 point scale it’s 4.

Overall, how difficult or easy you have find this task?

Question 8

Why not to use time on task metric

Answer 8

The three most common reasons for not using time-on-task in are:
* Using quantitative measures requires larger samples (>20).
* Average task-times are not always accurate metric when users thinkout-loud.
* Task times are only for benchmarking and not for identifying problems

Question 9

What is SUS

Answer 9

ten-item questionnaire administered to users for measuring the perceived ease of use of software, hardware, cell phones and websites

The average SUS score is 68

SUS scores can also be translated into letter grades, which may be helpful for communicating results to stakeholders

Question 10

Principle of WCAG

Answer 10

Web content accesability guidelines

• Perceivable:Users must be able to perceive it in some way, using one or more of their senses.
• Operable: Users must be able to control UI elements (e.g. buttons must be clickable in some way — mouse, keyboard, voice command, etc.).
• Understandable: The content must be understandable to its users.
• Robust: The content must be developed using well-adopted web standards that will work across different browsers, now and in the future.

Question 11

More WCAG

Answer 11

Content must be POUR

PERCEIVABLE

Information and user interface components must bepresented to users in ways they can perceive. This means that users must be able to comprehend the information being depicted:It can’t be invisible to all their senses.

Perceivable Guidelines

• Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.
• Time-based Media: Provide alternatives for time-based media.
• Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.
• Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.

Operable

User interface components and navigation must be operable:The interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform.

Operable Guidelines

• Keyboard Accessible: Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
• Enough Time: Provide users enough time to read and use content.
• Seizures and Physical Reactions: Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures or physical reactions.
• Navigable: Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.
• Input Modalities: Make it easier for users to operate functionality through various inputs beyond keyboard.

Understandable

Information and the operation of a user interface must be understandable:Users must be able to understand the information as well as the operation of the user interface.

Understandable Guidelines

• Readable: Make text content readable and understandable.
• Predictable: Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
• Input Assistance: Help users avoid and correct mistakes.

Robust

Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies:As technologies and user agents evolve, the content should remain accessible.

Robust Guideline

• Compatible: Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies.

Question 12

Tell me about research without users methods

Answer 12

Heuristic evaluation
Cognitive walkthrough
GOMS
Data base

Question 13

Tell about your design process

Answer 13

I have experience using various design process frameworks such as design thinking, human-centered design, double diamond, and lean UX. For each project, I choose the approach that fits the problem best, or I combine them if necessary.

Working on projects in design agency, I mostly used Double diamond (discover, define, develop, and deliver). However, for a recent mobile app project called Sticky goals, I used the lean UX approach, creating an MVP and then researching how users interact with it.

My design process always includes research, ideation, prototyping, and testing.

Regarding research, it can be small desk research or research of data we already have. Or it can be large resource. I usually start with data to form a hypothesis. Then, if I have resources for the medium-to-large research, I build a research strategy that combines business purpose, goals, research questions, and hypothesis. I prefer in-depth interviews for research, starting with a screening survey. Research is not always necessary before starting, it can be made on different stages, depending on our needs.

For ideation sessions, I often use workshops or concentrating alone using creative techniques like behavioral maps, mindmaps, quick sketching, and so on. I use Figma for creating solutions and prototyping, and sometimes for testing. Beta-testing of released product is another good option. When resources are limited, I use testing without users techniques like heuristic evaluation and GOMs methods.

I believe that iteration is necessary for success and appreciate collaborative design. I often facilitate workshops during all stages of design process, not only ideation. Collaboration with stakeholders is also essential for me, as it helps me get more insights and gather feedback to incorporate into my work — as it was during the exclusively research project ‘IT generation’ helped to change the research strategy on the go and get more insights.

In summary, I have found that working in cross-functional teams and closely with stakeholders leads to the best results.

Question 14

How do you approach a new design project? Can you walk me through your design process?

Answer 14

It depends on the type of project and its goals. Sometimes I choose the Double Diamond approach, which involves more extensive research at the beginning, or Lean UX, where you don’t spend as many resources on initial research but can create a quick MVP to get a real response from the market. The Double Diamond approach is generally best for larger projects that require more extensive research and exploration. On the other hand, Lean UX is best suited for projects with limited resources, tight timelines, and/or when the team is unsure about what the final product should look like. This approach is more iterative and involves quickly creating and testing prototypes to gather feedback from users.

