Interviewing for a graphic design position can be daunting whether you’re just out of design school or an expert. However, the best way to calm your nerves and feel confident is to prepare answers to a few digital design interview questions that most organizations ask their candidates. 

That’s why we’ve listed the most common graphic design interview questions and answers in this article. 

1. What inspired you to become a designer?

This is one of the most common interview questions for graphic designers as it helps employers assess if the designer is enthusiastic about their work. While this should be reflected in your graphic design resume and cover letter, answering graphic design interview questions and answers like these also demonstrate your passion for the design industry. 

So, share a quick story about how you got started with the industry. If you don’t have one, explain how you became interested in design. You can talk about a specific project you worked on, a problem you solved, or a mentor who sparked the idea.

2. How do you collaborate with others, such as copywriters, developers, and project managers? Tell me about the final handover process.

Designer interview questions like these are intended to assess your interpersonal abilities. Because graphic design entails more than just design creation, you should be able to communicate your client's needs and coordinate with your coworkers. 

To highlight these abilities, you’ll have to elaborate on how you handle projects. So, you could say something along the lines of “In my previous position, I was in charge of directly communicating with my manager about a client’s wishes for logos or website designs, and a large part of my role recognized what the client expected and translating that into a digital design format.

Throughout the course of my projects, I also solicited constructive feedback from my coworkers and communicated with my supervisor whenever a question arose so that they could relay my doubts to the client.”

3. Describe your design process to us.

Seasoned graphic designers follow a set process when working on a design project. While the specifics of this process are unlikely to be important to the person interviewing you, they will want to know that you approach your work logically. So, you don’t have to go into great detail here but ensure you cover the critical steps in your process.

4. What would you do if a client gave you negative feedback on one of your designs?

This question may be asked by an interviewer to assess your ability to receive critical feedback. Your response should reflect a positive attitude toward the situation and how you handle similar situations.

For example, you could say something like negative comments are always disappointing because the design represents the company and was intended to please the client. However, I would use the client's feedback to revise the project and restructure my design based on the elements they disliked.”

5. Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a group?

This is a difficult question. Most graphic designers will end up working as part of a team at some point in their careers. Employers may, however, delegate smaller projects to individual designers on the team. While honesty is important in an interview, emphasize that you can work either way. 

6. What do you think will be the next big design trend?

This is another question that reveals your level of involvement in the design industry. Designers involved in the industry, pursuing continuing education, and keeping up with evolving technologies and trends generally have an idea of what is to come in the industry. While not every interviewer will ask a question along these lines, it is always a good idea to be prepared.

7. Describe a time when you had a workplace conflict.

This question covers awkward workplace situations ranging from client disagreements to uncooperative coworkers. When answering this question, your goal is to demonstrate your ability to navigate difficult situations tactfully and come up with a solution.

To answer tricky art director interview questions like these, use the S.T.A.R format:

• S (Situation or Task): “I was in charge of managing a team for an interactive infographic we were tasked with creating for a charity.” We had a tight deadline, but the developer would miss meetings and only notify the team at the last minute.”
• A (Approach): “I discussed the issue with him and explained how it affected the team’s progress.” If the previous times didn’t work out, I suggested that he decide when to meet. As it turned out, he had several other projects on the go, which invariably left him with a tight schedule.”
• R (Results): “Following our conversation, attendance increased, and we were able to finish the project on time.”

Avoid disparaging the person or team you speak with at all costs. Instead, concentrate on the steps you took along the way.

8. How do you overcome creative blocks?

If you work in design for a long enough time, you will almost certainly experience creative blocks. Knowing how to break through a creative block is essential if you work on projects with tight deadlines or as part of a team, as a single stalled team member can impede an entire project.

Prior to an interview, consider how you deal with creative blocks or slowdowns and be prepared to answer this question. Interviewers want to know that you can overcome a creative block without taking a vacation or a long break from work but that you can also recognize when a vacation or a few days off will make you more productive in the long run.

9. What is your favorite project on which you have worked?

This one definitely grabs the top spot on the most insightful questions to ask a graphic designer. 

While you should talk about a project you enjoyed working on, you should also ensure that it wasn’t particularly simple or easy to highlight how you came up with an out-of-the-box solution. 

Other noteworthy projects you can discuss also include any designs for which you received an award or favorable press coverage. In either case, the point is to demonstrate that your favorite projects to work on are those that are challenging and promote growth as a designer.

10. What makes you want to work here?

To answer graphic design interview questions like this, make sure you've done some research on the company before walking into the interview. You can start by checking out aspects of their product or brand, company culture, and other factors that appeal to you. 

It’s also ideal if you can look at specific designs the company produced and talk about them while answering these questions, as it demonstrates that you've taken the time to learn about their company.

Wrapping up

These commonly asked graphic design interview questions and tips on how to answer them should leave you a little less nervous while attending interviews. For more graphic design resources, check out Artwork Flow’s blog. 

About Artwork Flow:

Artwork Flow is a workflow automation software and a brand asset management software that helps you collaborate seamlessly and accelerate the web-to-shelf workflow of any creative project. 

To learn more about how it can help you, check out our case studies or contact us for a free demo.