1. Tell me what experience do you have in designing for the web?
I have developed several web banners and landing pages for my previous employers. Details are enclosed in my portfolio for your view.
2. Explain me what makes you an asset to our company?
This is the chance for your sales pitch. Tell the interviewer how awesome you are and why your skills are a great fit for the company.
3. Do you know where you see yourself in 5 years?
The answer will vary for each person. Some people will want to be experts in what they do, while others may see themselves in a more of a management role. Think about what you want for yourself, and confidently answer this question.
4. Tell me what types of designing projects are you most interested in?
I like designing websites and advertisements as I believe my expertise lies here. However, I am also quite interested in mobile application designing which I would like to explore now.
5. Explain me how do you handle pressure and multiple deadlines?
More often than not, you'll be working on multiple projects with deadlines that may overlap. This is an excellent opportunity to show off your project management and task prioritization skills.
6. Explain me what is your biggest design career moment?
From awards, to happy clients, consumers, engaged public, social movement, and tangible results in skyrocketing numbers and profits, we want to hear it all.
How did it start, what happened, and why did you succeed?
7. Tell me what is your biggest design challenge?
If you were confronted by a tough challenge, we want to hear about it. Why was it the biggest challenge in your career? What happened, what did you do to overcome it, what tools and processes were employed?
Most design work goes unseen and behind the curtains in the design process. We want to hear your design hero story. Alternatively, describe your dream challenge and how you would design a process to help you deal with it.
8. Tell me what makes a great app in terms of visual design?
A great app requires a unique visual design, a fast and understandable user experience and interaction.
Clear display of information and hierarchy are fundamental in how the user understands the intended visual communication of the app. Memorable visual identity and association of colour are just a few elements that make a great app.
Show us some great apps and explain what makes them good. Likewise, explain how some popular apps could be improved upon.
9. Tell me the three best projects from your portfolio?
The candidate needs to explain the entire design process, the decisions, ideation, context, why's, do's and dont's, through describing the production and execution of a specific project.
Question the designer's decisions to discover details of projects and the reasoning behind these decisions. Ask how the designer would have made those projects even better.
10. Tell Us What Makes You Stand Out As A Graphic Designer?
With this question, the employer is basically asking you why they should hire you over any other candidate and they're also testing how well you know yourself as a professional graphic designer. Again, with this question it's important to be honest and to think about what qualities and experience you might possess as a graphic designer that other candidates might not – this could be your previous client base, the range and depth of your experience – or even some of the techniques you've picked up in your career. Whatever reasons you give, be sure to have some examples to hand so you can back them up.
11. Explain us more about your design background?
Finding out more about the designer's background, based on his or her general introduction can provide us with relevant information about the design school the candidate attended, past/current work positions, design experience, problems and projects that s/he found along the way and how this translates to his/her current design career and future aspirations.
12. Tell us what would you say will be future of design? Or the next big thing?
Let your creative juices flow, we want to hear the craziest and wildest ideas of what might next drive the design industry. Extra points for storytelling!
For example, VR (virtual reality) is opening a big space in the consumer world: from gaming to virtual museums and any kind of virtual experiences. In regard to visual design and interaction, VR is one of the new mediums for design inclusion from the graphic and interactive perspective.
13. Please explain what Attracted You To The Graphic Design Industry?
With this question, the interviewer is obviously keen to find out where your passion lies and what your motivations are for working in the industry. When trying to prepare your answer to this question, think about what it is that makes you want to continue to work in the graphic design industry. Is it the creativity aspect? The chance to create pieces which will be seen by thousands of people every day? Or the fact you get to create lots of different pieces of work every year? With this type of answer, it's easy to tell who's being false and who's being honest so whatever answer you give, try and stay true to yourself and avoid copying anyone else.
14. Tell me do you provide website design?
Yes. I work with clients to create clean, functional, SEO friendly websites that are easy to navigate providing a positive user experience. This includes layout, design thru completion, SEO integration and final site upload. There are some aspects of more complex programming that I have chosen not to do – but will seek out professional colleagues for these client services if and when necessary.
15. Do you know what is the meaning of color and color theory in visual design?
Color plays a major part in the consideration of visual communication.
Big brands tell their stories through color. They connect with their consumers and the public with consistent use of color, color palettes and color systems. Color is a powerful tool that enables distinction and differentiation between brands. A brand that changes color with a new identity sometimes has dangerous results.
Tell us how successful brands communicate through color theory, and the meaning of color in design.
16. Explain me about a time that you had to work under pressure?
Your interviewer isn't asking this question because she wants to know about that time in college that you had a paper due but your cat got a stomach virus and your car broke down. What she's really asking is “Tell me a time that you succeeded under pressure”. You'll want to answer it without framing it as a “woe is me” story. For instance:
“In my last position, we were working on a very strict budget and close deadline. Because we were skilled communicators, everyone was able to pull together and exceed client expectations when the presentation was rescheduled to a week ahead of time.”
