First let me say that I had a UI/UX interview a year and a half prior to the Graphic Design interview, but did not move forward and was rejected. For this interview, the interviewer, looked at me, asked me where I lived, then asked me how I liked the screening process.
I explained that it had been a long time since starting the process, then he cut me off. He asked me if I remembered the previous interviewer telling me my projects were not complicated enough. I told him that I did not recall that feedback probably four times because he kept repeating himself.
Immediately before our interview started I sent him a couple of links to a couple of projects I was prepared to discuss in more detail. Since this interview was only about design and not UI/UX I was going to show him and explain different steps in my process. I NEVER got that chance. He told me immediately he would be rejecting me because my projects were not complicated enough. He said he needed to have every comp in my entire process to show my documentation. I don't put all my steps to print design projects online because it is usually not necessary for projects like this.
I had more to show in addition to the links I sent, but we never got that far. He then tried to over-explain to me what a case study is as if I didn't know. He told me without all the documentation that my designs were just bad designs. I explained that I was prepared to give him a summary, explaining my process, role, goals, problems I encountered, solutions, and results. I was going to show him a few working files I had to create to make this work, other images that didn't hit the mark, and the solutions I came up with resulting in exceeding the expectations of the stakeholders. For example, how I needed to create a displacement map to create a realistic tattoo to satisfy one of the goals of this project by representing the military division without giving too much away. The projects had more to it than anyone would know if they didn't hear my explanation. He did NOT ask me one regular interview question. He rejected me from the very start. He didn't even ask me if it was okay to record my interview. He assumed I had too many windows open causing our connection to be flaky. His attitude was negative and his mind was made it from the start. Using something like bluejeans in the browser from India to Los Angeles could be the issue, but he was quick to blame me.
Toptal lists essential graphic design interview questions on its site. I would provide the link, but glassdoor does not allow it.
He DID NOT ASK ME A SINGLE ONE.
He then picked out the one project on my portfolio that clearly states that it is a work in process and more info was coming soon to explain to me how poor my design is. I had no intentions of discussing that project in this interview, but he insisted on mansplaining and tearing me down. I was almost in tears by the end. As a black female, I can't help but feel it was race-related, but who knows for sure?
