This comprehensive interview guide is designed to help hiring teams evaluate Design Leader candidates through a structured series of interviews and assessments. It includes a screening interview, a design system strategy presentation work sample, behavioral competency interviews, and detailed scorecards for consistent evaluation.

How to Use This Guide

Before beginning interviews, review the entire guide thoroughly and customize questions or criteria as needed for your specific context. Follow the structured format while using follow-up questions to probe deeper when needed. Complete scorecards immediately after each interview while impressions are fresh. Use the debrief meeting format to facilitate effective team discussions about candidates.

Critical to success is maintaining a consistent evaluation approach across all candidates while still allowing flexibility to explore areas of interest or concern. The guide provides both structure and adaptability to support thorough candidate assessment.

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Job Description

🎯 Position Overview

[Company] is seeking a Design Leader to drive our Design Systems strategy and execution. This role combines creative leadership, systems thinking, and people management to create scalable, world-class design solutions.

🏢 About [Company]

[Company description - 2-3 sentences about company mission and culture]

💼 Core Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of product designers, fostering growth and excellence
• Drive the vision and execution of our design system strategy
• Partner with Engineering and Product Management to align design system initiatives with product goals
• Guide design decisions from concept to implementation
• Champion user-centered design principles across the organization

🌟 What Success Looks Like

• Building and scaling a cohesive design system that accelerates product development
• Creating measurable improvements in design consistency and efficiency
• Developing team members into high-performing designers
• Establishing strong cross-functional partnerships

📋 Qualifications

Required Experience

• Proven track record leading design systems initiatives
• Experience managing and mentoring design teams
• Strong portfolio demonstrating systematic design thinking
• Expertise in modern design tools (e.g., Figma)

Key Attributes

• Strong systems thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Collaborative leadership style
• Passion for user-centered design
• Ability to balance creative vision with practical implementation

📍 Location

[Location / Remote Options]

💰 Compensation

[Salary Range + Benefits Overview]

Internal Use Sections

Role Overview

This position requires someone who can balance strategic thinking with hands-on design leadership, focusing on creating scalable design solutions while building and mentoring a team.

Essential Behavioral Competencies

1. Strategic Leadership
2. Systems Thinking
3. Cross-functional Collaboration
4. Team Development
5. Change Management

Example Goals for Role

1. Implement comprehensive design system covering 90% of product use cases within first year
2. Reduce design implementation time by 40% through system standardization
3. Achieve 85% or higher team engagement scores
4. Establish quarterly design system adoption metrics and achieve 80% adoption

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Background in enterprise software design
• Experience scaling design operations
• Strong portfolio showing systematic approach
• Track record of team development
• Located in [location] or willing to relocate
• Demonstrates curiosity and learning agility
• History of successful cross-functional leadership

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Screening Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This initial screening interview is crucial for quickly assessing if a candidate should move forward in the process. Focus on work eligibility, cultural fit, performance history, and key skills. Getting details on past performance early is essential. Ask all candidates the same questions to ensure fair comparisons.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'll be asking you some initial questions about your background and experience to determine fit for our Director of Product Design role. Please provide concise but thorough answers. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

Interview Questions

1. Are you legally authorized to work in [country] without sponsorship?

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Confirm work eligibility status
• Any visa or work permit requirements

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• When does your current work authorization expire?
• Are there any restrictions on your ability to work?

2. Tell me about your most recent design leadership role and the size of the team you managed.

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Scope of leadership responsibilities
• Team size and structure
• Key achievements in the role

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you measure the success of your team?
• What was your approach to mentoring and developing team members?
• Can you give an example of a challenging leadership situation you faced?

3. What experience do you have with leading design systems initiatives?

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Scope and scale of design systems work
• Specific contributions and innovations
• Challenges faced and overcome

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you measure the success of your design system?
• What was your approach to gaining buy-in across the organization?
• Can you give an example of how the design system improved efficiency or consistency?

4. How do you approach collaboration between design, product, and engineering teams?

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Strategies for cross-functional collaboration
• Experience with agile methodologies
• Conflict resolution approaches

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• Can you give an example of a successful cross-functional project you led?
• How do you ensure design considerations are prioritized in product decisions?
• What tools or processes have you found most effective for collaboration?

5. Tell me about a time when you had to champion user-centered design principles at the leadership level.

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Specific situation and stakeholders involved
• Strategies used to advocate for design
• Outcome and impact on the organization

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you measure the impact of this initiative?
• What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
• How has this experience shaped your leadership approach?

