Navigating the Path to Product Design: A Guide for Designers and Employers

The journey to a successful career in product design is a challenging but rewarding process. Over the years, I have interviewed dozens of designers and reviewed hundreds of portfolios across various levels of seniority. A recurring issue among many unsuccessful candidates is their limited understanding of the designer's role in a business context — beyond aesthetics.

Julie Zhuo, the former VP of Product Design at Facebook, outlines a design career in three progressive steps:

Craft & Execution: This stage focuses on mastering design fundamentals, proficiency with tools, and creating clear, visually appealing interfaces.
Product Thinking: As Zhuo explains, "Strong product thinking means understanding what would lead to good outcomes and designing experiences that achieve those results."
Influence Skills: This involves clear communication, effective collaboration, and the ability to advocate for design decisions within a team and across an organization.

At top companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon, designers are expected to go beyond aesthetics. They are instrumental in ensuring that the right features are built for the right users, deeply aligning their work with the company’s business goals, understanding their users’ needs, and measuring the success of their work. This approach is not limited to the tech industry; businesses in all sectors value individuals who can help them achieve their objectives. Yet, many organizations fail to recognize that design can play a central role in achieving these goals.

Unfortunately, in companies that do not understand design’s strategic value, designers are often relegated to creating visually appealing outputs. This limited scope makes it difficult for designers to advance their careers and prevents businesses from benefiting from the broader impact designers can offer.

The Challenges Designers and Companies Face

1. Dribbble = Product Design?

The design community is fortunate to have resources like Dribbble and Behance, which provide platforms for showcasing work, gaining inspiration, and receiving feedback. However, the overemphasis on aesthetics within these communities has led to a skewed perception of design. Both designers and businesses often fixate on how things look rather than how they function, overshadowing the role of product thinking and strategic problem-solving.

2. Confusion and Misleading Job Titles

Many companies adopt the title “Product Designer” to compete for talent, but their expectations for the role can vary widely. Some view Product Designers as creators of visually appealing designs, while top-tier companies expect them to solve complex business problems through strategic design. This inconsistency leads to confusion for both designers and employers, as identical job titles can represent vastly different responsibilities.

3. Lack of Educational Resources

A significant gap exists in educational resources that help designers develop product thinking skills. Design schools often fail to teach the necessary competencies, online courses lack depth, and companies rarely share internal processes or case studies. Consequently, designers are often unprepared for the demands of the role, particularly during interviews, where they may be tested on skills they have never had the opportunity to practice.

The Consequences

For Companies: Businesses fail to leverage designers effectively to solve problems, missing opportunities to align design efforts with broader business goals. They also struggle to create environments that foster designer growth.
For Designers: Mid-level designers often remain stuck in roles focused solely on aesthetics, leading to stagnation in their careers and a repetitive cycle of limited professional growth.

A Framework for Design and UX Interviews

To address these challenges, let’s establish guideposts for Design and UX interviews:

Phase 1: Phone Screening

Typically lasting 10–20 minutes, the phone screening is conducted by a recruiter or HR representative. The goal is to assess whether there is a basic match between the candidate and the company. Topics include the candidate’s current employment status, past experience, and career goals.

Phase 2: On-Site or Phone Interview

This phase dives deeper into the candidate’s design process, tools, and team dynamics. Behavioral questions such as, “Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a product decision. What happened?” are common, alongside discussions about the specifics of the role.

Phase 2.5: Portfolio Review

Often combined with the previous step, candidates present their work to a design or product lead or a small team. This involves walking through projects, explaining objectives, contributions, decisions, and outcomes. A clear structure can make this presentation impactful.

Phase 3: Product/Design Critique

Candidates may be asked to critique a product’s design, discussing what works, what doesn’t, and how it could be improved. This step tests their product thinking and ability to articulate insights.

Phase 4: Design Exercise

Design exercises are pivotal in the hiring process and come in various formats:

Live Whiteboarding (15–40 minutes): Candidates solve a design problem live, explaining their thought process and decisions.
On-Site Exercise (1 hour + 10–15 minutes for presentation and Q&A): Candidates work on a problem in a quiet space and present their solution.
Take-Home Exercise (4–8 hours): Candidates deliver high-fidelity designs within a set timeframe, often including presentations and source files.

The type of exercise depends on the skills the company aims to evaluate. For instance, conceptual tasks test product thinking (e.g., “Design an ATM machine for kids”), while take-home exercises often focus on UI and visual design.

Phase 5: Additional Informal Interview (Optional)

An informal follow-up may address any remaining concerns, such as cultural fit or specific skill gaps, before extending an offer.

Why Companies Use Design Exercises

As Braden Kowitz, former design partner at Google Ventures, notes, “It’s such a good technique because there’s no faking it (like showing portfolio work from a big team effort).” Design exercises simulate real job scenarios within the constraints of limited time and resources. They are particularly effective for evaluating entry-level designers or those with confidential prior work.

Design exercises focus on:

Understanding the candidate’s problem-solving approach.
Evaluating their design process.
Testing collaboration skills.
Assessing how they handle feedback and high-pressure situations.
Determining whether they are a good cultural fit for the team.

Conclusion

By understanding the nuances of the design role and improving hiring processes, companies can attract and nurture designers who not only create visually appealing work but also solve meaningful business problems. For designers, embracing product thinking and honing influence skills are essential for advancing their careers and maximizing their impact in any organization.