Tech IndustryMar 26, 2019
Yelpbrainfart

Uber Product Design Interview

I'm scheduled for an on-site interview with Uber next week, consisting of a portfolio presentation, design exercise, and 1:1s with designers & a PM. Anyone have any advice on how to do well on the interview, especially the design exercise?

@Uber
@Design
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Uber Erin1234 Mar 26, 2019

Tell them about the Uber tinder idea and play it off as the biggest untapped market ever. When they push back, you push back even harder. Talk like Trump.

Uber yadoink Mar 27, 2019

I can help with that. My answer would vary based on the position/level are you looking for. Most successful product designers are able to walk through a concise narrative that explains the problem they were working on; the path that led to their hypothesis of why the problem exists; how they communicated that problem to the team; their approach to solving the problem; and what the final output was. Bonus points for saying what they would do better next time. It's a simple process really. For the exercise - and the exercise is different based on the team/person interviewing you - you want to demonstrate how you break down the task with the people in the room. It isn't as much about your solution(s). Ask them about the information they have on the user you're solving for. Ask them how they've tried to solve the problem in the past and what hasn't worked. Break the project into two paths: short term and long term, e.g. how might you design something to learn in the short term to solve the big picture... Also, be clear about why you want to join Uber when they ask you. What is it about our company and problem space that you're inspired by. This question is important. Lastly, think of a few questions that you have for the designers and product manager you'll be interviewing with. While we're interviewing you, you should be interviewing us about your career growth and objectives here. At the end of the day, we'd be like a family of sorts (spending lots of time together) so what do you need to know in order to feel good about making the choice to commit to coming in every day and working together. Happy to answer more as time permits. Good luck.

Yelp brainfart OP Mar 27, 2019

Thanks so much! This is super helpful. A follow up question about the design challenge: Since you suggested to ask about how they've tried to solve a problem in the past, does that mean the design exercise will be asking me to think through a problem that the team has worked on/is currently working on, as opposed to an unrelated, hypothetical problem (e.g. how would you design an alarm clock for blind people ?)

Uber yadoink Mar 27, 2019

We don't have set problems we all designers to solve in interviews. Again, it depends on who is interviewing you and what your interviewing for. A traditional interaction design Caleb be might be focused on fundamentals of IxD and ensuring you understand basic principles (fitts law, Miller's law, and other super basic things...) But really, if the challenge is about designing a clock, I would just start collaborating with them like you would any other project. Ask questions that help lead everyone to a shared solution instead of going off on your own and revealing an answer. E.g. has your team ever built a clock before? What do we know about blind people using clocks? what don't we know that we need to learn?