6. What interests you most about this Director of Product Design role at our company?

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Knowledge of company/product
• Alignment with role expectations
• Career motivations

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• What do you know about our product and target market?
• How does this role fit into your long-term career goals?
• What excites you most about leading design at our company?

7. What questions do you have about the role or our company?

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Depth of candidate research
• Genuine interest in role
• Thoughtfulness of questions

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• What excites you most about potentially joining our team?
• Is there anything that gives you hesitation about the role?

Interview Scorecard

Work Eligibility

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Not eligible to work without sponsorship
• 2: Eligible with significant restrictions
• 3: Eligible with minor restrictions
• 4: Fully eligible without restrictions

Relevant Leadership Experience

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: No design leadership experience
• 2: Some leadership experience but in unrelated field
• 3: 3-5 years of relevant design leadership experience
• 4: 5+ years of highly relevant design leadership experience

Design Systems Expertise

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: No experience with design systems
• 2: Basic understanding of design systems
• 3: Led design systems initiatives at small to medium scale
• 4: Extensive experience leading large-scale design systems initiatives

Cross-functional Collaboration

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Limited experience collaborating across teams
• 2: Some experience but struggles with alignment
• 3: Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively
• 4: Exceptional track record of driving cross-functional success

User-Centered Design Advocacy

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unable to articulate user-centered design principles
• 2: Basic understanding but limited advocacy experience
• 3: Demonstrated ability to champion user-centered design
• 4: Proven track record of elevating user-centered design at leadership level

Cultural Fit

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Poor alignment with company values and culture
• 2: Some misalignment with company values and culture
• 3: Good alignment with company values and culture
• 4: Excellent alignment and enthusiasm for company culture

Overall Recommendation

• 1: Strong No Hire
• 2: No Hire
• 3: Hire
• 4: Strong Hire

Work Sample: Design System Strategy Presentation

Directions for the Interviewer

This work sample assesses the candidate's ability to develop and communicate a strategic vision for a design system. Provide the candidate with background information on your current product design challenges and goals. Evaluate their preparation, strategic thinking, communication skills, and ability to align design initiatives with business objectives.

Best practices:

• Give the candidate 2-3 days to prepare their presentation
• Limit the presentation to 20-30 minutes, followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A
• Include key stakeholders from Design, Product, and Engineering in the audience
• Take notes on specific ideas, strategies, and responses to questions
• Provide a brief opportunity for the candidate to self-reflect after the exercise

Directions to Share with Candidate

"For this exercise, you'll prepare a strategic presentation on evolving our design system. We'll provide you with background information on our current product design challenges and goals. Your task is to develop a 12-month roadmap for our design system, addressing key challenges and aligning with our business objectives. The presentation should be 20-30 minutes, followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A. You'll have 2-3 days to prepare. Please include the following in your presentation:

1. Assessment of our current design system challenges
2. Vision for the evolved design system
3. Key initiatives and milestones for the 12-month roadmap
4. Strategies for adoption and measuring success
5. Potential risks and mitigation strategies

Do you have any questions about the exercise?"

Provide the candidate with:

• Brief overview of your current product suite
• Key business objectives for the next 12-18 months
• Summary of current design system challenges
• Any relevant design or brand guidelines

Interview Scorecard

Strategic Vision

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Lacks clear vision or misaligned with business goals
• 2: Basic vision with limited strategic depth
• 3: Well-defined vision aligned with business objectives
• 4: Exceptional vision with innovative, forward-thinking approach

Problem Analysis

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Fails to identify key challenges
• 2: Identifies some challenges but analysis lacks depth
• 3: Thorough analysis of current challenges
• 4: Insightful analysis revealing hidden opportunities

Roadmap Development

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Vague or unrealistic roadmap
• 2: Basic roadmap with some gaps
• 3: Comprehensive, well-structured roadmap
• 4: Exceptional roadmap with clear priorities and contingencies

Adoption & Measurement Strategies

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: No clear strategies for adoption or measurement
• 2: Basic strategies lacking in detail
• 3: Well-defined strategies for adoption and measurement
• 4: Innovative approaches to drive adoption and measure success

Risk Assessment

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Fails to identify significant risks
• 2: Identifies some risks but mitigation strategies are weak
• 3: Thorough risk assessment with solid mitigation strategies
• 4: Comprehensive risk analysis with innovative mitigation approaches

Communication Skills

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Poor presentation skills, unclear messaging
• 2: Adequate presentation with some clarity issues
• 3: Clear, well-structured presentation
• 4: Exceptional presentation skills, highly engaging and persuasive

