User Experience (UX) Designers play a pivotal role in creating products that delight users while meeting business objectives. According to the Nielsen Norman Group, effective UX design can increase conversion rates by up to 400% and significantly reduce development costs by addressing usability issues early in the process.

UX Designers translate user needs into intuitive, accessible, and enjoyable digital experiences. They conduct research to understand user behaviors, create information architectures, develop wireframes and prototypes, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement designs. The best UX Designers combine analytical thinking with creative problem-solving, empathy for users, and strong communication skills to advocate for design decisions.

When evaluating UX Designer candidates through behavioral interviews, focus on uncovering evidence of their design process, collaboration abilities, and problem-solving approach. Listen for specific examples that demonstrate how they've applied user research to inform design decisions, worked through challenges with stakeholders, and iterated based on feedback. The most telling responses will include concrete details about their methodology, the reasoning behind their choices, and measurable outcomes of their work.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to completely rethink a design based on user feedback or testing results.

Areas to Cover:

• The original design approach and assumptions
• The nature of the feedback received and how it was collected
• How the candidate processed potentially negative feedback
• The specific changes made to the design
• How the candidate validated that the new design addressed the issues
• The impact of the redesign on user satisfaction or business metrics
• Lessons learned from this experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What surprised you most about the user feedback?
• How did you prioritize which feedback to address first?
• How did you communicate these changes to stakeholders who might have been invested in the original design?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?

Describe a situation where you had to balance competing priorities between user needs and business requirements in your design work.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific conflict between user needs and business goals
• How the candidate gathered information about both sides of the equation
• The process used to evaluate trade-offs
• How the candidate built consensus among different stakeholders
• The ultimate solution and its rationale
• Results of the implemented design
• How the candidate measured success

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you communicate your design decisions to stakeholders who prioritized business needs over user needs (or vice versa)?
• What data or evidence did you use to support your position?
• If you had to make this decision again, what might you change about your approach?
• How do you typically find the sweet spot between user experience and business requirements?

Share an example of how you advocated for users when there was pressure to take a different direction with a design.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific design challenge and competing viewpoints
• Methods used to understand and document user needs
• The pressure points and who was advocating for the alternative direction
• How the candidate built a case for the user-centered approach
• Communication strategies used to persuade stakeholders
• The outcome and reception of the final design
• Impact on both users and the business

Follow-Up Questions:

• What evidence or artifacts did you create to help make your case?
• How did you respond when your initial advocacy attempts weren't successful?
• What stakeholder concerns were most difficult to address, and how did you handle them?
• What did you learn about effective advocacy from this experience?

Tell me about a complex UX problem you solved that required you to collaborate with multiple departments or disciplines.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature and complexity of the UX problem
• The various teams or disciplines involved
• The candidate's approach to understanding different perspectives
• How the candidate facilitated collaboration and communication
• Challenges encountered during the cross-functional work
• The candidate's specific contribution to the solution
• The outcome and its impact on the organization

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you align the different teams around a shared vision?
• What techniques did you use to resolve disagreements between team members?
• How did working with these different disciplines influence your design approach?
• What would you do differently next time to improve collaboration?

Describe a situation where you had to make UX design decisions with incomplete information or under tight time constraints.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and constraints of the situation
• What information was missing and why
• How the candidate assessed risks and priorities
• The decision-making process used
• How the candidate communicated uncertainty to stakeholders
• The outcome of the decisions made
• How the candidate validated or adjusted the design later

Follow-Up Questions:

• What principles or heuristics guided your decision-making?
• How did you communicate the level of certainty or uncertainty about your design decisions?
• What did you do to mitigate risks associated with the incomplete information?
• How did this experience inform how you approach similar situations now?

Share an example of how you used data or research to inform a significant design decision.

Areas to Cover:

• The type of data or research gathered
• The methods used to collect and analyze the information
• How the candidate translated the findings into design insights
• The specific design decisions influenced by the data
• Any challenges in interpreting or applying the research
• The impact of the data-informed decision on the final product
• How the candidate measured the success of the design

Follow-Up Questions:

• What surprised you most about the research findings?
• How did you handle any data that contradicted your initial design hypotheses?
• What would you have liked to research further if you had more time or resources?
• How did you communicate your research findings to non-UX team members?

Tell me about a time when you had to design for users with needs or constraints very different from your own.

Areas to Cover:

• The user group and their specific needs or constraints
• How the candidate developed empathy and understanding
• Research methods used to gain insights
• Challenges in designing for different perspectives
• Specific design accommodations or solutions created
• How the candidate validated the design with actual users
• Lessons learned about inclusive design

Follow-Up Questions:

• What assumptions did you have to overcome in your design process?
• How did this experience change your approach to user research?
• What was most challenging about stepping outside your own perspective?
• How do you now incorporate diverse user needs into your regular design process?

Describe a project where you needed to significantly iterate on your initial design concept.

Areas to Cover:

• The initial design concept and its foundation
• What triggered the need for iteration
• The iteration process and how many versions were explored
• How the candidate evaluated each iteration
• Stakeholder or user involvement in the iteration process
• The evolution from initial concept to final design
• Key improvements made through iteration

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you know when the design was ready to ship versus needing more iteration?
• How did you keep stakeholders aligned through multiple iterations?
• What tools or methods did you use to track the evolution of your design?
• What have you learned about building iteration into your design process?

