12 Best UX Designer Interview Questions

In the modern landscape of technology, there is a ton of competition. And the hard truth is—no product can succeed without an excellent UX Designer.

You already know that hiring the right UX designer for your team is vital to the success of your new website launch or mobile app. You’re looking for someone with the competence and experience that make them the best candidate for your specific project.

But deciding on the right UX design interview questions can be difficult. No worries! We’ve assembled a list of the perfect UX interview questions to ask your candidates. With these questions, we’re confident you’ll get lucky and find the perfect fit. 

1. Tell Me About You and Your Experience 

A solid, simple question right at the start that not only makes a great icebreaker in any UX designer interview (or any other interview for that matter), this inquiry does more than give you a great introduction to your candidate.

It pays in the early stages of your interview to learn about your prospect’s past experience and what they’re capable of. A resume can’t say everything about their skills and experience, how they first entered the field, and their journey since then.

Good Answer: Shows a clear career path, highlights relevant UX projects, and connects experience to problem-solving.

 Red Flag: Stays vague, only lists job titles, or avoids discussing real contributions.

2. What Does UX Design Mean to You? 

The goal of this question isn’t for your candidate to rattle off the dictionary definition in the middle of the interview—you want to see that the candidate understands the field and why it matters. You also want to get a sense of their passion for their career.

First and foremost, you want to see a desire for UX Design that focuses on the customer and their needs in order to provide value. 

Good Answer: Frames UX as solving real user problems and creating value beyond visuals.

Red Flag: Defines UX only as “making things look good” or gives a shallow, textbook-style answer.

3. Why Are You Leaving Your Current Position? 

This question is more important when hiring for a permanent position rather than freelance. It not only helps you gain insight into your candidate’s pain points in previous jobs, but it also shows you whether or not they’re looking for the kind of role you can provide and if both of you can succeed through this partnership!

This question also helps you assess the risk of hiring them. We all know onboarding is expensive, and a candidate who could get frustrated and leave just after you hire them may not be worth the time. 

Good Answer: Emphasizes growth, new challenges, or desire to work in a stronger UX culture.

Red Flag: Speaks negatively about past employers or gives unclear, defensive reasoning.

4. What Distinguishes UX for You Compared to Other Fields? What Are Your Favorite Examples of Good UX?

This question allows your candidate to prove their mettle and understanding of the industry. It shows whether or not they can recognize good UX work when they see it and if they can easily define the qualities that make it so. 

If the candidate brings up user-centered products that go beyond a simple wireframe, by incorporating usability, branding, and even functionality, then you know you have asked the right UX design interview questions. 

You need an employee who can improve the overall user experience and make everything come together. You aren’t asking UI/UX interview questions, but UX specifically, and you need a candidate who understands that. 

Good Answer: Highlights usability, accessibility, and empathy for users as key differences.

Red Flag: Struggles to differentiate UX from UI or focuses only on aesthetics.

5. Tell Me About a Successful UX Design You Contributed to

Asking UX interview questions shouldn’t make you feel like an interrogator. This question gives the candidate some time in the spotlight, with the chance to celebrate their wins, share projects with challenges they overcame, or even hold sentimental value. 

It also provides you with a natural segue into the candidate’s portfolio, allowing you to compare their work to the kind of material you’re looking for.

Good Answer: Explain their role, how they collaborated, and the user impact.

Red Flag: Not capable of explaining his role or actual contribution to the project

6. Tell Me About a Time You Disagreed with a Colleague, Perhaps Over Criticism You Did Not Agree With. How Did You Resolve It?

This is a challenging question, but an important one. This query gives the candidate the chance to prove they can take criticism from fields that aren’t their own. UX is a team game, and this is one of the most critical user experience interview questions. 

This question lets you see if your candidate is truly a team player who can collaborate, which is often just as, or even more important, than their skills and competency. An excellent answer to this question will show you if they can understand other perspectives, even when they disagree. 