Q&A Performance

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Struggles to answer questions effectively
• 2: Provides basic answers but lacks depth
• 3: Answers questions clearly and thoughtfully
• 4: Provides insightful responses, demonstrating deep expertise

Goal: Establish comprehensive design system adoption metrics and achieve 90% adoption across product teams

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Goal: Reduce design inconsistencies by 75% through systematic implementation

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Goal: Improve design-to-development handoff efficiency by 50%

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Overall Recommendation

• 1: Strong No Hire
• 2: No Hire
• 3: Hire
• 4: Strong Hire

Hiring Manager Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview focuses on the candidate's relevant work history and performance. Ask the following questions for each relevant previous role, adapting as needed for time and the number of relevant roles. Ask all questions on the most recent or most relevant role. Probe for specific examples and quantifiable results. Pay attention to the progression of responsibilities and achievements across roles.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'd like to discuss your relevant work experience in more detail. We'll go through each of your previous roles, focusing on your responsibilities, achievements, and lessons learned. Please provide specific examples and metrics where possible."

Interview Questions

1. What were your main responsibilities in this role?

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Scope of leadership role
• Size and structure of team
• Key initiatives led

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did your responsibilities evolve over time?
• What was the most challenging aspect of the role?
• How did this role prepare you for your next career step?

2. What were your key performance metrics and how did you perform against them?

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Specific goals and targets
• Performance relative to peers
• Consistency of achievement

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• What strategies did you use to consistently meet/exceed your targets?
• How did you recover from any periods of underperformance?
• What tools or resources were most helpful in tracking and improving your performance?

3. Tell me about your most significant design leadership achievement in this role.

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Scope and impact of the achievement
• Challenges overcome
• Measurable results

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• What was your specific role in driving this achievement?
• How did you navigate any obstacles or resistance?
• What lessons from this achievement have you applied to subsequent roles?

4. Describe a time when you faced a significant setback or failure in your design leadership. What happened and what did you learn?

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Ability to self-reflect
• Lessons learned and applied
• Resilience and adaptability

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you handle the disappointment personally and with your team?
• What specific changes did you make to your approach after this experience?
• How have you used this experience to coach or mentor others?

Interview Scorecard

Relevant Experience

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Limited relevant design leadership experience
• 2: Some relevant experience but gaps in key areas
• 3: Strong relevant experience aligned with role requirements
• 4: Extensive highly relevant experience exceeding role requirements

Performance History

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Consistently underperformed against targets
• 2: Occasionally met targets with inconsistent performance
• 3: Consistently met or exceeded targets
• 4: Consistently top performer, significantly exceeding targets

Leadership Impact

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Limited evidence of positive leadership impact
• 2: Some examples of leadership impact but lacking scale
• 3: Clear examples of significant leadership impact
• 4: Exceptional track record of transformative leadership

Learning and Adaptability

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Struggles to adapt or learn from experiences
• 2: Shows some ability to learn and adapt
• 3: Demonstrates good self-awareness and applies lessons learned
• 4: Highly self-aware with clear examples of continuous improvement and adaptation

Goal: Establish comprehensive design system adoption metrics and achieve 90% adoption across product teams

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Goal: Reduce design inconsistencies by 75% through systematic implementation

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Goal: Improve design-to-development handoff efficiency by 50%

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Overall Recommendation

• 1: Strong No Hire
• 2: No Hire
• 3: Hire
• 4: Strong Hire

Behavioral Competency Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview assesses the candidate's behavioral competencies critical for success in the Director of Product Design role. Ask all candidates the same questions, probing for specific examples and details about the situation, actions taken, results achieved, and lessons learned. Avoid hypothetical scenarios and focus on past experiences.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'll be asking you about specific experiences from your past that relate to key competencies for this role. Please provide detailed examples, including the situation, your actions, the outcomes, and what you learned. Take a moment to think before answering if needed."

Interview Questions

1. Tell me about a time when you had to drive a significant change in design processes or tools across your organization. How did you approach this challenge? (Strategic Leadership, Change Management)

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Scope and impact of the change
• Strategies for gaining buy-in
• Implementation process and challenges
• Measurable outcomes

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you identify the need for this change?
• What resistance did you encounter and how did you overcome it?
• How did you measure the success of this initiative?

2. Describe a situation where you had to balance competing priorities between design excellence and business constraints. How did you navigate this tension? (Strategic Thinking, Problem-solving Ability)

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Specific situation and stakeholders involved
• Analysis process for decision-making
• Communication with different stakeholders
• Outcome and lessons learned

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you gather input from different stakeholders?
• What trade-offs did you have to make and how did you decide?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to similar situations?