Share an experience where you had to learn a new design tool, methodology, or technology to complete a project.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific skill gap and why it needed to be addressed
• How the candidate approached the learning process
• Resources utilized to gain new knowledge
• Challenges encountered while learning
• How quickly the candidate was able to apply the new skill
• The impact of the new knowledge on the project outcome
• How the candidate has continued to develop this skill

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you balance learning with meeting project deadlines?
• What was your strategy for becoming proficient enough to deliver quality work?
• How did this experience impact your approach to professional development?
• What's your general approach to staying current with evolving UX tools and methodologies?

Tell me about a time when you received critical feedback on your design work and how you handled it.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the feedback received
• The candidate's initial reaction
• How the candidate processed and evaluated the critique
• Actions taken in response to the feedback
• How the candidate communicated with the feedback provider
• Changes made to the design as a result
• Lessons learned about receiving and responding to criticism

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made this feedback particularly difficult to receive?
• How do you distinguish between feedback that should be incorporated versus feedback that should be respectfully declined?
• How has this experience changed the way you solicit or give feedback?
• What strategies do you use to ensure you receive honest feedback on your work?

Describe a situation where you had to explain complex UX concepts or decisions to non-technical stakeholders.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and importance of the communication
• The specific UX concepts that needed explanation
• The audience and their level of UX understanding
• Methods or tools used to simplify and communicate effectively
• Challenges encountered in the communication process
• How the candidate confirmed understanding
• The outcome of the communication effort

Follow-Up Questions:

• What analogies or frameworks did you find most effective?
• How did you tailor your communication to different audiences?
• What visual aids or documentation did you create to support your explanation?
• How has this experience influenced how you communicate design concepts now?

Share an example of how you've used quantitative and qualitative research together to inform your design process.

Areas to Cover:

• The design challenge being addressed
• Types of quantitative data collected and methods used
• Types of qualitative insights gathered and research approaches
• How the candidate combined these different data types
• Any contradictions between the data types and how they were resolved
• How the integrated insights shaped the design decisions
• The impact of this research-informed approach on the final product

Follow-Up Questions:

• Which type of data did you find more valuable for this particular project and why?
• How did you prioritize research methods given time and resource constraints?
• What tools or frameworks did you use to analyze and synthesize the different data types?
• How did you communicate research findings to the broader team?

Tell me about a time when you had to design within significant technical or platform constraints.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the constraints
• How the candidate learned about and understood the limitations
• The design challenge these constraints created
• How the candidate collaborated with technical teams
• Creative solutions developed within the constraints
• Trade-offs made in the design process
• The effectiveness of the final solution

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine which design elements were essential versus nice-to-have?
• What was your process for validating that your design would work within the technical constraints?
• How did you communicate these constraints to other stakeholders?
• What did this experience teach you about designing within limitations?

Describe a situation where you identified and solved a UX problem that others hadn't noticed.

Areas to Cover:

• How the candidate discovered the overlooked problem
• The significance of the issue and its impact on users
• Why the problem might have been missed by others
• The research or analysis conducted to validate the problem
• The solution development process
• How the candidate gained buy-in for addressing the issue
• The outcome and impact of the solution

Follow-Up Questions:

• What prompted you to investigate this particular area?
• How did you quantify or demonstrate the impact of this previously unnoticed problem?
• What was the reaction when you brought this issue to attention?
• How do you build time for this kind of exploratory problem-finding into your design process?

Share an example of a time when you had to design for accessibility requirements.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific accessibility considerations relevant to the project
• How the candidate learned about these requirements
• Research or testing conducted with users who have disabilities
• Specific design accommodations made
• Challenges encountered in balancing accessibility with other design priorities
• How the candidate validated the accessibility of the solution
• Impact of these considerations on the overall user experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you stay current on accessibility guidelines and best practices?
• What tools or methods did you use to test for accessibility?
• How did you advocate for accessibility when it wasn't initially a project priority?
• How has this experience influenced your standard design approach?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are behavioral questions better than hypothetical questions when interviewing UX Designers?

Behavioral questions reveal how candidates have actually approached design challenges in the past, rather than how they think they might act in theory. Past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. When UX Designers describe real experiences, you get insight into their actual process, how they collaborate with others, and how they handle constraints—all crucial factors in determining on-the-job success.

How many behavioral questions should I ask in a UX Designer interview?

Quality trumps quantity. It's better to thoroughly explore 3-4 behavioral questions with proper follow-up than to race through a dozen questions superficially. Each comprehensive behavioral question can take 10-15 minutes to properly explore. This approach allows you to get beyond rehearsed answers and understand the candidate's true capabilities and working style.

How should I evaluate responses to these behavioral questions?

Look for candidates who provide specific, detailed examples rather than general statements. Strong candidates will clearly articulate their design process, how they collaborated with others, what challenges they faced, and quantifiable results where possible. Pay attention to how they balance user needs with business requirements, their approach to research and iteration, and their ability to communicate design decisions effectively.

Should I adapt these questions for junior versus senior UX Designer roles?

Yes, while the core questions can remain similar, adjust your expectations for the complexity and impact of the examples provided. Junior candidates might draw from academic projects, internships, or smaller professional work, while senior candidates should demonstrate leadership, strategic thinking, and examples of mentoring others. For senior roles, listen for examples of influencing product strategy and driving organization-wide design improvements.

How can I tell if a candidate truly values user research versus just claiming to?

Listen for specific research methodologies they've employed, how they've incorporated research findings into design decisions, and examples of when research led them to change course. Strong candidates will mention specific user testing techniques, sample sizes, how they analyzed results, and can articulate the connection between research insights and design outcomes. They should also be able to discuss limitations of their research and how they accounted for them.

Interested in a full interview guide for a UX Designer role? Sign up for Yardstick and build it for free.