There’s no denying that one of the most intimidating parts of the interview process for new designers is the whiteboard challenge, and rightfully so: You’re all alone. All eyes are on you. One misstep could derail your chances of landing that dream job.
But here’s the thing a lot of new designers don’t realize: They already know exactly how to do a whiteboard design challenge.
Whether you went to school for UX design, took a boot camp, or even read an intro to UX design book, you most likely understand the UX process. The only difference here is you’ve only got an hour. We’ve put together this template for you to reference, but feel free to play around with it and suit it to your own needs.
✊ Step 01: Contextualize the environment
? Step 02: Define the problem
? Step 03: Ideate through potential solutions
? Step 04: Refine your best idea
? Step 05: Summarize your work
Keep in mind that the purpose of the whiteboard design challenge is not to see your final result, it’s to get a good look at your process, how you work under pressure, and how collaborative you are. The key to nailing the whiteboard design challenge is to ask a lot of questions, talk through your process, and keep engaged with the interviewer.
To help you, we’ve put together a miro board that you’re welcome to use to practice. And don’t hesitate to use this in your next interview. The interviewers might also be impressed with how prepared you are.
The best way to get comfortable with the whiteboard design challenge is to practice. Practice often. Practice with your friends. Make it fun by turning it into a drinking game or something silly. Just like any other skill, the more you practice, the more comfortable you will become, the more relaxed you will feel, and this will really come through during the interview.
Please note that we have a free version of Miro, which limits the number of active boards on a team. So if you plan on using this board **please copy it to your own personal board**
Topics:
• 03:47 – What is a whiteboard challenge?
• 04:17 – It’s the process you already follow
• 05:09 – Contextualize > Define > Ideate > Refine >Summarize
• 06:28 – Step 01: Contextualize the Environment
• 09:58 – “If I had an hour to solve a problem…”
• 10:55 – Remember to time box yourself
• 11:27 – Step 02: Define all of the problems
• 12:01 – We’re trying to prioritize the biggest problem to solve
• 13:32 – Make sure you keep talking
• 14:30 – Interviewers are trying to evaluate HOW you think
• 15:36 – Step 03: Ideate through potential solutions
• 17:17 – Step 04: Refine your best solutions
• 17:54 – Try to find a unique solution so you stand out
• 18:22 – But make sure you are solving the right problem
• 18:43 – Connect the context from Step 01 to the solution and say it out loud.
• 19:24 – did we mention talking was important?
• 19:58 – Step 05: Summarize your solution
• 22:43 – Remember: you’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you
• 23:33 – Common mistakes people make
• 24:49 – Remember: the solution isn’t as important as the process
• 26:49 – This process is terrifying for everyone, so practice, practice, practice!
• 27:37 – Have fun with it. Turn it into a drinking game!
Helpful Links:
• sharpen.design
• Whiteboard Design Challenge Template // Miro Board
• Whiteboard Design Challenge Tips & Tricks // PDF
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