8 Graphic Designer Interview Questions
By Marta Gongos Everything in life is art, and your business is no exception to the rule.
The only catch here is that not all artwork speaks to everyone—you need an artist who can help convey your masterpieces to the right audiences. And when we talk about business art, we’re talking about graphic design.
From gauging their technical skills, creativity levels, personality, and potential, we’ve curated a short but sweet list of questions to ask a graphic designer. Follow these to make the recruitment process a true success and hire a superstar!
1. How Did You First Get Into Graphic Design?
This is where every interview with a graphic designer should start.
After breaking the ice and making them feel comfortable, you should definitely ask this question to learn their background and gauge their passion for the craft. Ideally, you want someone who gravitated toward design because they love it!
2. What Does a Typical Day At Work Look Like for You?
This question is meant to give you insight into their previous work experience.
It’s a given that graphic designers focus their energy on designing, but the job entails more than just that. It’s essential they also meet with clients and handle administrative tasks. There is no specific wrong or right answer, but a generally well-rounded response would highlight the multiple dimensions of the job.
3. What Has Your Previous Experience Taught You About This Career Path?
As far as jobs go, the past can be indicative of preparedness for the future.
Graphic design is an extremely techy field of work that demands very specific levels of skill, creativity, and knowledge. The answer to this question will give you an idea as to which graphic design skills the candidate already possesses.
4. Can You Talk To Us About a Graphic Design Project That You Consider Your Favorite?
This is where you’ll learn what motivates your candidate.
Keep an ear out for enthusiasm. They should be able to describe the project in detail, explaining exactly what they enjoyed about it. Of course, this is also a method to discover the magic in their creative process and how they tackle projects.
This is often one of the most fun questions to ask designers, so don’t be afraid to sit back and let them talk!
5. How Do You Stay Updated Graphic Design Industry Trends?
You know what they say: the only thing that is constant in life is change.
The graphic and web design industry is constantly evolving. Just as trends can change overnight or stay in style perpetually, you never really know what to expect. Keeping up with the leading graphic design trends takes serious effort.
In line with this, we’re sure you’re curious about how your star candidate stays in the loop. Asking this question to your company’s prospective graphic designer will help you gain insight into how they keep their skills refreshed, on point, and relevant. A great answer will mention workshops, conferences, short courses, or graphic design blogs.
Of course, you wouldn’t expect them to know everything, but the essence of this is to find out if they are willing to learn in the name of their career choice. It’s a good sign if they mention and speak to some of the most relevant graphic design industry terms.
6. Which Software Program Skills Are You Proficient With?
This is a question to evaluate job-specific skills.
You know the purpose of this question: to help you understand their level of expertise in the particular field of graphic design to which they are applying.
For instance, it’s great for web designers to be familiar with CSS and HTML. However, technical skills can be learned. Contrast that with potential: it’s a byproduct of attitude and energy that matters more if they don’t fit all the requirements right now.
7. How Do You Handle Criticism Toward Your Work?
No one likes criticism, and that’s a fact.
As a graphic designer for your company, they would have to hear feedback—both positive and negative—from clients and colleagues. No matter how talented they are, a note or comment here and there is unavoidable.
You’re looking for a candidate who takes criticism the right way. When they answer this question, listen to their outlook on criticism, especially constructive criticism. Do they take offense or do they use it to further hone their skills?
8. What Do You Look for In a Company?
A paycheque is only the beginning—what do they see in your company?
An ideal answer will mention company culture, work environment, benefits, opportunities for career growth—all the good stuff. You want someone who knows what values matter to them and sees how they align with your company’s efforts. By expressing these things, your candidate is demonstrating their big-picture thinking.
Recruitment by Design
Now that your graphic designer interview questions are locked and loaded, we want to introduce you to some superstar candidates.
At Ad Culture, we take pride in our decades-worth experience of recruitment magic. We take your unique requirements into account, get the ball rolling on the conversation, narrow it down to the best of the best, and finally, help build your team with stellar talent.
Let’s talk about hiring a perfect candidate for the job!
