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So I’m pretty sure I bombed the Whiteboarding interview. They wanted me to design a physical one button alarm clock. I was like ‘why’??? I mean why does it have to be one button - isn’t that a solution? What is the problem that requires it to have to be one button? And why am I designing a physical product when I design digital interfaces? And why can’t I sketch something on paper? And why do I have to draw the thing in Figma? And why are you telling me that I should make the button double tap to confirm the action? And why are you dismissing my ideas while I’m iterating? It seemed like there was one specific solution that they were expecting me to reach which didn’t allow for my creativeness and process to show. It wouldn’t make sense to hire a bunch of people who all get the same answer for every problem- no outside the box thinkers. Sorry just needed to rant. I spent days preparing and stressing over this. I think it’s a stupid process and doesn’t touch on my skills as an experienced product designer. #whiteboard #interview #productdesign
I think whoever was conducting the whiteboarding challenge didn't really know what they were doing. It might be a good thing if you didn't get the job. Huge red flag
Yeah I really think so too. Frustrating because I know I would be an asset to their company. Their loss I guess.
Also Shopify pays 🥜
Lol I knew this would be Shopify as soon as I read one button alarm clock. Sounds like you didn’t get an encouraging interviewer. There is no one set solution to this btw.
They are clueless about UX. Wonder if they approach all design this way.. You aren’t supposed to start a whiteboard with a solution. You start with the problem and find a solution. Good job OP trying to shift their thinking. That person running the wb would make a frustrating teammate.
Thank you!! Totally agree.
Counterpoint: couldn’t the “one button” be viewed as a technical constraint? If a designer is unable to work within a material constraint, are they worth their salt?
Sounds like a nightmare, but better to have learned how they think and work now than after you started working there. Unfortunately, this form of groupthink seems to be the norm in UX these days. 😞
Most high-level design friends tell me that the whiteboard sessions are like a kabuki theater and have no real value. At times, an interviewer conducting the session can't communicate well (their communication styles or heavy accents) and they get to provide feedback. Unfortunately, their feedback is heavily indexed. Also, most designers take classes on whiteboard sessions and practice, practice, practice. These formulaic methods only foster groupthink and buzzwords at design orgs and companies. I thought that's the exact opposite of UX design.
Whiteboard exercises are kinda dumb but this one isn't totally absured... Worked on a project where there were two physical buttons on a hardware device. We had to design a UI that worked well with those constraints. But yeah, interviewer sounds like a dick
This is the prompt I got 2 weeks ago from Shopify interview and I got an offer. I thought this is a classic whiteboard challenge prompt, and it’s able to test the candidates design thinking well
What was your approach?
Yes. What was your approach?
They want an iClock.
I hated Whiteboard For those interview sessions, I just talk more rather than do the sketch....
They can ding you for that. So subjective I know...
Which company did you interview for if you don’t mind sharing?
Would like to know as well. Seems like they have little idea of what it means to be a ux designer
Shopify