Warm welcome to the 55 new subscribers who have joined us since the previous issue. 💙
It took more than usual to get this one done. I went away last week. It’s the 4th issue.
Reading time is 6 minutes 53 seconds. This time I cover:
How product design interviews work
My notes on finding a good design job
Some pretty pictures, iPhone 14 Pro leak, and a Pope in a custom G-Class.
In the past two years, I've been on both ends of the product designer interview process. These are the notes that I keep coming back to.
Before we dive in, let me just say what a time to be in the design industry:
Glassdoor has rated UX design as one of the 50 best jobs in America in 2021;
LinkedIn ranked UX design as one of the top 5 in-demand skills in 2020;
the number of UX professionals is expected to grow from 1 million people to about 100 million from 2017 to 2050 according to daddy Nielsen;
demand for UX designers is expected to grow by 18% from 2015 to 2025 according to this (it’s CNN though);
everyone is hiring (source: me);
"Which UI is better" polls on LinkedIn went viral spurring a mainstream discussion about testing and ultimately what human-centered design really means.
These trends point toward an argument that design is a mainstream hard skill that is bringing in more demand for design professionals. With more demand, we can expect better funding for design roles, better education options and finally, better products. 🥂
On another note:
I’m an idiot
When I started interviewing, I didn’t prepare too much. The reason was a combination of factors but the bottom line was that I thought "I'll just show them what I can do."
What a dumbass mistake.
Interviewing is a craft like anything else and you need to hone it. You need to prepare and practice. And only then you will arrive at a satisfying spot.
You need to prepare a portfolio with good case studies. You need to prepare to present these case studies in a clear and impactful manner - stories enriched by goals, metrics and intentionality.
Further, the interviewers will ask the same questions multiple times so it's good to have your answers ready. Estimated 5 interviews per company at three companies that's 15 times you will answer:
"So why don't you introduce yourself shortly?"
You will be answering this so many times you will forget who you really are. 🥳
The hiring process
The product (UX) designer interview process (at most design-led companies) goes something like this (synthesis and graphic by big boy Artiom Dashinsky at Product Design Exercices):
There is a lot of variety in how the company chooses to do the portfolio pitch and design exercise. They can choose to have you talk about your previous projects or do a case study on a challenge they prepared. They can ask to do a whiteboarding session to see you in action or do a design critique of a solution.
There are many factors that may affect a company’s decision on how to run these things. Being mindful of these factors can save the company a lot of headaches during and after the hiring process.
Factors like the stage of the company, maturity of the team, amount and nature of work affect the design of the process and advertising of the position. The outcomes affect what kind of candidates you attract and hopefully close.
While writing this I’ve had multiple discussions with startups about hiring designers, so I’m going to dive into that next time. Ok?
So here are my notes:
① Prepare and practice for each stage of the interview process.
I didn’t until late in the game.
② Gather your thoughts and write them down.
You won't believe how many iterations you'll go through. You do not want to do that in a real interview.
③ Be yourself. 🦄
Cliché? Yes. Also true. Here is what I mean:
A good designer, product or engineering manager has worked with so many designers that they will evaluate your seniority level correctly and specifically to their situation. They know what kind of a designer and colleague they're looking for and you don’t.
So there is no point in trying to fit into something you're not.
The outcome of the interview depends on too many factors you can't control. But you can control what you say about who you are, what you do and what you want to do.
This is not easy to know, so work on that in advance.
Make sure you communicate with security and self-awareness and don't be afraid to say you have no idea about something.
④ Story is more important than scale.
You may have worked on an internal tool for single screen size on a single platform that has brought measurable value to users, they love using it and you can prove it.
If you can tell a story about the intentionality of your decisions and demonstrate it with data you're much better off than just showing pictures without the process and users involved.
⑤ You don't need to be in love with the company but do prepare questions for the interviewers to answer.
Just as the company is interviewing many candidates, it's smart to be interviewing with many companies. You should get to know each other in an equal manner despite the asymmetry of power and information between the interviewer and candidate.
It's optimal to get to know each other in a conversation instead of an interrogation although it's not easy to set that up.
For me, though, it's kind of a red flag when the company mentions or expects excitement, belief or passion about their product or company during the interview process. It's rare that someone is passionate about someone else's company.
E. g. I love Apple but a bad job or a bad manager at Apple would make me very much not passionate about Apple.
It's weird to want your candidates to be that way. Instead, invite me on that journey and I’ll gladly come along. I’ll get excited and passionate when everything goes well.
If you don’t know what to ask, try this and get inspired on questions to ask a company based on your values.
⑥ People don't delay delivering good news.
If it's not a hell yes, it's most likely a no.
You should arrange accordingly. Work on your case studies or prepare answers to the questions you're not sure about. Test your answers with a friend.
⑦ Ask for feedback and give it back.
Receiving thoughtful feedback beyond "you're not a good fit" or "we're looking for someone more experienced" is a gift that can make or break your job hunt. Make sure you ask for it with the intent of growth.
Sharing specific feedback over e-mail has become an unjustified litigation risk. If a hiring manager does give you specific feedback, it will be in person or on a call. This is additional work that should be highly appreciated, and not expected.
⑧ Meet people.
Your network is your net worth.
Chances of landing a great job increase enormously when you know a bunch of people.
Also, if you meet a lot of people, chances are you’ll find some good ones.
I’m so grateful for the good people in my life. I spend a relatively high amount of time talking to friends. Never regretted a moment of it.
Especially the Facetimebombing. 💣
Stuff I keep hearing/talking about
I used to beat myself for not being “disciplined“ enough to work during normal business hours. I’ve always got things done though.
Work like a lion, not a cow.
No sharp corners in nature
🙄 So my wife rolls her eyes when I speak about organic design and rounded corners during our 80-year-old house renovation. She just subscribed so I thought I’d point out a pretty rendering of a human cell that popped up on Twitter. Maybe now she will understand! ☝️
What it is:
Created for Cell Signaling Technology, Inc., and inspired by the stunning art of David Goodsell, this 3D rendering of a eukaryotic cell is modeled using X-ray, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and cryo-electron microscopy datasets for all of its molecular actors.
Welcome, wife 🖤
For the nerdos, see full resolution here.
Easy mockups
My boy David at Mockuuups Studio has released a pretty little utility for free UI mockups on the web available at mockup.new. It doesn’t get any better at this price point (which is zero money).
David is a true indie hacker and I love his discipline and humility while building his thing.
Big fan! 👏 Also, welcoming him among subscribers today ☺️
Twitter is still public
Contrary to headlines, Elon Musk has not bought Twitter yet. 🐦
The deal is expected to close in the next 6 months. While it’s unlikely that it will fall through, the fact is that the transaction is yet to be completed. Twitter is still listed on Nasdaq.
Major Vignelli vibes. Pointed out by Tobias.
Yay or nay?
A leak/render of the iPhone 14 Pro without the notch 😍
Would you cop?