Things to Ask in a Product Design Job Interview

If you’re a product designer looking for a new job, you already know that a job interview is a crucial step in hiring. While it’s essential to prepare for questions you’ll get to answer during the interview, it’s equally important to prepare a list of things to ask in a product design job interview. 

Asking relevant questions during a job interview can help you better understand the company, the role, and the design process and can also help you determine if the job is a good fit for your skills and career goals.

In this article, we’ll share some essential questions you should ask your interviewer, so keep reading!

Things to ask in a product design job interview are a subcategory of your overall approach to this interview. As a prospective product designer, you should be professional, informative, friendly, and laid-back.

First and foremost, it’s important to remember that an interview is a professional setting, and you should present yourself accordingly. This means dressing appropriately, arriving on time, preparing your portfolio, and any other materials the interviewer may request. 

You should also be respectful, polite, and attentive throughout the interview. At the same time, it’s essential to remember that an interview is also an opportunity for you to showcase your personality and demonstrate why you would be a valuable addition to the team. 

You should be approachable and easy to talk to, which can put the interviewer at ease and establish a positive rapport.

Before you get to the things to ask in a product design job interview, you’ll need to answer their questions first. When answering questions, you should balance being informative and concise. You should provide clear and detailed answers demonstrating your knowledge and expertise, but you should also be mindful of not rambling on or getting too bogged down in details.

Throughout the interview, it’s crucial to remain enthusiastic and engaged and demonstrate your passion for design and eagerness to learn and grow. By striking the right balance, you’ll make a positive impression on the interviewer and increase your chances of landing the product design job of your dreams.

When interviewing for a product design job, you’ll want to explore whether the company already has a design team, how they work, what your day-to-day would look like, and how they would onboard you. 

So, things to ask in a product design job interview should include questions like:

Asking about the design team’s structure and operations can help you better understand how the design team fits into the company’s overall structure. Moreover, inquiring about the design team’s culture and approach to design can help you evaluate whether you’re a good fit for the team and share the same values and approach to design.

Onboarding should also be a part of the things to ask in a product design job interview. Use questions like:

Asking about the onboarding process can help you examine how the company supports new employees and whether you would receive adequate training and support as a new designer.

And finally, one of the most important things to ask in a product design job interview is the tools they use. You can ask something similar:

Understanding the tools and software they use can help you determine what tools you need to be familiar with and evaluate if the team uses relevant tools for designing and collaboration.

Among the essential things to ask in a product design job interview, the current design processes of this company are one of the most important.

Asking about the current design processes will help you evaluate whether your skills and experience align with the company’s approach to design and determine whether the role would be a good fit for you.

It would be best if you considered asking something along the lines of:

Asking this question will give you insight into the current design process and help you identify potential gaps or areas where you can contribute to the team. A question such as:

Among things to ask in a product design job interview should be a question such as:

Asking about the design frameworks and methodologies can help you gain insight into the company’s approach to design and how it operates as a team. You can also ask:

Understanding the design team’s prototyping and user testing approach can help you evaluate the company’s commitment to iterative and user-centered design. It can also help you determine whether you would have opportunities to contribute to prototyping and user testing.

As mentioned, current design processes are one of the crucial things to ask in a product design job interview. By asking these questions, you can learn about the company’s current design processes and evaluate whether they align with your skills and experience.

Let’s face it – everybody works for money. Yes, we all want to create clean designs and a legacy in the form of beautiful digital products, but compensation is one of the most significant factors when applying for a job. Additionally, it’s natural to want to explore the possibilities to learn and expand your knowledge.

So, among the things to ask in a product design job interview are questions about compensation and growth opportunities.

If you want to ensure you’ll get a secure position with fair compensation, here is an example of a question you may want to ask your interviewer:

This question can help you determine the compensation and benefits you’ll receive if you get the job. It can also help you evaluate whether the company values its employees and is committed to providing competitive compensation.

Growth opportunity is one of the critical things to ask in a product design job interview. Questions like:

Feedback is also essential for growth, so include it in things to ask in a product design job interview. Ask something similar:

Knowing how the company approaches performance checks and feedback can help you evaluate whether the company is committed to providing regular feedback and support.

Among the things to ask in a product design interview are questions about work-life balance and inclusivity. Work-life balance and inclusivity are essential in a product design profession because they can directly impact a designer’s creativity, productivity, and job satisfaction. 

A healthy work-life balance allows designers to maintain their well-being and prevent burnout. At the same time, an inclusive workplace fosters diverse perspectives and ideas that can improve the design process and product outcomes.

Here are some questions you might want to ask your interviewer:

These questions are some of the best things to ask in a product design interview. They’ll give you a deeper insight into whether the company can help you create brilliant products while maintaining your physical and mental health, prevent burnout, and improve your productivity and creativity.

These are our suggestions on things to ask in a product design interview! Asking the right questions during the interview can help you better understand the company’s design team, processes, compensation, and approach to work-life balance and inclusivity. 

By asking thoughtful and informed questions, you can evaluate whether the role and the company are a good fit for you and your career goals. 

Finally, remember that some humor can go a long way in breaking the ice and showing your personality, but make sure it’s appropriate for the setting and interviewers. 

If you want to improve your job search process, check out our free Design Job Hunt Templates. With these templates, you can streamline your job search process and stand out. Our templates include a resume template, cover letter template, and portfolio template, all of which will showcase your skills and experience in a visually appealing and professional way. 

These templates are available for download free of charge!

Find other valuable resources for improving your product design skill – visit our Product & Freebies page or follow us on Instagram, where we post and engage with our ever-growing community daily.

Happy job hunt! 🥳