3. Give me an example of how you've fostered innovation and creativity within your design team. (Design Innovation, Team Development)

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Specific initiatives or processes implemented
• Strategies for encouraging creativity
• Challenges faced and overcome
• Measurable impact on team performance or output

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you balance innovation with the need for consistency and efficiency?
• What techniques have you found most effective for nurturing creativity in a team?
• Can you give an example of a particularly innovative solution that emerged from this approach?

Interview Scorecard

Strategic Leadership

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Struggles to develop or implement strategic initiatives
• 2: Can execute on predefined strategies
• 3: Develops and implements effective strategies
• 4: Exceptional strategic vision with transformative leadership

Cross-functional Collaboration

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Difficulty working across teams or departments
• 2: Collaborates adequately with some support
• 3: Effectively builds relationships and aligns cross-functional efforts
• 4: Masterfully navigates complex organizational dynamics to drive collaboration

Design Innovation

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Relies primarily on established design patterns
• 2: Occasionally introduces innovative design solutions
• 3: Consistently drives design innovation within projects
• 4: Pioneers groundbreaking design approaches that influence the industry

Team Development

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Limited focus on team growth or development
• 2: Provides basic support for team development
• 3: Actively mentors and develops team members
• 4: Creates a culture of continuous learning and growth, with measurable team improvements

Problem-solving Ability

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Struggles to address complex design challenges
• 2: Solves straightforward problems effectively
• 3: Tackles complex issues with structured, effective approaches
• 4: Innovative problem-solver, consistently finding unique solutions to difficult challenges

Goal: Establish comprehensive design system adoption metrics and achieve 90% adoption across product teams

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Goal: Reduce design inconsistencies by 75% through systematic implementation

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Goal: Improve design-to-development handoff efficiency by 50%

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Overall Recommendation

• 1: Strong No Hire
• 2: No Hire
• 3: Hire
• 4: Strong Hire

Skip Level Behavioral Interview

Directions for the Interviewer

This interview further assesses the candidate's behavioral competencies from a different perspective. Ask all candidates the same questions, probing for specific examples and details about the situation, actions taken, results achieved, and lessons learned. Avoid hypothetical scenarios and focus on past experiences.

Directions to Share with Candidate

"I'll be asking you about specific experiences from your past that relate to key competencies for this role. Please provide detailed examples, including the situation, your actions, the outcomes, and what you learned. Take a moment to think before answering if needed."

Interview Questions

1. Tell me about a time when you had to influence senior leadership to invest in a significant design initiative. How did you approach this challenge? (Strategic Leadership, Influence)

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Scope and potential impact of the initiative
• Research and preparation process
• Strategies used to gain buy-in
• Outcome and follow-up

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you identify and address potential objections?
• What data or evidence did you use to support your case?
• How has this experience shaped your approach to advocating for design at the leadership level?

2. Describe a situation where you had to lead your team through a significant organizational change or challenge. How did you maintain team morale and productivity? (Change Management, Team Development)

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Nature of the change or challenge
• Communication strategies with the team
• Specific actions taken to support team members
• Impact on team performance and morale

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you address individual team members' concerns?
• What strategies did you use to keep the team focused and motivated?
• What lessons did you learn about leading through change?

3. Give me an example of how you've contributed to improving the overall design maturity of an organization. (Design Innovation, Strategic Thinking)

Guidance for Interviewer: Areas to Cover:

• Assessment of initial design maturity
• Key initiatives or changes implemented
• Strategies for organizational adoption
• Measurable impact on the organization

Possible Follow-up Questions:

• How did you measure design maturity and track improvements?
• What challenges did you face in driving organizational change?
• How have you ensured the sustainability of these improvements?

Interview Scorecard

Strategic Leadership

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Struggles to develop or articulate strategic vision
• 2: Can execute on predefined strategies with some guidance
• 3: Develops and communicates clear strategic direction
• 4: Exceptional strategic vision with ability to inspire and drive organizational change

Influence

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Difficulty persuading others or gaining buy-in
• 2: Can influence peers but struggles with senior leadership
• 3: Effectively influences across all levels of the organization
• 4: Masterfully builds consensus and drives action at the highest levels

‍Change Management

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Struggles to lead team through changes
• 2: Manages small-scale changes adequately
• 3: Successfully leads team through significant changes
• 4: Expertly navigates complex organizational changes, turning challenges into opportunities

