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UX designer interview questions

22 questions · 5 answer outlines · Updated Oct 6, 2026

UX designer interviews usually centre on a portfolio review, where you walk through two or three projects, plus a design exercise, live on a whiteboard or as a take-home. Expect questions on research methods and behavioural questions about working with product managers and developers. Interviewers look for your process and reasoning more than polished screens.

Five questions to prepare first

These come up in most interviews for this role. For each one: what the interviewer is checking, and the points a strong answer covers, in order.

1

Walk me through a project in your portfolio.

What they're checking

How you think, not just what you made, and how clearly you tell the story.

A strong answer covers

  1. Open with the problem, who it affected and why it mattered to the business.
  2. Explain your role and the constraints, such as time, technology and team.
  3. Walk through two or three key decisions, what you tried, what research told you and why you chose what you did.
  4. End with the outcome, measured if possible, and what you would do differently.
2

How would you plan user research for a new feature?

What they're checking

Whether you pick research methods to answer specific questions.

A strong answer covers

  1. Start with what the team needs to learn and which decisions the research will inform.
  2. Choose methods to match, such as interviews for needs, usability tests for a design, or analytics and surveys for scale.
  3. Recruit participants who match the real users, and plan the sessions and questions.
  4. Explain how you would share the findings so they change the design, not sit in a report.
3

Design a better way for a group of friends to split a restaurant bill.

What they're checking

How you frame an open problem and reason through it under time pressure.

A strong answer covers

  1. Ask about the context, such as who pays, which devices people use and whether the restaurant is involved.
  2. Pick the core scenario and the main pain points, such as uneven orders, tips and people paying back later.
  3. Sketch the key flow at low fidelity and explain each choice as you go.
  4. Cover edge cases and accessibility, and say how you would test the design with real users.
4

How do you make sure your designs are accessible?

What they're checking

Whether accessibility is part of your process rather than an afterthought.

A strong answer covers

  1. Mention the standard you work to, usually the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and the level your team targets.
  2. Give concrete practices, such as colour contrast, text sizes, keyboard navigation, focus states and clear labels.
  3. Explain how you check, with design reviews, automated tools and testing with assistive technology or disabled users.
  4. Share an example where accessibility changed a design for the better.
5

How do you handle feedback you disagree with?

What they're checking

Whether you can take criticism well and still stand up for users.

A strong answer covers

  1. Start by understanding the feedback fully, asking what problem the person sees.
  2. Separate opinions from evidence, and bring research or data to the discussion.
  3. Look for a version that addresses both concerns, or propose testing the options with users.
  4. Give an example where feedback improved your work, and one where you held your ground and why.

Portfolio and process

You will spend a lot of time here. Tell each project as a story with a problem, decisions and an outcome.

  1. 1Walk me through a project in your portfolio.Answer outline
  2. 2What is your design process?
  3. 3Tell me about a design decision you based on research.
  4. 4Show me a project that didn't go to plan. What did you learn?
  5. 5How do you know when a design is finished?
  6. 6Which project in your portfolio would you redo, and how?

Research and testing

How you learn what users need, and how you check that a design works.

  1. 7How would you plan user research for a new feature?Answer outline
  2. 8When would you use a survey instead of interviews?
  3. 9How do you run a usability test?
  4. 10How do you turn research findings into design decisions?
  5. 11How do you design when there is no time or budget for research?

Design exercise

Often a whiteboard task. Ask questions, state assumptions and think out loud before you draw.

  1. 12Design a better way for a group of friends to split a restaurant bill.Answer outline
  2. 13How would you improve the checkout of an online shop?
  3. 14Design an app that helps older adults manage their medication.
  4. 15How do you make sure your designs are accessible?Answer outline
  5. 16How do you choose between two design options?
  6. 17How would you measure whether a redesign worked?

Collaboration and behavioural

Design is a team sport. Expect questions about feedback, disagreement and working with developers.

  1. 18How do you handle feedback you disagree with?Answer outline
  2. 19How do you work with developers to make sure a design is built as intended?
  3. 20Tell me about a time you had to defend a design to stakeholders.
  4. 21How do you balance what users need with business goals?
  5. 22How do you keep a design system consistent across teams?

UX designer interview tips

  • Pick two or three portfolio projects and rehearse telling each in five minutes, then in twenty.
  • Show your mess, the sketches, research and dead ends. Interviewers want to see process, not only final screens.
  • In design exercises, spend the first few minutes asking questions and stating assumptions.
  • Know the company's product well enough to discuss one thing you would research or change.

UX designer interview FAQ

Two to four strong case studies are usually enough. Depth matters more than quantity: each should show the problem, your process, your decisions and the outcome.

Many companies use them, while others prefer a live exercise. If you get a take-home, check how much time it is expected to take, and keep your work to roughly that time.

Usually not, though understanding how interfaces are built helps you work with developers. Some roles, such as design engineer, do expect front-end skills.

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