Top 3 questions to ask when hiring a product designer

Hey there. Happy Saturday! Today, I want to share some thoughts on hiring a product designer.

Recently, a seasoned tech leader in Silicon Valley confided in me about the challenges of interviewing UX and product designers. As an engineering leader without a dedicated head of design on his team, he found it difficult to assess design candidates.

He asked me if I could recommend three key questions to ask during these interviews to help him better evaluate potential hires.
Here’s what I shared with him:

1. Which area do you feel most confident in: research, interaction, or visual design? Which area do you feel least confident in?

2. Can you share a specific example of how your design work influenced product decisions or helped shape the product roadmap?

3. Tell me about a recent disagreement or conflict you had with a co-worker and how you resolved it.

Why these questions matter?

Self-evaluation of skill sets

Product design is a multifaceted field that combines elements of user psychology, scientific research, artistic creativity, engineering, and even copywriting. It’s a relatively new discipline, and because it’s become so trendy, designers often come from a wide range of backgrounds. It’s not uncommon to meet product designers with degrees in English, Psychology, Law, Economics, Art, Computer Science, Graphic Design, and more. This diversity can be a huge advantage, but it also means that designers are typically stronger in some areas and weaker in others.

When you break down product design, it usually falls into three main categories: research, interaction, and visual design. In large companies, these roles might be separated into distinct positions, but startups usually need a designer who can wear all three hats. By asking candidates where they feel most and least confident, you gain insight into their strengths and weaknesses, which helps you determine if they’ll be a good fit for your team’s specific needs.

For example, when I interviewed for a position at a seed-stage startup led by two former Google executives, they asked me this very question. I came from a visual design background, so I rated myself as follows: research 7, interaction 6, and visual 9. They appreciated my honesty and recognized that while I might need some support with interaction design, my visual strengths were exactly what they were looking for.

This transparency helped them make an informed hiring decision and allowed me to contribute effectively to the team from day one. If a candidate claims they’re a 9 or 10 in every area, it might be a red flag that they’re either overconfident or not self-aware enough to recognize their own limitations.

Ask about past examples, not future promises

When interviewing potential hires, it’s crucial to focus on their past experiences rather than hypothetical future scenarios. Many founders make the mistake of asking questions like, “If we were to add this feature, could you handle it?” While it’s tempting to ask this, it doesn’t give you a realistic picture of the candidate’s abilities. Naturally, most candidates will say yes, but that doesn’t mean they have the experience or skills to back it up.

Instead, ask them to share specific examples from their past work where they’ve made an impact. For instance, you might ask how their design work influenced product decisions or how they collaborated with other team members like product managers, engineers, and data scientists. Product designers don’t work in a vacuum—they need to be able to collaborate closely with the rest of the team. However, it’s not enough to simply follow orders; they also need to demonstrate leadership and the ability to influence decisions, particularly in a startup setting where everyone wears multiple hats.

By asking for concrete examples, you can evaluate how the candidate thinks, how they approach problem-solving, and how they interact with others on the team. This level of detail gives you a much better sense of whether they’ll be able to contribute effectively to your startup’s success.

Conflict resolution is key

Finally, it’s important to understand how a candidate handles conflict. In the design world, there are plenty of “people pleasers”—designers who avoid conflict at all costs, preferring to go along with whatever others suggest. While it’s great to have a team player who’s easy to work with, it’s also important to have someone who’s not afraid to speak up when necessary.

When a candidate says they don’t often experience conflict with co-workers, it could mean one of two things: either they’re exceptionally skilled at resolving conflicts before they escalate, or they tend to avoid conflicts altogether, potentially to the detriment of the project. As a founder, it’s your job to figure out which type of person they are.

The best designers are those who can bring valuable insights and differing opinions to the table, even if it means disagreeing with the CEO or other senior leaders. They need to be able to navigate these disagreements and work collaboratively to find solutions that benefit the entire team. In a startup environment, where decisions are made quickly and everyone’s input is crucial, having a designer who can effectively manage conflict is essential.

Summary

When hiring a product designer, focus on three key questions: How do they self-evaluate their skills across research, interaction, and visual design? Can they provide specific examples of how their design work has influenced product decisions or shaped the product roadmap? How do they handle conflicts with co-workers? These questions will help you find a designer who not only fits your team but also brings the leadership, collaboration, and conflict resolution skills necessary for success in a fast-paced startup environment.

P.S. Are you hiring designers? Reply to this email—whether you’re looking for full-time or fractional help, I might be able to assist!

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