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If you’re looking for a job as a graphic designer, you’re probably pretty confident of your abilities and the industry at this point. The hard part is the job interview.
Let’s face it, just about everybody gets the jitters when they’re headed in for a job interview. But there’s one way you can prepare that will help you feel a little more confident. It might not relieve your nerves entirely, but it can help.
That’s why we’ve pulled together this handy list of graphic designer interview questions. At Zippia, we’re employment experts, so we have the inside scoop on what interview questions are asked. And we’re willing to share them. It’s almost like being given an open book quiz or even the test questions before the big exam.
Let’s look at 20 specific questions you may run into in your interview to be a graphic designer. Then, we’ll give you even more tips to make your job interview successful.
Key Takeaways:
Graphic designers candidates should highlight their soft skills such as analytical and communication skills because those are important to be successful.
Interviewers should take notes on the skills and experiences the candidate chooses to highlight in their answers.
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These are the Some common graphic designer interview questions, along with some sample answers. It’s important to note that your answers need to be customized to your experience, qualifications, interests, and beliefs. This means we’re not giving you the answers, but we are giving you some tips that will help you answer these common questions.
Tell me about yourself. This is a common interview question often asked at the start of the interview. The interviewer will ask it as an icebreaker question to get to know you better. Your answer should highlight your relevant experiences and skills as a graphic designer.
Example Answer:
I have seven years of experience as a graphic designer. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with diverse clients and projects that have allowed me to develop a versatile design approach. I am proficient in using industry-standard design software such as Adobe Creative Suite with photoshop, illustrator, and InDesign.
I take pride in my ability to translate client objectives and target audience preferences into visually appealing designs that effectively communicate messages. I believe with my passion for design and my technical expertise, I would contribute to the success of your company.
Why do you want to work here? The interviewer will ask this question to get an understanding of how much you know about the company. Your answer should show your genuine interest in the company and how your personal values align with the company's values.
Example Answer:
I want to work here because I am drawn to the collaborative and dynamic work environment that your company has. It excites me about the prospect of working with talented and passionate professionals just like myself. I believe collaboration is the key to success for any company.
I am also impressed by your company's commitment to growth and innovation. I think it's important to have continuous learning, especially in the graphic designer industry where new advancements and technologies are always coming out.
Overall, I want to work here because your company represents the ideal intersection of my passion for impactful design, collaborative work environments, and a commitment to excellence and innovation.
Why should we hire you? This question is often asked to see how you sell yourself and why you believe you are the best candidate for the position. Be sure to highlight your unique skills, qualities, and experiences that make you a valuable candidate for the position.
Example Answer:
You should hire me because I bring a diverse skill set and a proven track record of delivering impactful design solutions. I have seven years of experience in the industry, working on a wide range of projects and collaborating with clients from various sectors.
I am a highly collaborative team player and I thrive in environments where ideas are shared and nurtured. My technical proficiency and expertise in the industry-standard design such as Adobe Creative Suite allow me to bring designs to life with precision and creativity.
Where do you see yourself in five years? This question is typically asked to get an understanding of what your long-term goals are. Your answer should reflect your personal goals and aspirations and how they align with the company.
Example Answer:
Within the next five years, I hope to take on more challenging and leadership roles and become a valuable asset to the creative team. I hope to contribute not only as a graphic designer but also as a mentor and a source of inspiration for junior designers.
i also hope to explore opportunities to expand my design knowledge beyond traditional mediums. I am committed to continuously honing my project management and client relationship skills. My ultimate goal is to make a meaningful impact through my design work and contribute to the success of the company.
What are your strengths and weaknesses? Your strengths should relate back to the job and the relevant skills needed to succeed. When talking about your weaknesses, it's important to discuss how you plan to improve and turn your weakness into a positive.
Example Answer:
For my strengths, I am an excellent communicator and collaborator. I make sure to practice active listening when talking to clients to help understand their vision and objectives. I am skilled at presenting and explaining my design choice and am always looking for feedback to improve and refine my work.