But for any generic project, I would start with research. It could be short desk research or talking to stakeholders, customer support, experts, or other team members, analyzing data, or conducting broader research including surveys, user interviews, and usability testing. This research helps us set a starting point that we can compare our design solutions to.

I need to understand answers to questions such as why we need this, who are our customers, and what is their context.

Then I would more clearly define the problem we need to solve and choose metrics that can help us define our success. These metrics could include overall completion rate, overall completion time, completion rate of each step, retention over time, percentage increase, return on investment, churn rate (% of customers who try the new experience but return to the usual way), and decrease of requests to support.

Next, I would move to ideation, which could involve ideating alone or gathering workshops. After that, I would move to creating designs, testing, and delivering.

Question 15

Tell me about some metrics you could use to measure your solutions

Answer 15

Product

• Overall completion rate
• Overall completion time
• Completion rate of each step
• Retention over time
• Percentage increase
• Return of investments
• Churn rate — % customers who try the new experience but return to more usual way
• Decrease of requests to the support
• Errors rate
• Satisfaction level
• NPS (Net Promoter Score)

UX metrics

• SUM
• SUS
• GOMS

Specific

• Reduction in queues if our solution affects physical world (NP)
• Decrease of requests to change the number of recipient
• Run a survey on the dashboard before and after the launch of this design and ask customers to respond to these statements on a scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree: This app helps me to understand how my business is doing financially.
  This app helps me to understand how I should plan my future work.
  This app helps me to understand what I can do now to move my business forward.

Question 16

Share why you love design and what excites you about the field.

Answer 16

For me is crucially important to be able make positive impact on people lives. And a product design for me provides the most abilities for this. I want to design solutions that address social and environmental issues, create products that are more accessible and inclusive.

I agree with Don Norman in his book Design for a better world that we really can make world better wherever we work.

I am excited by constant innovation and creativity, by tackling the whole range of product challenges, and the opportunity to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and disciplines.

Question 17

Share any design projects you’ve worked on outside of work, and talk about any design-related side hustles or hobbies you have.

Answer 17

Outside of my professional work, I have worked on several design projects that have allowed me to explore new ideas and hone my skills. One of my most recent projects was Sticky Goals, a mobile app concept that aimed to help users set and achieve their personal and professional goals. I also worked on a delivery app concept for Nova Poshta, which involved researching user needs and designing a user-friendly interface. Additionally, I conducted research for an institution participating in the government program IT generation, which gave me the opportunity to apply my design research skills.

As for my design-related hobbies, I enjoy reading design literature and keeping up with the latest trends and techniques. I particularly enjoy reading the works of design pioneers such as Kandinsky and Muller Brokmann. In addition, I love exploring speculative design concepts that push the boundaries of what’s currently possible. For example, I’ve thought about designing a fridge that can automatically generate shopping lists or an app that uses artificial intelligence to suggest outfit ideas.

Lastly, I am passionate about mentoring others who are interested in pursuing a career in design. I currently have two mentees who are making the transition into the field and I find it incredibly rewarding to be able to share my knowledge and experience with them.

In my personal life, I have a hobby of personal documentation. I enjoy making lists for everything, such as meals I can prepare, food my son likes, books and movies to read/watch, activities to do, present ideas for friends, vacation planning, even lists of clothes I have. I believe that this love for organizing and attention to detail can also be beneficial in my work as a product designer.

Question 18

Tell me about yourself and your design background.

Answer 18

I am a career switcher who transitioned into design after a successful six-year career in human resources and recruiting. While I enjoyed my previous work, I felt a strong calling to contribute to the creation of products that have an impact on people’s lives.

I took a sabbatical to explore my interests and dived into my own digital product startup. That’s when I realised my true passion lies in UX design. I joined a design agency where I worked on a wide range of digital projects. Some highlights include relaunching of a banking app, creating a mobile app for safe bar visits after the covid pandemy, designing a web platform for live streaming and shopping, and developing a mobile app to help people build healthy habits. I fell in love with functional interfaces and developed a good eye for UI design.

After three years of hands on experience, I took a break for maternity leave. During this time, I continued enhancing my skills by completing courses in UX, research, and product psychology. However, I felt a strong desire to be actively involved in building something tangible. That’s why I joined a startup team working on a mobile to-do application when I was invited.

Now that my child is ready for nursery school, I’m excited to pursue a full-time office job. I’m eager to find a role where I can contribute my skills, deliver value, and have a positive impact on customers’ lives.

