Principal Product Designer
Interview Stages
| Stage | Interviewer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter Screen | [Recruiter Name] | 30 min |
| Hiring Manager Screen | [Hiring Manager Name] | 45 min |
| Portfolio Review | All Hiring Team | 60 min |
| Round 2: PM | [PM Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Designer | [Designer Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Engineering | [Engineering Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Final/Culture Round | Executive or Culture Team Member | 30 min |
Recruiter Screen
Focus Areas: Communication, Curiosity, Growth Mindset
- What drew you to product design, and what excites you about this opportunity?
- Tell me about a time you were new to something. How did you go about learning it?
- Can you describe a situation where you received feedback and how you acted on it?
Hiring Manager Screen
Focus Areas: Collaboration, Craft Thinking, Autonomy
- How do you approach understanding user needs before designing?
- Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with someone who thought differently than you.
- When you're unsure how to start solving a design problem, what steps do you take?
Portfolio Review
Focus Areas: Craft, Storytelling, Communication
The candidate should walk the interviewers through two case studies they are proud of. The presentation should focus on how they approached the design problem, their process, key decisions, and outcomes. The case studies should be relevant to the type of work they would do in this role.
Round 2 Interviews
PM Interview
Focus Areas: Collaboration, Product Thinking, Communication
- Tell me about a time you had to balance user needs with business goals in a project.
- How do you approach a design task when the requirements are unclear or incomplete?
- Have you ever worked with a PM who changed direction mid-project? How did you handle it?
- Describe a moment when you asked questions to improve a product idea.
Designer Interview
Focus Areas: Craft Foundations, Feedback Openness, Visual Thinking
- Tell me how you usually start a design projectu2014what steps do you take first?
- Describe a time you received tough feedback on a design. What did you do with it?
- Walk me through how you think about hierarchy, layout, or visual clarity in your designs.
- What's one design skill you're working to improve and how are you approaching it?
Engineering Interview
Focus Areas: Collaboration, Systems Awareness, Communication
- Have you ever worked with developers or engineers before? What was that like?
- How do you make sure your designs are feasible or easy to build?
- Can you explain a design you made where constraints (like time or tech) influenced your decisions?
- What's your process for handing off work or preparing it for implementation?
Final/Culture Round
Focus Areas: Cultural Contribution, Growth Mindset, Team Fit
- What do you value most in a team or work environment?
- How do you stay motivated when a project feels unclear or slow-moving?
- Where do you hope to grow in the next year as a designer and teammate?