Bending Spoons Product Designer Interview Questions
& Process

It starts with a screening phase. If you pass, they ask you to do a small task (2h max) and fill out a fairly long form with many questions about the company, what you think of them, and the role. The next phase is another, more complex task where you have a maximum of 10 days to deliver a user journey flow that they mention in the task. The following phase includes 2-3 interviews (depending on the position and profile) with the hiring manager and then with a director or the team.

It was a very long and challenging selection process, with a dedicated HR person who was very young and kind guiding me. The process included: * A first timed online assessment with aptitude and logic questions, plus a short, high-fidelity design task. * A second timed online assessment, also with aptitude and logic questions, and a more extensive, low-fidelity design task. I spent about 15 hours on these assessments. * Then, a 60-minute interview with my dedicated HR, covering standard questions like 'why do you want to work here' and repeating the logic tests. * A second 60-minute interview with another, more junior HR, with similar questions and a brief chat in English. * A 90-minute interview with Luca (Head of Design), Matteo (CTO), and a junior HR. This was more technical, digging into the design tests I'd done. * A nearly cold-call of about 20 minutes with the senior HR, who was quite direct and intense. I wasn't entirely sure of the goal (maybe a stress test?), but it mostly involved talking down my career expectations and self-esteem, emphasizing they always have access to potentially better talent. This call did, however, help me understand the company culture and work environment better. * They asked for 3 references, and the HR who followed me made three 15-minute calls to my contacts. * Finally, I received the offer and a call with Luca Ferrari. The offer was for a decent pay tier, included the company's code of conduct/controversial principles, and was a fixed-term contract with a defined severance package (about a year's worth of unemployment benefits). When I asked about a permanent contract with a trial period, they said it wasn't an option, citing Bending Spoons' philosophy that there's no such thing as a 'permanent job' (which is a significant concept in Italy). As a freelancer, accepting a one-year contract would mean losing clients, potentially a long-term financial hit. So, I decided to decline the offer, realizing I probably wasn't fully aligned with their company culture at that moment. I also heard from a former employee during the process who shared personal experiences, which added to my doubts and discouragement. Overall, the experience was very educational, and I even used the offer to negotiate another one that suited my needs better at the time. I might reapply in the future if I ever feel aligned with their philosophy.

I submitted my CV and completed a standard application form. Following that, I was sent an email to do some online tasks: three logic problems, with 25 minutes allowed for each. These tasks weren't related to design or my experience. Ultimately, I heard back from a company that doesn't give feedback to candidates. If filling out forms takes at least 1.5 hours, the least a company could do is provide some sort of feedback or reply. It definitely takes time to respond to each candidate, but candidates also spend that same amount of time, or even more, on the forms and challenges that companies like this one ask for, only to get a generic response.