17. Where do you see yourself five years from now as Graphic Designer?
(Be confident)
After five years, I see myself working for your firm in capacity of senior graphic designer, producing effective visual communications and making history in the field of graphic designing!
18. Please explain what kind of design projects are you interested in?
A question like this is why it's so important to do your research. You don't want to apply for a job doing layout design for educational materials and moon over how much you love motion graphics for social marketing campaigns. A sample answer might sound a little like:
“I'm always trying to develop better practices for streamlined User Interface layout graphics. I'm really excited at the work this company has done for XYZ website, and I hope I'll get a chance to contribute to a similar project.”
19. Tell me do you read any industry publications or websites? If so, which ones?
Showing interest in your field outside of office hours may indicate you really love what you're doing (and that's always a good thing). If you don't subscribe to any publications or websites, it's never too late.
20. Tell me what Has Been Your Most Successful Campaign & Why?
An employer might ask this question because, although you might have mentioned it on your CV or included it in your portfolio, they want to hear about your most successful campaign in your own words. With this question, the employer wants to hear about your passion for that particular campaign and why you personally think it was such a success. They're also looking to see how you judge the success of a campaign and how and what you did to make it successful. Obviously with this question, your answer will depend on your previous experience – but whichever campaign you choose, try and have some stats to hand and be careful not to take responsibility for other people's work.
21. Explain what field, industry, type of work do you prefer?
From digital to print to 360 solutions, from social causes to luxury projects, pinpoint candidates' interests and preferences, and build up the talk to personal goals, project goals and things they want to do and create but haven't had a chance to do.
22. Explain me something about your most challenging design project yet?
I have my portfolio here for your reference. I was asked to design an advertisement for baby clothes. It is a touchy subject which required much thought and sensitivity. I was actually quite apprehensive about offending they target audience but thankfully, it received accolades from both the company and the customers.
23. Explain me why are you leaving your current company?
This is a helpful question to help identify any underlying issues. If you were fired or laid off from your previous position, please be honest and explain the circumstances. It's much better to hear it from you than finding out from checking out references. Being terminated isn't always a red flag or a deal breaker as long as you can explain yourself. If it's something work related, like you weren't satisfied with the projects or you were hitting a career ceiling, it's often helpful for both your potential employer and you to see if you're a right fit for each other.
24. Why Did You Apply For This Job as Graphic Designer?
While the first question assessed your motivation for the industry in general, this question is designed to test your motivations and reasons for applying for this particular role. The employer wants to see how much you know about the role and company on offer and they're really asking why you think you're a good fit for this particular graphic design job. When answering this question – again, it's good to be honest – but you need to avoid citing purely selfish reasons eg. amazing salary or 40 days holiday a year. Instead of citing the aforementioned reasons, a better answer might be to say you're looking for a new challenge and you'd love the chance to work for an established brand that has a great reputation within the industry. You could also mention how your skills and experience align perfectly with the role on offer – and how your values also match those of the brands.
25. Please explain how would you describe your design research?
When discussing design research, it is necessary to cover all the angles with which the candidate is familiar, and explain the reasoning why s/he decided to use a particular technique, tool, or way of thinking to achieve a result.
Nevertheless, if a designer received the data via the client, copywriter, strategist, or UX designer, it will be necessary to conduct further research that will confirm the designer's statements, possibly upgrading the outcome.
26. Explain me what kind of design projects interest you?
Liking your job has never been a requirement of employment, but good employers know that happy workers do better work-especially if they like the work they're doing. Every designer has his or her own specialty, something they like to do above all else. If what you like to do just happens to be the same job you're applying for, then you're in good shape.
Liking your job has never been a requirement of employment, but good employers know that happy workers do better work-especially if they like the work they're doing.
If you're afraid that your interests and the job you're applying for aren't the best match for one another, then try to find the best answer that is not only honest, but makes you the best candidate for the job. You could mention that you would like to work your way up into a position that would let you work on your favorite types of projects, if that's a possibility.
Or you could always aim for an answer that is a little broader. You could say that you like projects that allow you to work with a team, or that you like working on challenging projects that everybody else has given up on.
27. Explain me what kinds of print media have you worked with?
If you're applying for a job designing print media, chances are the employer is going to want to know what kind of print you've worked with in the past. This also rings true for any design job, not just print-employers want to know how comfortable you are working in different mediums.
This is because employers want to know if they're going to have to train you on anything down the line, which could be expensive on their behalf. So they want to see what you already know to gauge how much further you still need to go. Be sure to mention the types of media you've worked within, the equipment you've used and any formal training you might have received along the way.
If you can manage it, bring examples of your past print work for the employer to see. Since this is print we're talking about, it makes an even bigger impression if you have actual, physical examples that the employer can touch, hold and possibly even keep for themselves. Check out our tips for designing a unique print design portfolio for more information.
28. Explain me how good are you about sticking to your deadlines?
Employers are looking for designers who can not only deliver results, but do so in a timely manner. Failing to meet your deadlines can cost your employer money or make them lose face to their customers, clients and business associates. If you are good about keeping up on your deadlines, you'll be good to go when it comes time to answer this question.