Question 19

What inspired you to become a product designer?

Answer 19

I went through two phases. The first one was when I decided to leave my six-year career in HR and recruitment. At that time, I had lost the meaning of my job and was inspired by my own pet project, a renting peer-to-peer platfrom. I worked hard on my project, doing a lot of UX work, though at that time I didn’t know it was called user experience. After my pet project failed, I took a step back and reflected on what to do next. Suddenly, I realized that I was excited about the work I did on my project, so I decided to try myself in UX/UI design. I took some courses and started working at a design agency.

Here comes the second phase. At the agency, I worked on various types of projects, from fancy websites and eye-catching presentations to functional web and mobile applications. Thanks to the agency, I trained my eye for UI well. But even more, thanks to the experience gained from all those projects, I understood that my main passion lies in functional products. While at the agency, I often felt that I only had one iteration, and I didn’t know much about the future life of my designs. I couldn’t see the data, performance metrics, or conduct experiments. Also, my responsibility zone was limited to user experience.

However, I am interested in product design because I believe it allows me to take responsibility for not only user experience but also customer experience, which is typically more extensive. I want to focus on iterative design and see how my designs impact metrics. I want to experiment and observe how my designs can help businesses achieve their goals.

Question 20

What design tools and software are you proficient in?

Answer 20

Figma, some Photoshop, some After effects, Webflow, Google spreadsheets advanced (example of IT gen), a little of Google analytics

Question 21

How do you stay up-to-date on the latest design trends and technologies?

Answer 21

I receive regular emails from various sources such as Nielsen Norman Group, Smashing Magazine, The Decision Lab, Growth.Design, and People Nerds to stay up to date with industry trends and insights. In addition, I frequently enroll in design courses and attend masterclasses to continuously improve my skills. Examples are UX research and UX design courses, and a product psychology masterclass from Growth Design this year.

I also have some Design brainscape decks where now I have around 8 decks and more than 600 cards in total. For the last half year I train myself on these cards every day for about 10 minutes. When I read something interesting, I add this to my decks.

Question 22

How do you ensure that your designs are accessible and inclusive to all users?

Answer 22

Firstly, I make sure to educate myself on the current accessibility standards and guidelines, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This allows me to design with accessibility in mind from the start and avoid potential issues later on.

I consider color contrast and typography to make sure that designs are easy to read and distinguishable for users with visual impairments.

I also avoid using color as the only means of conveying important information or functionality.

I use Figma accebility plugins that help me to ensure that my designs are accessible.

Question 23

How do you ensure that your designs are both functional and aesthetically pleasing?

Answer 23

To ensure that my designs are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, I follow a human-centered design process that places the user’s needs and goals at the center of the design. Here are some of the specific steps that I take:

1. Conduct user research: I start by conducting user research to understand the users’ needs, behaviors, and pain points. This helps me to identify what is most important to the user and ensures that my design is functional.
2. Define user goals and tasks: Based on the user research, I define user goals and tasks that the design must accomplish. This helps me to focus on the most important elements and ensures that the design is functional.
3. Create wireframes and prototypes: Once I have defined the user goals and tasks, I create wireframes and prototypes that show the layout and functionality of the design. This helps me to ensure that the design is functional and meets the user’s needs.
4. Conduct usability testing: I conduct usability testing with real users to get feedback on the functionality of the design. This helps me to identify any areas where the design may be confusing or difficult to use.
5. Apply design principles: In addition to the functional requirements, I also apply design principles such as color theory, typography, and layout to ensure that the design is aesthetically pleasing. I pay close attention to details such as spacing, alignment, and contrast to create a polished and cohesive design.

By following these steps, I am able to create designs that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, ultimately resulting in a positive user experience.

Question 24

How do you stay organized and manage multiple design projects at once? / How do you prioritize and manage your design tasks and projects?

Answer 24

To manage multiple design projects at once, I rely on a combination of tools and techniques to stay organized and focused.

First and foremost, I use project management tools (often Notions or Asana) to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and milestones for each project. When the deadlines are tight and I need to concentrate, I use Pomodoro technique. I used it time-to-time at my projects at agencies. This allows me to prioritize my workload and ensure that I am meeting all of my commitments.

Additionally, I make use of design systems and templates to streamline my workflow and ensure consistency across projects. By creating a library of reusable components and design patterns, I can work more efficiently and reduce the time required to design each project.

