Solving Product Design Exercises Questions & Answers

Product design interviews often hinge on a take-home or live exercise, and this book teaches how to solve and present one. It is a practical guide for designers aiming at product design and UI/UX roles at top startups and large tech companies.

The author starts from a hiring trend: companies want business-minded designers, not people who think only about visuals. Sample prompts show the range, such as redesigning the NYC metrocard system, designing a dashboard for a general practitioner, or redesigning an ATM.

The core is a 7-step framework for working through an exercise. It comes with more than 30 example exercises similar to those used by Google, Facebook and Amazon. Five full worked solutions follow. Five short interviews feature design leaders whose careers include Apple, Google, Pinterest and IDEO.

The book has four uses. Candidates can prepare for the design exercise and learn how tech companies hire product designers. Working designers can practice their skills ahead of a career move. Portfolio builders can use product challenges as project concepts instead of unsolicited visual redesigns. Hiring managers can learn how to interview designers and judge their skills efficiently and at scale.