My weakness would be my illustration skills. I am proficient in incorporating existing illustrations and graphics into my designs but I am working on improving my own illustration style. I am committed to investing time and effort into enhancing my illustration abilities to offer a more diverse solution.
Have you worked on your own or as part of a team? Tell me about those experiences. Most people who are in graphic design have worked both solely and in teams. Even if it was just school experience, this is good.
Many employers want their graphic designer to have this sort of flexibility, so make sure you hit on the fact you’ve worked both ways. Then, explain the highlights and why it was good working in a team in that situation, and why you’ve enjoyed working alone on some projects.
I have done both. In college, we were assigned many individual and group tasks. In my last semester, I interned at The Fishbach Agency, and I had a few solo projects but was usually paired with another designer to learn all sorts of different approaches.
I really enjoyed working in teams of two. I felt my ideas were usually considered, and I could contribute to the design in a meaningful way.
Have you collaborated with other people who are not graphic designers? If you’re already a professional graphic designer, there’s a good chance you’ve worked with a copywriter, an animator, a project manager, and others in the field.
If your potential new employer has a big team, you can bet you’ll be collaborating a lot, and you’ll need to be able to give them a good answer that will make them feel comfortable about hiring you.
As a bonus, if you’ve worked directly with clients, this is a good thing to point out.
Not in school, and I really wish they had done more of this. I was able to get this experience at Fishbach, and it opened my eyes to see my projects from a totally different perspective.
It also helped me get out of my own head and begin to understand that it isn’t about me, but about satisfying a customer and making my designs work with other parts of the project that I sometimes don’t even realize are happening. Like social media campaigns or gamification. This can impact your design when you know how it will be used in the long term.
How do you manage feedback? Look out for the follow-up to this one. Most hiring managers and recruiters know that creative people, like you, can have a difficult time with feedback.
If they ask how you manage it, there’s a good chance they’re going to ask about a time you received hard criticism and how you handled it. Make sure to come off with some maturity and wisdom, even if it wasn’t easy for you to hear.
I don’t think I managed it very well in college, but now that I’ve had a taste of the real world, I understand so much more. I would have given you a different answer a year ago when I was still in school. I just didn’t understand, but as I said before, working with the entire team, I see that it’s not about me, and so the feedback isn’t so personal. I can take it and incorporate it into my work. In fact, I now really like it because it helps me do the job the way the customer wants it, not the way I envision it.
Describe your creative process. This often doesn’t matter too much to the person interviewing you; it’s just a question they like to ask. The part of it that might matter will relate to their company culture.
If it’s a very loud office and you love to work in silence and solitude, that’s going to be an issue. You can tailor your answer to fit their environment, but you really should be honest, so you find a job that’s the right fit and you’re happy down the road.
I’m not sure I have an actual process. Sometimes I have a task, and I immediately start drawing or hit my computer because I’m full of ideas. Other times, I have to research to be inspired or even fully grasp what I’m being asked to do. I guess I have a flexible process that changes with the task.
What brands, styles, eras, and other influences do you feel most inspired by? You know this answer, and it’s all personal. Perhaps you have a darker style, inspired by modern comic books.
Maybe you love the mid-century modern feel of graphics that feature rounded edges and retro colors. Let them know what inspires you most, but if it’s not similar to what you’ve discovered they do on a regular basis, you’re going to need to cushion your answer.
Make sure to stress that you like doing all styles, or you’re flexible or that you always love a challenge. Say something, so they don’t pigeonhole you into one style of design.
I am just starting my career, and I’m still learning, so I don’t like to pick just one style. I find that there are things from all of them that I appreciate. I do love the romance of art nouveau, and the simplicity and joy of midcentury modern.
What brands are you crazy about? Why? The best graphic designers are constantly looking at other designs and critiquing them. This is where that information can come into play. If you have some favorites, share.
If you have some you think could be done better, sharing that could have some value too. Make sure to explain from a professional standpoint what it is that you like or dislike.