I also make a point to schedule regular check-ins with project stakeholders to ensure that everyone is aligned on goals, timelines, and expectations. This helps to avoid surprises or miscommunications down the line and allows me to adjust my approach as needed.

Finally, I make sure to take breaks and prioritize self-care to avoid burnout. Design work can be mentally taxing, and it’s important to step away from the computer and engage in activities that help me relax and recharge.

Question 25

How do you incorporate user feedback into your design process?

Answer 25

Incorporating user feedback into the design process is crucial for creating successful products that meet user needs. Here are some ways I incorporate user feedback into my design process:

1. Provide easy ways for users to give feedback: In all the apps I work on, I ensure that there is an easy way for users to provide feedback. This can be through a “Send Feedback” button or a feedback form within the app.
2. Analyze user feedback: I analyze user feedback regularly to identify trends and patterns. This helps me understand the common issues users are facing and prioritize which issues need to be addressed first.
3. Conduct user research: If time and resources permit, I conduct user research to gain a deeper understanding of user needs and preferences. This can involve in-depth interviews, usability testing, surveys, or other methods.
4. Incorporate feedback into design iterations: Based on user feedback and research findings, I make changes and updates to the design. This can include making adjustments to the user interface, adding new features, or improving existing ones.
5. Test the updated design: After making changes to the design based on user feedback, I test the updated design to ensure that it meets user needs and is easy to use. This can involve conducting usability testing or A/B testing.

Overall, incorporating user feedback into the design process is an iterative process. It involves regularly analyzing user feedback, making changes to the design, and testing those changes to ensure that they are effective.

Question 26

How do you prioritize design improvements or changes based on user feedback and business objectives?

Answer 26

When it comes to prioritizing design improvements or changes based on user feedback and business objectives, I follow a structured approach that considers various factors. Here are the steps that I usually take:

1. Collect feedback: The first step is to gather feedback from users through various channels such as surveys, usability testing, customer support interactions, app reviews, etc. I also take into account business objectives, such as KPIs and goals.
2. Categorize feedback: I categorize the feedback into different buckets such as usability issues, feature requests, bugs, and general comments. This helps me to understand the most common pain points and areas that require improvement.
3. Analyze impact: Next, I assess the impact of each feedback item on the user experience and business objectives. I evaluate how many users are affected by the issue and how much it is impacting the business goals.
4. Prioritize: Based on the impact analysis, I prioritize the feedback items that require immediate attention and those that can wait for future updates.
5. Create a roadmap: Once I have prioritized the feedback, I create a roadmap that outlines the design improvements or changes that will be made in each release. This roadmap should align with business objectives and should be communicated with stakeholders and team members.
6. Test and iterate: Finally, I design and implement the changes and test them to ensure that they are solving the intended problem. I iterate on the changes based on additional feedback and data analysis.

Overall, prioritizing design improvements based on user feedback and business objectives is an ongoing process that requires continuous evaluation and iteration.

Question 27

I always enjoy hearing how candidates have worked with non-design disciplines to create something amazing. Dig into your professional archive and think about jobs you’ve had that weren’t strictly design-related. How might those diverse experiences help you succeed at Spotify?

Answer 27

Before becoming a product designer, I worked as a tech recruiter and talent acquisition manager, with additional responsibilities in people operations. I spent six years in this role, some of my responsibilities were conducting interviews with candidates for hire and one-to-one sessions with existing employees. On average, I conducted over 700 interviews and successfully grew the office headcount from 12 to 176 talented individuals. Additionally, my one-to-ones led to increased work satisfaction by gathering feedback from employees and improving their experiences. I believe that my experience in conducting interviews and developing empathy could be beneficial for participating in research sessions.

In my personal life, I have a hobby of personal documentation. I enjoy making lists for everything, such as meals I can prepare, food my son likes, books and movies to read/watch, activities to do, present ideas for friends, vacation planning, even lists of clothes I have. I believe that this love for organizing and attention to detail can also be beneficial in my work as a product designer.

Question 28

How do you balance user needs with business requirements in your designs?

Answer 28

I start by examining the business requirements and generating assumptions about what we can do to achieve those goals. To ensure a human-centered approach, I also explore the pains, needs, and wants of our users to understand how these needs can be addressed in a way that brings us closer to our business goals.

