35 Web Designer Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)

Updated 26 January 2023

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How you interview plays an important role in earning a new position as a web designer. Thoroughly preparing can increase your chances of impressing the hiring manager and gaining entry to the next step of the hiring process. Studying some common questions and practicing their effective responses can help maximise your success. In this article, we explore some common web designer interview questions and their sample answers, explain why a hiring manager may ask those questions and discuss some tips for a successful interview.

General Web Designer Interview Questions

Most interviewers ask a few general questions to gain an understanding of who you are, how you stay motivated, what career goals you have set for yourself and what values you can bring to the workplace. Here are some general web designer interview questions to help you prepare:

Which of our clients are you most interested in working with?
What skills do you think a web designer is required to have?
How would your previous managers and coworkers describe you?
Do you consider yourself more analytical or creative?
What motivates you? How do you find inspiration for your work?
Why are you interested in working for our company?
What are your career goals? What steps do you plan on taking to pursue them?
How do you prioritise your work?
What has been your biggest career accomplishment so far?
What was your favourite subject in school?

Questions About Experience And Background

Interviewers ask these questions to know how your background and experience relate to the open position. Your answers can help them determine if you have the minimum requirements or preferred qualifications they have listed for the role. When you are answering questions about your experience in web design, include an example if possible. This can help the hiring manager connect your unique experience with what they are looking for from a new hire. Review these questions so you can develop your responses:

Could you walk me through the steps of one of your most recent projects?
How do you incorporate current design trends into your projects?
Which are your must-have tools for web design?
Which industries have you created web designs for? How do they differ?
Explain more about your customer service experience. Why do you think customer service is important in web design?
How would you improve our company's website?
Have you ever worked hard on a design and felt like it still needed improvement? What did you do?
Tell us more about the work environments you have been a part of. Have you mostly worked in a team environment? Have you ever had to work on your own?
Are you comfortable with both HTML and CSS?
How much experience do you have with UX design? Tell us more about it.

In-Depth Interview Questions

In-depth interview questions are ones that a hiring manager may ask to learn more about your abilities in web design. Their questions may include industry jargon or they may ask you to describe the steps you take during a certain part of the web design process. If you require to, consider pausing before you answer so you can ensure you are providing a response that showcases your knowledge of web design. Here are some in-depth questions an interviewer may ask:

What is HTML, and what is the difference between HTML elements and tags?
What are some design components of an optimised website?
What makes a good colour scheme? Can you explain some common examples?
How many H1 tags would you have on a single webpage and why?
Does every website require to be responsive? Why or why not?
What is the difference between JPEG and PNG? How do you decide which to use in your web design?
What is the one tool, program, software or skill you want to excel in? Why?
How do you stay up-to-date on trends in our industry?
What is the first thing you do when a client tells you they want to build a new landing page to increase sales for a product they are advertising?
What do you think is going to be the next trend in web design?

Sample Interview Questions With Answers

Review these example interview questions so you can practice your answers:

What is a CSS file and what are some benefits of using it?

CSS is common in web design. Employers may ask about CSS to understand more about your familiarity with it and how much training you may require in your new role.

Example answer: "CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and it helps control and oversees text dimensions and textual styles, like fonts and colours. It is easy to maintain and update, offers more formatting options, has great search engine optimisation benefits and much faster download times since the code is lightweight."

What is your favourite part about web design?

A hiring manager may want to know why web design interests you. They are often looking for someone with passion and enthusiasm for the job, regardless of when or how you began learning design.

Example answer: "My favourite part is helping clients figure out more about their unique style and how they want their branding to make a customer of theirs feel. I love having the opportunity to use my creative skills to create imagery and a web design that aligns with the brand's message."

Related: How To Find Your Passion

Tell us about a time when a client did not like your original web design. How did you manage this situation?

As a web designer, you may receive some constructive feedback from clients and require to adjust your designs using updated specifications. Employers may ask you this question because they want to know how you solve problems, respond to feedback and develop a relationship with your clients.

Example answer: "This happened to me before when I was working for a client in the financial sector. They felt my design was a little too advanced for their current customers and may turn some of their loyal members away from the brand. Because this particular bank was trying to target a younger generation of customers, I explained why my web design may work, but we ultimately agreed on a compromise. The final website was simple to navigate, but had flashy elements that would appeal to a younger demographic."

Related: How To Become a Web Developer

What is a responsive web page design?

Employers may ask you about web page responsiveness to find out your basic knowledge of effective design.

Example answer: "Responsive design means the person visiting the website can do so from any of their devices, including their phone, laptop or desktop computer, and be able to easily navigate the site. A responsive design is required to provide the same experience to everyone, which is one that is free of the requirement to pinch and zoom to read the content."

What steps do you take during your design process and how much do you involve clients?

The interviewer may want to know how you approach your work, how easy it is to work with you and how well you take care of your clients. Consider taking a moment to gather your thoughts before answering so the hiring manager can fully understand your process.

Example answer: "I always have an initial consultation to discuss client wants and needs. I then create a preliminary design and send them a draft for review. During the design process, I send updates to keep them informed. I send them the finished product for final review and if any updates are necessary, we discuss what I require to change, the timeframe and other logistics."

How Do I Prepare For A Web Designer Interview?

Follow these tips to adequately prepare for an interview for a web designer position:

Review your resume. While you already know what you have on your resume, consider reviewing it again to re-familiarise yourself with your accomplishments, awards, projects and previous work responsibilities. This can leave you better able to answer your interviewer's questions with confidence.
Practice with a friend. A trusted friend or former colleague can be helpful to practice interview questions with. They can provide you with feedback on your answers and how you speak during the mock interview so you can improve for your meeting with the hiring manager.
Build a portfolio. If you do not already have a portfolio, consider creating one that you can show to the hiring manager. Because you are applying for a web designer position, it may be best to create a website specifically for this purpose so you can showcase your skills in a new way.
Research industry news. Read blogs and articles or listen to podcasts about the web design industry to make sure you are aware of the most recent trends. Not only can you use what you learn when you are in the role, but your knowledge can show the hiring manager that you are passionate about the field.