The 1920’s Coca-Cola ads are my favorites. I feel they have an art nouveau feel and a certain sort of historical romance. They can also be so out of touch that there’s humor there. But locally, I enjoy the Ice Cream King’s artwork. It’s simple with trendy colors and features the ice cream in a way that makes you need to have some – soon.
How do you feel about working remotely? Since Covid-19, this question is cropping up in interviews for just about every profession. Because graphic design can be done remotely, you may find a lot more companies are going that route.
I have done a lot of that, and I feel that I’m good at it and enjoy it. At Fishbach’s, they implemented Mandatory Mondays. Instead of hating the day because it was a Monday and I had to go to the office, I found I actually enjoyed working with others and brainstorming as a group. We really did almost no work, and it was all about bouncing ideas around. But it inspired me for the entire week, so I think that was a great balance for me.
Tell me about a design you struggled with, why you struggled, and how you feel about it today? Not everyone is perfect. If you have a potential employer who is willing to ask this question, it’s a good sign.
It means that they know some designs flop and, hopefully, they’re looking to see that you learned something from it and were able to move on. This shows maturity on your part, and if you have it, then you’ll do well.
In school, we had to do a design for the last business we visited. For me, that was my dentist’s office, and it was so difficult for me. I found it hard to balance the medical aspect and seriousness of the profession with the fun and romantic design styles I like.
What design software have you used, and which ones do you prefer to use today? There are more than a handful of programs that graphic designers are expected to know or at least have some experience using. InDesign, Adobe Illustrator or Dreamweaver, Canva, Sketch, Inkscape are just a few.
The more experiences you’ve had, the more well-rounded your resume is.
In school, we learned Adobe Photoshop and illustrator but didn’t use them often. I love Dreamweaver and tend to pick that for my personal projects. I honestly feel there are better programs out there, and I’m excited about continuing my education and learning more. I’m currently teaching myself to use Inkscape.
Tell us about your experience using [specific program that they use]. Most likely, they have a program or two that they prefer. If you have experience, then share it. If you don’t, let them know you’re willing to learn. Whatever you do, if you don’t like a program, you can say it’s not your favorite, but don’t get too negative.
As I mentioned, I have used [the program they mentioned] in school. I feel I know my way around it and can turn out good work with this program. I also know there are layers of information and tools within the program that I can still learn and master.
Why did you pick the pieces that are in your portfolio? The answer you give is probably going to be related to your level of pride in them and the fact that they show versatility. Beyond that, they’re genuinely going to be interested in your answers so prepare for this one.
The first five are solo pieces that I did in school that were entered in contests. I won prizes for the first three, but I think the fourth one I like the most because I enjoyed the process of creating that ad. The next two are from The Fishbach Agency. The first one won a national award, and I was proud to be on the team.
The final piece was one The Fishbach Agency gave me to complete on my own. It was a small, local company, but they were fantastic, they loved my work, and I felt terrific about making the clients happy. I don’t know that it was my favorite project to work on, but the results are my favorite because of the response I got.
If you get the dreaded “make it pop” comment from a client, how would you react? This, as you know, is a joke among graphic designers, and everyone has their own story of a client asking this question or something similar. They have no idea what they want, but they want it to “pop.”
It’s because it’s so common that it’s so funny, but it’s also a real problem, and it can be hard to navigate in the real world.
This is funny because I was not aware of how common this was until I worked in an agency. I watched the people there deal with this constantly. I think the best approach was to ask people for examples of designs they thought had “pop” and then try to narrow down what it was that they found exciting.
Why did you choose this profession? It’s a common question, no matter what field you’re in. Just because everybody gets this question doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t prepare for it. And you’re sure to have some design-related answers that they’ll be interested in.
I have always been a doodler, and this seemed like a logical career path. It allows me to be creative, but there are also rules and structure. I guess I am a little mathematical and a little creative, which is the perfect blend of both.
What soft skills do you have that you think help you in the world of graphic design? Soft skills are a big deal these days, and the hiring and recruiting profession is very attuned to them.