For example, in the case of Sticky Goals, we needed to introduce a subscription feature. Through user surveys, I discovered that users didn’t feel confident that their data would be safe. This issue could be resolved with an authorization process, but I realized we could leverage this process for our subscription feature as well. So, I suggested wrapping it up as a ‘backup feature’ and designed a flow that doesn’t look like registration. Instead, to back up their data, users would only need to enter their email and confirm a link. All copy is crafted in such a way as not to create the feeling of registration.

Question 29

How do you collaborate with cross-functional teams, such as developers or stakeholders?

Answer 29

I strive to maintain regular alignment with my team through frequent meetings. Whenever I have any doubts or questions, I prefer to discuss them with the person who possesses the relevant information. To ensure everyone was on the same page during the Sticky Goals project, I often facilitated workshops instead of relying on standard meetings.

During my research project “It Generation,” my team and I stayed in constant communication with stakeholders. After conducting pilot in-depth interviews, we realized that the users’ major pain point was communication between schools, which required us to explore beyond our initial customer journey map. We shared our findings at the beginning of the research and adjusted our strategy goals and timeline accordingly.

Question 30

How do you measure the success of your designs? What metrics do you use?

Answer 30

I measure the success of my designs using various methods at different stages of the development process.

Before the development stage, I conduct Cognitive Walkthrough sessions with colleagues or friends who are not familiar with design to quickly test usability. This often helps reveal any issues that need to be addressed. I make sure to conduct Cognitive Walkthroughs with most of my designs.

If time and resources permit, I arrange real usability testing with potential audiences.

After the designs are launched, I rely on general health metrics as well as specific metrics that are relevant to the product. For example, for Sticky Goals, I used retention rate and weekly active users as health metrics. For app-specific metrics, I used goal completion rate, average time of completed goals, and the rate of goals completed on time.

In the case of the Nova Poshta project, one of the goals was to reduce the time it took to create a waybill. Since the designs were not delivered when I needed to test them, I used the TLM GOMS approach to estimate completion time. This allowed me to show that I reduced the time of the previous flow by three times. If the flow were to be implemented, I would rely on the completion rate of created waybills and the reduction of queues at post branches, since that was the primary goal.

For the Holly Health project, where I did not have access to any analytics, I relied on feedback in the app stores.

Question 31

Can you share a design project that you’re particularly proud of? What was the impact of the design on the end-users or business?

Answer 31

One design project that I am particularly proud of is my work on Sticky Goals, a mobile planning app for a startup. As the sole product designer on a cross-functional team, I faced the challenge of creating a gamified planning app that would resonate with users.

To tackle this challenge, I adopted a lean UX approach, focusing on gathering information on competitors to understand points of parity and points of difference. This allowed us to quickly build a minimum viable product (MVP) and start testing with real users, refining and improving the app based on their feedback.

To ensure the team was aligned, I facilitated a workshop to create a Lean Canvas and co-create a proto persona. This helped us align on assumptions about our potential users, guiding our decision-making process. I also conducted thorough research to understand what life spheres users would want to develop by setting their goals, resulting in five spheres that passed our acceptance criteria.

To bring the app to life, I designed the goals to look like stickers that represent origami, with plain papers when goals are in “To Do,” in the process of folding when in “Doing,” and completed origami when in “Done.” The color palette and decorations were inspired by the whiteboard, stickers, and origami world.

After usability testing and iterating on feedback, we launched the app and quickly gained over 1,000 users with an average app rating of 4.7. Throughout the project, I maintained a close working relationship with the development team to ensure design decisions were technically feasible and sound.

I also created a research strategy to gain insights into how users were using the app, which tools they had switched from, and what resources they used to set their goals. This helped us stay aligned with our users’ needs and preferences, ensuring that we continued to deliver value.

Overall, I am proud of the impact of the Sticky Goals app on its end-users and the business. The app received positive reviews and feedback, and its popularity among users resulted in the startup gaining a strong foothold in the market.

• Nova poshta because of research, Holly Health because of its health impact

Question 32

Where should you start to make an impact as a Product designer (Monzo)

Answer 32

1. At seeing a bigger picture
2. Sharing global OKRs with team (writing it in Figma, for example)
3. Sharing your thoughts and what are you working on with others

Question 33

What is OKRs

Answer 33

Objectives and Key Results

Question 34

What work energises you

Answer 34

wide open problem spaces and discovery work, enough time for experiments