Questions you need to ask during interview to land your next job
Here are 23 questions to ask and how to ask them
This is Siavash here with another UX job toolkit. In these series of articles, I'll share practical tips for landing a UX job. These articles are exactly right to the point with no extra. Cause let's be honest, we are burned out, tired and disappointed. Every day we see a reject email and this is what I understand, and stand beside you.
Everyone thinks job interviews are about how to answer questions, but here is my golden tip for you: asking the right questions is even more important. But here is my silver tip: ask questions as if you're already in the role. Place yourself there and see yourself—tomorrow you're working in the company you're interviewing with. What questions do you have? This is something that will land you a job.
In this edition of UX Job Toolkit, I prepared a list of possible questions for you. But before going through, here is How to use this list,
Don't read and ask these questions.
Read them and think about them and let your brain switch to asking mode.
Now place yourself in the company as the role you're applying for
and now write at least 3 questions to ask, from different groups. Try to focus on the groups that are more relevant to the job description.
Don't forget you're asking these questions to understand the answers, not just to be asked.
Make sure to follow up during the interview even if you don't have any follow-up questions.
Let's start:
Strategic & Business Impact Questions
1. How does this design team measure success, and how do design metrics tie into overall business objectives?
Shows you think beyond aesthetics and understand business impact
Demonstrates interest in quantifiable outcomes
2. What's the current design debt situation, and how does the team prioritize addressing it versus new feature development?
Reveals understanding of long-term design sustainability
Shows experience managing technical and design trade-offs
3. How does the design team influence product roadmap decisions, and what's the relationship between design and product strategy?
Demonstrates expectation of strategic involvement
Shows understanding of cross-functional leadership
4. Can you walk me through how design decisions are communicated and justified to executive leadership?
Indicates experience presenting to stakeholders
Shows understanding of design's role in business strategy
Team Dynamics & Leadership Questions
5. What does design mentorship look like here, and how do senior designers contribute to junior designer growth?
Demonstrates leadership mindset and team development focus
Shows interest in knowledge sharing and team building
6. How does the design team handle conflicting feedback from multiple stakeholders, and what frameworks are used for decision-making?
Shows experience managing complex stakeholder relationships
Demonstrates understanding of design governance
7. What's the collaboration model between design, engineering, and product management, especially during the discovery phase?
Reveals understanding of integrated product development
Shows experience with cross-functional leadership
8. How does the team balance design consistency across products with the need for product-specific solutions?
Demonstrates systems thinking and design scalability understanding
Shows experience with design system governance
Process & Methodology Questions
9. What design research capabilities exist, and how are insights integrated into the design process?
Shows commitment to user-centered design
Demonstrates understanding of research-driven decisions
10. How does the team approach accessibility, and what standards or guidelines are currently in place?
Reveals understanding of inclusive design responsibilities
Shows awareness of legal and ethical design considerations
11. What's the current design system maturity, and how does the team manage design token governance across platforms?
Demonstrates technical design system knowledge
Shows understanding of scalable design practices
12. How does the team validate design decisions, and what testing methodologies are regularly used?
Reveals commitment to evidence-based design
Shows understanding of validation frameworks
Technical & Tools Questions
13. What's the handoff process like between design and engineering, and how are design specifications maintained?
Demonstrates understanding of implementation realities
Shows experience with developer collaboration
14. How does the team handle design versioning and file organization, especially for complex products?
Reveals operational maturity and organizational thinking
Shows experience managing large-scale design projects
15. What design tools and workflows are currently in use, and how open is the team to evolving these practices?
Demonstrates adaptability and tool expertise
Shows interest in process optimization
Growth & Innovation Questions
16. What opportunities exist for senior designers to drive innovation projects or explore emerging design trends?
Shows ambition for creative leadership
Demonstrates interest in pushing design boundaries
17. How does the company support professional development for senior design roles, including conference attendance or continued learning?
Reveals commitment to staying current in the field
Shows interest in long-term career growth
18. What's the biggest design challenge the team is currently facing, and how might a senior designer contribute to solving it?
Demonstrates problem-solving orientation
Shows readiness to tackle complex challenges
Culture & Vision Questions
19. How does the design team's vision align with the company's overall mission, and what role do senior designers play in shaping that vision?
Shows interest in cultural fit and strategic alignment
Demonstrates understanding of design's organizational impact
20. What does career progression look like for senior designers here, and what paths are available beyond the IC track?
Reveals long-term thinking and career ambition
Shows interest in growth opportunities
Questions That Show Deep Product Thinking
21. How does the team approach designing for different user segments while maintaining product coherence?
Demonstrates advanced product strategy understanding
Shows experience with complex user base management
22. What's the approach to international markets and localization from a design perspective?
Reveals global product thinking
Shows understanding of scalable design challenges
23. How does the team balance user needs with business constraints when they conflict?
Demonstrates mature product judgment
Shows experience with difficult trade-off decisions
Your Action Plan
In the end I’ll repeat again how to use this list, because this is the golden tip:
Read through these questions but don't memorize them
Think about what each question reveals about the person asking it
Place yourself mentally in the role you're interviewing for
Write down 3-5 questions that genuinely matter to you in that position
Be prepared to follow up on the answers you receive
Remember: You're asking to understand, not just to impress
That's what separates senior designers from everyone else—we don't just execute, we think strategically about the work and the context around it.
Good luck out there, and remember you are not alone. Feel free to follow me, send me direct. I’m more than happy to support everyone out there.