If sticking to your deadlines is something that you have a hard time with, then you need to at least show the interviewer that you respect deadlines and that you do whatever it takes to get your job done. Give examples of times when you weren't able to complete a task on deadline, and explain why you fell behind and how you rectified the situation. Did you ask for an extension ahead of time? Did you bring in another designer to help you with the work?
Keep in mind, there's no reason to punish yourself if you've missed the odd deadline here or there in the past. Potential employers want to know how you're going to handle their deadlines, so you can always turn a negative experience into something positive.
29. Explain me what is your design approach?
The design process is essential to how design candidates develop and create their work. Insight and the way they work can distinguish their quality. As the design process becomes more thorough, the results become more elaborate and detailed.
Also, the design process is often limited by budget and time, and a useful insight would be how s/he and the design teams that s/he has worked with in the past handled various situations and briefs.
30. Explain me about a time when you had to work under pressure and how you overcame it?
Sometimes, unforeseen circumstances can bring additional pressure to the job and employers want to make sure that the designers they work with aren't going to fall apart the minute the going gets tough. Questions like this tell the employer two things-not only how you handle pressure, but what constitutes a stressful situation in your book.
Questions like this tell the employer two things-not only how you handle pressure, but what constitutes a stressful situation in your book.
Be ready to answer this with an anecdote or example from your life that shows you know how to keep cool under pressure. Stories about deadlines, editorial mandates or last-minute changes are good to include, because these are the kind of stresses that will naturally occur in the design field. Showing that you've already dealt with these kinds of stresses makes you a stronger, more experienced candidate.
31. Tell me can I see your portfolio?
This is the easiest question to answer, as there's really only one correct response-”Yes!” Once you've said that, of course, you have to actually have a portfolio ready to show and talk the employer through some of the pieces inside. This simple question usually comes with a lot of follow-up questions about how you created each piece, how long it took, what your design goals were and so on.
This is the easiest question to answer, as there's really only one correct response-'Yes!'
The interviewer may or may not actually ask these follow-up questions, so be ready to give them the answers anyway. Before you show off each piece, you'll want to give the interviewer an idea of what they're about to see. You don't need to go into great detail, just a sort of “teaser” statement about what's coming up next. Something along the lines of, “This was a print campaign for a local brand where I was only allowed to use one ink color.”
Remember to start and end your portfolio with your best pieces. You might only have enough time to go into detail about one or two pieces, so you'll want immediate access to your best work. Pad out the rest of the portfolio with three to five other pieces that you think best represent you as a designer.
32. Explain me what are some of your greatest accomplishments?
If you have accolades, awards, academic achievements or other lofty accomplishments in your past, then this question is likely going to be easy for you to answer. This is your chance to blow them away with all the great stuff you've been able to accomplish in the design field so far.
However, many people may have difficulties answering this question for a number of different reasons. Maybe you don't feel as if you've accomplished much of anything, maybe you're actively working towards something big but haven't quite made it yet, or maybe your big life accomplishment has nothing to do with graphic design.
Remember why employers ask this question in the first place-they want to work with people who have ambition, because ambitious people tend to put in the work to accomplish their goals. Employers also want to understand what inspires you; what do you consider an accomplishment in the first place?
...they want to work with people who have ambition, because ambitious people tend to put in the work to accomplish their goals.
Your job in this scenario is to show them why your greatest accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job, even if they don't seem that great or have much to do with graphic design at first glance.
33. Tell me what are your graphic design career goals?
This is an interview minefield that can be tricky to cross, especially if your career goals don't necessarily include staying with a company for an extended period of time. You want to be honest, but you don't want to come off as someone who is simply using this job as a stepping stone to something bigger. Employers realize that their employees aren't always going to stay with the company for the entirety of their career, but they also want to work with people who are committed.
You want to be honest, but you don't want to come off as someone who is simply using this job as a stepping stone to something bigger.
Express your career goals as a designer in a way that makes you seem favorable to the employer. For example, saying that you want to eventually leave to work with bigger brands and hopefully gain larger recognition might sound like a good goal to strive for, but saying as much could hurt your chances of getting the job.
34. Tell us why should we hire you instead of the other _____ people applying for this position?
This is often the closer. Think about what makes you unique, what skills separate you from the others, and why you want it or deserve it more than anybody else.
Hopefully this inside info will help you on your next job interview. If you have any other questions to add to our list, please add them to the comments below.
35. Explain Me What Do You The Most Important Qualities Of A Graphic Designer Are?
An employer will ask this question because they're looking for your opinion on what makes a great graphic designer in terms of qualities and skills – something which should be easy to name if you're a great designer yourself. When trying to prepare an answer for this question, think about the skills and traits you have which help you in your day-to-day work – examples could include things like patience, strong communication skills and a great eye for detail, as well as more technical things such as familiarity with the whole Adobe Creative Suite. With this type of question, there are no real right or wrong answers – an employer is looking for your opinion and the reasons behind your opinion.
