Smart Design Interview Questions
& Process

I gave a presentation on my case study, where I showed my designs. We had a good talk. They asked me about how I check my designs, how I collaborate with the dev team, and what gets me excited as a designer.

Smart Design reached out to me after I applied to their posting on Indeed. We set up an initial phone call, which lasted about 25 minutes. She seemed interested and responsive to my answers. She mentioned she'd call back the following week to discuss a potential group interview with the team. Two weeks went by, and I figured I hadn't gotten the job, so I moved on and started interviewing elsewhere. Suddenly, she emailed me, asking me to come in with less than a day's notice. I agreed, thankfully checking my email that night. For the second interview, they said to dress business casual, but then one person showed up in a suit. Anyway, the panel interview lasted 45 minutes. I felt like I did well. They kept reassuring me that I didn't need much experience since they were willing to train me, although they also implied I needed experience to understand the role. They complimented my performance and were very responsive. I thought I might get the job, but that wasn't the case. She said they'd respond within a week, but another two weeks passed, so I followed up. She said she'd reply by the end of that week, but because I seemed so eager, they decided to go with someone who had more

The interview started with a warm welcome from the office manager, which helped ease my nerves. I met with two Senior Designers who seemed to assess different aspects of my personality – my drive and ability to get things done, and my potential fit with the company culture. The interview overall went well. I appreciated the structure as it offered a glimpse into the work environment, showing it can be focused during deadlines but also relaxed and enjoyable.

I had 2 interviews and I waited at least a month or so for the second interview. My timing was a bit off with their recruiting schedule, but what's strange is that my first interview was a video Skype chat with 2 design directors and then my second interview was with 2 young designers. I thought it should be the other way around. I waited another month or so to get back from them and they chose someone else. The whole process happened from July - November. I wish their management was tighter.