Anyone can get the technical skills they need, but they will probably never develop them if they don’t have the soft skills. Brush up on what they are, get ready to answer the question, or just weave this information into your other answers.
I think that I’m good at taking direction. It might not sound like the greatest skill, but in graphic design, it’s not necessarily the people who lead who are successful. The people who can listen, can understand the underlying concepts that are being shared, and then take that and translate it into something visual – that’s where the success comes out.
What one brand would you love to design a logo for and why? This question might not center around a logo; it could be an ad or merchandise, anything graphic design-related. No matter what, be creative, be insightful and anticipate this question.
This can be a doozy if you’re not expecting it. Recruiters love to ask questions about real-world situations and brands, so you will probably hear a couple.
That’s a hard question, and I’m not sure I have any dream company. I guess anything super big, though. I’d love to see my design all over the place on clothing, billboards, TV commercials -- anything like that.
Can you describe your process for creating a logo design, from initial concept development to final execution?
How do you ensure that your designs are visually appealing and effectively communicate the intended message to the target audience?
What software and tools do you primarily use for graphic design, and how proficient are you in utilizing them?
Can you provide examples of projects where you successfully incorporated typography to enhance the overall design and convey the desired tone or mood?
How do you approach creating a cohesive visual identity for a brand, considering elements such as color schemes, typography, and imagery?
Tell me about a time you had to work on a design project with specific brand guidelines and what you did to ensure consistency while still being creative.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest design trends and technologies?
Tell me about your experiencing using various mediums such as print, web, or mobile.
How do you approach collaborating with clients or team members who may have different design preferences or visions. How do you find a balance between meeting their needs and maintaining design integrity?
Tell me about your process of optimizing images and graphics for web and digital platforms to ensure fast loading times and optimal user experience.
As a Candidate:
Highlight your soft skills. Your soft skills such as analytical skills, artistic ability, and communication skills are important when you are a graphic designer. It's also important to highlight your customer service skills. Come up with examples of how you have used these skills in your past to help you answer interview questions.
Bring copies of certifications. Your certifications can show a potential employer that you understand what you are doing and have the experience needed for the position. Bring extra copies for your interviewer incase they ask for them.
Practice interview questions. Review and practice common and behavioral interview questions. Doing this will help you give a clear and concise answer. Practicing with a mock interview will also help you be more confident during the interview.
As an Interviewer:
Create interview questions. Create a list of common questions along with graphic designer behavioral interview questions. Behavioral interview questions will help you assess how a candidate will react in specific situations.
Ask for certifications. Ask for any certifications that are required to be successful in the position. Asking for certifications can also verify their experience and education. The candidate should have extra copies for you to look over.
Take notes. Taking notes of the skills and qualifications that the candidate highlights will help you later on when it comes time to evaluate candidates. You should also focus on their answers to the behavioral interview questions you ask.
One way to approach studying for a job interview is to learn more about the categories of questions that you might be asked. This can help you determine what they really want to know, and it can form your answers.
Leadership interview questions. Graphic designers need to have a certain amount of autonomy and leadership. These questions not only gauge how you’ll do in a team, but they can also tell them how you’ll do on your own and dealing with customers.
Skills and experience questions. Interviewers are going to want to know what you can do and what you have done. You should be able to pick out these questions easily, but they can also hide inside other ones. Asking how you’d change a logo or what designs you like can lead to a discussion about your abilities.
Behavioral interview questions. Behavioral questions are open-ended, and they’re less about the answers and more about how you explain yourself. Sometimes, they’re designed to put you on the spot. If you can recognize that, then you might find it easier to be calm and full of confidence.
Personality interview questions. Expect to be asked about yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, and all of those other generic questions you’ve heard before. These are probably the ones you’re most prepared for, and they’ll be the easiest to answer.
Going into a job interview for a graphic designer position probably makes you feel a little anxious or even a lot anxious. Just remember, they picked you out of a lot of other applicants. You should feel confident in your abilities and know that they already see something in you that they like.