It also shows you if they know how to stand their ground respectfully—because sometimes that’s equally important! A good UX Designer must know how to compromise, but they also have to know when and how to stick to what they know is the right decision.

Good Answer: Shows respect, ability to compromise, and focus on user needs during conflict.

Red Flag: Blames others, shows defensiveness, or avoids answering directly.

7. What’s Something You Look for in UX that Irritates You, and How Would You Go About Fixing It?

In this case, you aren’t looking for complaints, but constructive solutions that prove the candidate can articulate the underlying issues and how to improve them. Both are an essential part of any process. 

Good Answer: Identifies a UX issue and suggests a thoughtful improvement approach.

Red Flag: Only complains without offering solutions or dismisses the importance of details.

8. How Do You Handle Designing for Multiple Needs?

This one varies based on the project’s needs. You might need someone who can: 

• Design for the hearing or visually impaired 
• Design around specific noise levels, like crowded public transport 
• Reach multiple devices, like mobile/desktop or iOS/Android 

The best candidates can adapt to the design goals and specifications of the project at hand. 

Good Answer: Talks about inclusive design, accessibility, and balancing diverse users.

Red Flag: Ignores accessibility or gives a one-size-fits-all answer.

9. How Would You Improve the UX of Our Product? 

Let them show they’ve done their research, engaged with your company, and know how they can hit the ground running. 

It’s a preview of the value they’ll bring to your team and their communication style when it comes to giving constructive feedback. Are they confident? Bold? Respectful? Or are they condescending? These things matter when choosing a new employee.

Good Answer: Shows they’ve researched your product, identifies specific opportunities, and suggests actionable ideas.

Red Flag: Hasn’t looked at your product or gives overly generic feedback.

10. What Do You Think Will Be the Next Big Thing in UX Design?

Ideally, you want someone who sees UX as more than a job, but also as a passion. Their answers to your UX interview questions are the perfect way to see if this is the case. If they try to predict the future of UX based on new and current trends, they’re passionate about their craft and in tune with where the industry is going. 

It also gives you the chance to ask about any blogs or literature they follow to see if they take the initiative to continue learning.

Good Answer: Mentions current trends and explains why they matter for users.

Red Flag: Gives a buzzword with no reasoning or has no clear opinion

11. Try This Hands-On Challenge 

A hands-on interview prompt proves they can do more than talk the talk. Performance under the pressure of an interview can simulate a real crunchtime environment and give you the chance to see their process and how they handle stress.

It’s also a chance for the candidate to show how they learn about desired outcomes and factors to consider and provide an example of the minimum quality you can expect — important stuff when a project deadline rolls around!

Good Answer: Explains their thought process, prioritizes user needs, and communicates trade-offs.

Red Flag: Focuses only on surface-level visuals or struggles to explain reasoning.

12. Do You Have Any Questions for Me? 

This question might seem like a simple closer, but it’s actually far more. It shows the candidate has engaged with your company and is interested in what you, in particular, have to offer them. 

An in-depth response shows they’re interested in exploring what you have to offer them and are considering you as a company—not just going through the motions of interviewing. 

Good Answer: Asks thoughtful questions about team culture, challenges, or product vision.

Red Flag: Says “no questions” or only asks about salary and perks.

Here's a quick interviewer's checklist you can use in real interviews: 

FAQs 

What are the most common UX interview questions?

They often cover your design process, past projects, teamwork, problem-solving, and how you define UX.

How do I prepare for a UX design interview?

Review your portfolio, practice explaining your process, research the company, and be ready for a design challenge.

What skills are interviewers looking for in UX designers?

Strong user empathy, research ability, communication, collaboration, and clear design thinking.

Conclusion

Ultimately, you should use this list as a guideline, not a script. Every project has its own needs, and above all, it’s essential to tailor your questions to the project and the candidate.

For more information about the way a great UX designer can make things happen, we’re happy to answer any questions.

Explore Designli's UX/UI Design Services →

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