Besides preparing a web design portfolio, your application for a web designer role will also involve a rigorous web design interview process. The good news is that interviews don’t have to be daunting if you’ve taken some time to prepare answers for some of the most commonly asked questions.
Here are some common web designer interview questions and answers to help you ace your interview for a web designer position. As a bonus, you can also find a list of resources and tips on how to improve your resume in this guide.
What Is a Web Designer?
A web designer creates the user interface and layout of a website, including for mobile applications or software programs. Web designers work closely with web developers to achieve an optimal design for a good user experience. Their duties include creating graphics, integrating audio and video into a website, finding appropriate fonts, assigning a color scheme, and overseeing other design elements.
The difference between a web designer a web developer is that the former is focused on the user interface of the website while the latter’s responsibilities also touch on the backend. A web designer uses front end web development skills like coding in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to achieve the desired design outcome.
Answers to the Most Common Web Designer Interview Questions
Interview questions will vary depending on the company but there are often similar questions when it comes to the technical, behavioral, and general aspects of a web designer role. Having a prepared answer for these questions can make the interview more comfortable and less nerve-wracking for you. It can also give you an edge over less-prepared fellow applicants. Below we show some of the most common web design interview questions.
Top Five Technical Web Designer Interview Questions and Answers
With technical questions, the interviewer seeks to learn about your web design process and skills. Whether you’re just starting out in a career in web design or have tons of experience, these questions are an important part of your interview as they test your mastery of foundational web design knowledge.
What is the importance of HTML and CSS in web design?
HTML and CSS are the programming languages that lay at the core of every website. HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language, is used to structure the website by organizing the elements of a page. HTML has many functions, from adding headers and text to inserting spaces between paragraphs or adding images and formatting them.
On the other hand, CSS, which stands for Cascading Style Sheets, allows you to style the look of the website. CSS allows you to work with fonts, colors, background images, and many other visual elements that determine the look of the site.
How do you achieve a responsive web design?
A responsive design is essential to ensure that the user will have the best experience regardless of the device used. In answering this question, it is important to talk about design practices and techniques.
Knowing the current design trends could also help, especially when discussing how to modify certain elements to achieve a responsive design. It could also be a good idea to discuss how you went about mastering responsive design.
Can you cite an example of bad web design?
The point of asking this question is not just to know what you did not like about a specific design. You must also discuss the technical elements that you found were lacking. For example, you may mention why certain color combinations do not work or why a certain background color does not go well with a specific type of text. Discussing what you could have done to improve a bad design is one way to showcase your knowledge.
Can you explain the benefit of having a ready CSS file?
As a web designer, you will be working on several projects so you do not want to waste time writing code from scratch. Hence, it is better to have a ready-made CSS file that you can easily modify if you want to use it for several projects. This is time-efficient and less stressful and you can always modify and improve it as required.
What makes an optimized web design?
Optimized web design should not be confused with responsive web design. The former deals more with improving your website to generate more traffic. As a web designer, you want your website to look good in the eyes of the user as they browse through it. You need to work closely with developers and analytics professionals to arrive at the desired outcome.
Top Five Behavioral Web Designer Interview Questions and Answers
Behavioral questions are an important component of a web designer job interview because they will give your hiring manager an idea of your personal approach to work. Additionally, creating a functional and attractive website isn’t just about technical abilities; you also need a handful of soft skills. Just how strong a candidate’s soft skills are is what these questions seek to find out.
Do you prefer working alone or with a team?
Answering that you prefer working alone does not automatically mean that you cannot work with other people. Conversely, if you say that you like working with a team that does not mean that you cannot work independently.
The best approach here is being honest when you answer. However, you also want to phrase your answer in such a way as to convey that you feel comfortable working both autonomously and as part of a team. A good tactic is to say that some tasks are better handled independently while others call for a team effort.
How do you approach a client who has negative feedback about your design?
Receiving negative feedback is part of the job so get used to it and learn to take it as constructive criticism. Your interviewer asks this question to see your reaction to harsh or discouraging comments. Answering that you are always open to discussion with your client or other project members is the best approach to this question.
How do you deal with revision requests that you may not agree with?
To answer this question, explain how you would tell a client that a revision is not the best way forward. For example, you may point out that there are times when a revision requested by a client just won’t work because it would ruin the overall design. Whatever you say, make sure the interviewer knows that you always keep an open mind when it comes to criticism.
The revision request may come instead from a project manager or other member of the team. In this case, explain to the interviewer that you would probably want to discuss the implications of proceeding with the request before going ahead with the revision.
If you are working on several projects at once, how do you plan out your strategy and schedule?
Discussing your technical and creative process for a project will help you answer this question effectively. While you can plan out the technical aspects of a project, the creative components may be harder to predict as factors like inspiration play a large role. Make sure to talk about the strategies you use to speed up the process while prioritizing the quality of your work.
If a project that you are working on fails, do you leave it and move on or still continue to work on it?
This question seeks to gauge your perseverance and patience and your ability to see a web design project through to the end. Discuss previous projects, especially those where you struggled. This will give the hiring manager an insight into your process. Keep in mind that companies value candidates that know when to continue working on a project and when to stop.
