Interviews for freelance web designers can be quite challenging. Sometimes your interviewer won’t know the first thing about web design and other times they will be experts in the field. As a result, you never know what to expect.
Web designers’ interviews and generally, interviews for creative positions are also often tough because many questions don’t have a right or a wrong answer. It’s about preference and personal style.
Nevertheless, there are several interview questions that are very likely to be asked when applying for a web design role.
This is our list containing 7 of the most common interview questions for web designers and some tips on how to go about answering them. Of course, if you don’t know how to interview a web designer, this could also be useful for you
1) What are your favorite websites?
This is an obvious one. As a freelance designer, you probably have websites that you admire. Answering this question will show what you like and why you like it.
Don’t be afraid to mention things that don’t have millions of pageviews a week. The important part about answering this question is being able to identify why you like certain things and display your passion for the job.
A professional tip when answering this question: Don’t pick a site you made, there would be a time and a place for showing off your accomplishments.
2) Tell us about your best project
Speaking of sharing what you did, this next question is extremely likely to be asked. The interviewer probably knows the answer already.
You did get invited to this interview and you likely shared a portfolio, highlighting your best achievements. Focus not only on how well you did, but how that helped your client. Throw in a couple of stats that can back that statement up and you’ve got a perfect response.
3) What would you say your main strengths are?
Ah yes, main strengths. The question that comes up at almost any job interview, no matter which field. So, of course, it’s also included in a freelance job interview.
The most important thing I’ve learned about this question is to not just list off adjectives such as team-player, motivated, out of the box thinker, etc. These are all great adjectives, but worthless unless you can prove them.
Support any description of yourself with little examples and anecdotes of how that strength helped you or the business you were working with.
Here’s an example to show that you are a Team Player:
“On one of my last projects, I was part of a huge website redesign with a new branding approach. We all worked together to define deadlines, brainstorm, and relaunch the website on time. I think teamwork in groups that have a good synergy can increase productivity and overall performance and so it showed in the end result. Everyone could communicate concerns openly and so we were able to fix issues as they arose”
4) Have any thoughts on our website?
This question might as well be “Did you do your homework?”
If you have, you know just what your client’s current website is about. Tell them what you like, but also share what could be improved. Don’t be afraid to name obvious weak spots – these are probably things that the company has noticed, too.
Improvement suggestions get you bonus points, but obviously don’t go overboard with the criticism.
5) How do you handle deadlines and multiple projects?
As a freelancer, you will have to show that you can manage your time to deliver work on time (even with tight deadlines).
Think beforehand how you prioritize work and what makes you efficient. You will likely work on more than one company at a time. Your client will want to know that they can count on you when it really matters.
6) What do you do when a client disagrees with your design?
You want to show two things with the answer to this question on your web designer job interview. The first is that you can take criticism. Nobody likes a designer who always disagrees with feedback and is not open to suggestions.
Secondly, you want to show self-confidence. You are ready to defend your ideas up to a certain sensible point and do so by explaining their worth.
7) Do you have any questions about the company?
Last but not least, another classic in any interview. The answer depends on what has already come up in the conversation.
What to answer if they ask you if you have questions about the company on the interview:
- “What would a regular day working for you look like?”
- “Which current project are you excited about?”
- “Will I work within a team or will be alone?”
- “Is part of the team working remotely?”
They help you learn more about the company, show you have a genuine interest, and shouldn’t be difficult to answer.
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If the web designer interview is about a freelance project, it is very likely that the client will share more details about the project at hand if you are the freelancer they choose for it.
For these particular cases where you already know more about the project, some interview questions that could come to you would be:
Do you have a recommendation to complete this project?
As we mentioned in the introduction, there are clients who know a lot about the field and the project, this is if the hiring manager is part of the design department. However, for smaller projects or small businesses, you will probably be asked about your ideas as an expert in the field.
It’s time to demonstrate with a little more detail your experience as a web designer. You can present here your favorite projects sharing a link (if it is a virtual interview) or on your mobile or tablet if you are direct with the client.
How do we start working and how will the communication take place?
Explain how you work with other clients on similar design projects and how you usually onboard new clients. You can suggest online tools for project management as it could be Asana or Trello or time tracking tools that you regularly use.
Take the opportunity to talk here about other associated services or to clarify what is included in the price (another question you will be sure asked is: What is the price for this project?).
For example, for a web design project, make sure to clarify if maintenance is included or how much extra would cost the client.
What questions do you often get asked at interviews as a web designer? As always, you’re welcome to share your thoughts in the comments below the article.
