39 Product Design Interview Questions (Plus Sample Answers)

Updated 27 December 2022

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Product design professionals invent ideas for products, from software to technological devices to vehicles, that can solve problems and help people. If you enjoy engineering and design, this job may be perfect for you. Reviewing common interview questions you may encounter can aid you in securing employment in this field. In this article, we discuss 40 product design interview questions, provide a few example answers to help you practise and offer some tips for success in the interview.

General Product Design Interview Questions

To start an interview, many employers ask general product design interview questions to get an idea of your background and interests. They are typically seeking to learn about your career goals. Here are some examples of common general interview questions:

Tell me about yourself.
Why did you apply for this position?
Why are you interested in working for this company?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
How does this position fit into your career path?
What kind of company culture are you seeking?
What do you hope to gain out of this position?
How might you describe yourself in one word or phrase?
What motivates you to excel in a job?
What is your greatest strength?
What is your greatest weakness?
Describe yourself in one word or phrase.
How would your close friends describe you?
Why did you leave your last position?

Questions About Experience And Background

Later in the interview, you may encounter questions about your relevant work or volunteer experience, your proficiency in certain product design areas, your educational background or your certifications. These questions act as a method for the employer to determine if you are qualified for the obligations of the role. Here are some examples of these kinds of questions:

What is your favourite aspect of product design?
What is your least favourite aspect of product design?
What is the key to successful product design and development?
Tell me about your experience collaborating with a product design team.
Tell me about your experience complying with client requirements.
Tell me about your experience developing project reports.
Tell me about your experience creating user profiles.
What has been your favourite product design project you have implemented?
Tell me about the most innovative design you have developed.
What is the greatest professional accomplishment you achieved in a previous occupation?

Related: How To Crack A Job Interview

In-Depth Interview Questions

Interviewers may ask in-depth questions to solicit detailed answers about how you have used your skills to achieve actual results in previous positions. Consider using your answers to these questions to show your creativity and distinguish yourself from other candidates. Here are some examples of in-depth questions you might hear:

What made you decide to become a product designer?
Describe every step of your product design process.
What steps do you take before starting a design?
What are the most significant challenges product engineers or designers encounter?
How do you measure the success of your products?
What is the key to collaborating with product and project teams?
Are you interested in applying any new product design trends?
Explain your product and design portfolio.
Tell me about a time you had to solve a significant problem in the product design process.
What principle guides your work as a product designer?

Interview Questions With Sample Answers

Here are some questions with sample answers to assist you in practising:

1. How do you approach making user personas?

You may encounter this question if your interviewer or interviewing committee is curious about your approach to understanding product audiences. They might try to see how you use consumer data to develop user personas for your product design process. While discussing your approach to creating them, it may help to share about your data collection process.

Example: "When making user personas, I usually begin by gathering consumer data to understand the product's target audiences. To find this information, I search through the company's internal data and any external consumer data available online. Once I have this insight, I develop between four and six personas to represent different target audience groups. In each of them, I try to highlight information like demographic, personality, preferred channels and goals."

2. What research methods do you use to gain consumer insight before designing new products?

This question can help your interviewer or interviewing committee understand the preferred research methods you use to gain consumer insight before designing new products. They may also ask this question to identify whether you rely on one method or use additional methods to help you. When answering, you might discuss multiple methods to feature your adaptability and proficiency using different research methods.

Example: "I usually use design thinking or empathy interviews to gather consumer insight before beginning my product design process. I enjoy using design thinking because it allows for innovative ideas to emerge from consumer ideation. I also like empathy interviews because they provide me with details about consumer needs and wants regarding products. Typically, I try to use both research methods."

3. Describe a product you designed in a previous position

You may require describing a product you designed in a previous position during your interview to demonstrate your ability or skill sets. Your interviewer or interviewing committee might try to identify your product design style through this question. Understanding this can help them determine whether you are a good fit for their brand and products.

Example: "In my previous role as a product designer, I worked on a project for a children's diving toy. While my team was examining the current diving toys on the market, we realised many options included coloured sticks or rockets. We wanted to develop something more engaging for children learning to swim and dive. So, we prototyped different themed diving toys like under the sea creatures, play food and cars. We also revised them at each fidelity stage, which allowed the product to launch successfully."

4. How many iterations of prototypes do you usually go through in your product design process?

Your interviewer or interviewing committee may ask about the number of prototype iterations to understand the time it takes for you to complete product design projects. Specifically, they might be interested in seeing which levels of prototyping fidelity you use. While answering this question, you can discuss the levels you typically use and your process for each of them.

Example: "I use low, mid and high fidelity prototype iterations throughout my product design process. First, I begin with low-fidelity prototypes and test them with potential users. The results from these sessions help me revise my prototype when I take it to higher fidelities. I always use testing to help guide the revisions of each of my prototypes."

5. Share the measurable results of a product you designed

If you have previously worked in a product designer role, the interviewer might want to learn about your measurable product design success. This may lead them to ask you to share any quantifiable results you have from previous products you have designed. When providing this information, you can also add context to the purpose of the product and whether it exceeded expected market results.

Example: "In my previous role as a product designer, I worked on a product redesign project. The project focused on redesigning the product packaging for a salad dressing bottle. Originally, we expected the launch of the newly designed product to increase sales by 13%. Within one month of its launch, sales for the company increased by 30%."

Product Design Interview Tips

Here are some tips to prepare for your product design interview:

Prepare at least three questions. At the end of interviews, interviewers often ask if you have any questions for them. Use this chance to ask specific questions about the nature of the role, the culture of the organisation or related matters so you can emphasise your enthusiasm about the role and prove your professionalism and thoughtfulness.
Memorise your answers. Before an interview, think of possible questions you may encounter and prepare a clear, concise and specific answer for each one. Then, memorise your answers and practise delivering them out loud so you can remember what to say during the actual meeting with the employer.
Create an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch summarises your experience, skills, professional accomplishments, career goals and passions. By creating this kind of pitch in advance and practising it, you can answer questions about yourself with confidence and ease.