Top Five General Web Designer Interview Questions and Answer
General questions inquire into your educational and work experience, personal process, and knowledge of the design industry. These questions can be conversational and less formal than technical and behavioral ones.
Can you walk me through your design process?
Discuss your design process and what tools you prefer to use. For instance, you can talk about why Adobe Photoshop is your go-to tool for creating graphics or why a certain technique is better than others. There is no right or wrong answer here. The goal of the interviewer is to understand how you will fit into the team.
What are some current design trends?
Talk about any exciting trend that you are aware of. If you read about them on design blogs or magazines, mention that too. In answering this question, make sure to discuss how you incorporate these trends into your projects. This shows your ability to provide solutions to a challenging design project and satisfy your client’s needs.
Why is good web design important to achieve an optimal user experience?
This is a common question that you can take advantage of to showcase your knowledge of web design. You can talk about techniques that work best for specific situations, such as using a certain image type for text-heavy graphics or finding the right layouts. Optimal user experience is the main goal of any web designer so showing that you live by these principles in all your projects will assure your interviewer or hiring manager of your competency.
Which projects are you most proud of and why?
Discussing your previous projects is not only proof of your qualifications, but also an opportunity to tell the interviewer about your potential. In explaining your projects, make sure to talk about the techniques that you used to achieve your desired outcome.
The projects you choose will also show your strengths as a web designer. The interviewer will also learn more about how you addressed any issues that you might have encountered while working on the project.
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What does an appealing website look like to you?
You can talk about a popular website that you like but make sure to discuss the technical aspects that make this website stand out. Do not forget to discuss why this website is an example of good web design. If possible, identify the design trends that were used as this shows your awareness of currently popular design techniques.
Tips to Prepare for a Web Designer Interview
1. Reflect on Your Design Process
There will be a lot of questions about your web design process. They could be about techniques you employ now or those you have used in the past. Revisiting your process and listing the steps in your head also helps you evaluate basic web design principles and tools.
2. Prepare Your Portfolio
Your portfolio is proof of your hands-on experience in web design. Make sure that your portfolio has all of your best projects and that you can describe them well when asked during the interview. Think back to any highlights or low points that you overcame to use as reference points for related questions.
3. Be Honest
No matter how much want to impress the interviewer, you should always be transparent about what you know and what you can do. You should be honest about your strengths and weaknesses while maintaining a growth mindset and an interest in improving. This way, the company will be able to create a better training plan for you if you get accepted.
What Skills Should I Put on my Web Designer Resume?
A web designer combines both technical and creative skills to excel in the job and your web design resume should contain all of them. To make your resume truly stand out, be sure to include the web design skills we have highlighted below.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
HTML and CSS are basic skills that every web designer needs. If you have received training in JavaScript, make sure to include that programming language as well. JavaScript is widely used to make websites more interactive. If you are not confident about your JavaScript coding skills, there are plenty of JavaScript coding bootcamps to bring you up to speed.
Graphic Design
Graphic design is another important web designer skill that must be on your resume. More importantly, mention the graphic design programs that you have mastered. Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, InDesign, and GIMP are all software programs that you want to list in your resume. If you feel that you need more training, we recommend enrolling in a graphic design course.
Interpersonal Skills
Whether you are an entry-level web designer or a seasoned professional, you must have reliable communication skills. You will be working with a wide variety of clients, all with different personalities and tastes. Your interviewer will be looking for this quality in you so make sure to include it on your web design resume.
How to Find Web Designer Jobs
Popular job platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or Indeed have a long list of web designer job openings. There are also websites that specialize in web designer jobs exclusively. We take a look at three of the main ones below.
Dribbble
Dribbble is a community for web designers full of resources for these professionals. Companies can also post job openings. There are job boards for full-time and freelance positions, with new postings displayed right on the front page. In Dribbble, you can sign up and create a profile that is easily visible to potential employers when you apply for a job posting on the site.
Design Jobs Board
Design Jobs Board is another job site that focuses on web design job opportunities. It is a straightforward site that lists the open positions along with all the details of the role. The site has thousands of monthly visitors and boasts unique partnerships that can help you land your dream job.
Authentic Jobs
Authentic Jobs is a trusted job board for professional designers, developers, and other creative individuals. Popular tech companies like Apple, Twitter, EA, and Facebook are some of the major employers that use the site. After signing up on Authentic Jobs, you can look and apply for full-time or freelance web designer positions.
Web Designer Interview Questions FAQ
Knowing your process by heart is a good way to start because a lot of the questions will be related to this. Make sure that your project portfolio is ready and that you can easily talk about the experiences you had while making these projects. Be transparent about what you know and what you don’t know when it comes to your skills and knowledge base.
In general, there are behavioral and technical questions. Technical questions test your basic and foundational skills and knowledge. Behavioral questions are all about your attitude when it comes to work and dealing with other people. There are general questions as well that tackle your educational background and work experience.
One of the most important web design skills is being able to write code in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Other important skills are graphic design and communication. You need communication skills together with technical and design expertise to connect with your clients and teammates.
There is a wide variety of job sites that list web designer jobs. You can also try specialized websites like Dribbble, Authentic Jobs, and Design Jobs Board. These websites help interested design firms or companies needing web designers find the right candidate. Some web design job sites also allow you to create a profile that will be readily visible to a company when you apply for its job opening.
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