Team Development

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Limited focus on team growth or support
• 2: Provides basic support and development opportunities
• 3: Actively develops team skills and fosters a positive culture
• 4: Creates a high-performance culture with exceptional team growth and engagement

Design Innovation

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Maintains status quo with little innovation
• 2: Occasionally introduces new design approaches
• 3: Consistently drives design innovation within the organization
• 4: Pioneers industry-leading design practices that significantly impact business outcomes

Goal: Establish comprehensive design system adoption metrics and achieve 90% adoption across product teams

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Goal: Reduce design inconsistencies by 75% through systematic implementation

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Goal: Improve design-to-development handoff efficiency by 50%

• 0: Not Enough Information Gathered to Evaluate
• 1: Unlikely to Achieve Goal
• 2: Likely to Partially Achieve Goal
• 3: Likely to Achieve Goal
• 4: Likely to Exceed Goal

Overall Recommendation

• 1: Strong No Hire
• 2: No Hire
• 3: Hire
• 4: Strong Hire

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Debrief Meeting

Meeting Setup

• Schedule 60 minutes with all interviewers
• Have all interview scorecards and notes available
• Review the role's key competencies and success metrics before starting

Core Discussion Questions

Does anyone have questions for other interviewers about the candidate? Guidance: Allow interviewers to seek clarification about specific interactions or responses they found noteworthy.

Are there any additional comments about the candidate's design leadership experience? Guidance: Focus particularly on examples of scaling design systems and team leadership.

What evidence did we see of the candidate's ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on leadership? Guidance: Look for specific examples from their portfolio and interview responses.

How well did the candidate demonstrate their ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders? Guidance: Consider examples of working with engineering and product teams.

Is there anything further we need to investigate before making a decision? Guidance: Consider any gaps in understanding about their experience or capabilities.

Has anyone changed their hire/no-hire recommendation? Guidance: Encourage open discussion about changing views based on new information.

Reference Checks

Setup Instructions

• Request 3-4 references, including at least two former direct reports and one cross-functional partner
• Ask candidate to make introductions via email
• Schedule 30-minute calls with each reference

Core Questions

1. What was your working relationship with [Candidate], and how long did you work together? Follow-up: How closely did you collaborate on design system initiatives?

2. Can you describe their leadership style and approach to team development? Follow-up: How did they handle challenging team situations?

3. What impact did they have on your organization's design system and overall product quality? Follow-up: Can you quantify any improvements in consistency or efficiency?

4. How effective were they at collaborating with engineering and product teams? Follow-up: Can you provide specific examples of cross-functional success?

5. On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you be to hire them as a Director of Product Design? Follow-up: What would make you give a higher score?

Reference Scoring Metrics

Leadership Capability Score:

• 0: Not enough information gathered
• 1: Struggled with team leadership
• 2: Managed teams but limited growth impact
• 3: Effectively led and developed teams
• 4: Exceptional leader who transformed teams

Design System Impact Score:

• 0: Not enough information gathered
• 1: Limited system improvements
• 2: Some systematic improvements
• 3: Significant system enhancements
• 4: Transformed design systems and processes

Cross-functional Effectiveness Score:

• 0: Not enough information gathered
• 1: Difficulty working across teams
• 2: Adequate collaboration
• 3: Strong partnerships
• 4: Outstanding cross-functional leader

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long should each interview take?A: Plan for 30-45 minutes for the screening interview, 60 minutes for the strategy presentation and Q&A, and 60 minutes each for the behavioral interviews.

Q: Should I ask every question listed?A: Focus on asking the core questions consistently across all candidates. Use follow-up questions as needed to gather sufficient information for scoring. Reference our guide on conducting effective interviews for additional guidance.

Q: What if a candidate's answer doesn't address what I'm looking for?A: Use the suggested follow-up questions to redirect and probe deeper. Our article on asking the right questions provides additional guidance.

Q: How should I evaluate the design system strategy presentation?A: Review our detailed guide on evaluating leadership presentations and adapt the principles for design leadership assessment.

Q: What if I need different behavioral questions?A: Browse our extensive library of design leadership interview questions while maintaining the structured format.

Q: How can I ensure fair evaluation across different interviewers?A: Use the provided scorecards consistently and discuss any scoring discrepancies during the debrief meeting. Our article on using interview scorecards provides additional guidance.

Q: How should we make the final hiring decision?A: Use the debrief meeting format to discuss all feedback systematically before making a decision. Consider reviewing our guide on avoiding failed leadership hires.

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