Together with

Hey and welcome back to another week! 👋 

In this issue:

• Knowing What To Expect: Sending an application is just the start. What follows is a challenge in itself. I’ll help you navigate it.

• Celeste’s Portfolio: Blending simplicity, strategic design and polished visuals.

🤝 TODAY’S PARTNER

If you can dream it, Lovable can build it!

Loveable just got even more powerful. With yesterday’s launch of Loveable Cloud, you can now go beyond designing apps — you can actually build and run them with a real backend. That means authentication, databases, APIs — the stuff that makes your projects more than just pretty screens.

For junior designers, this is a massive opportunity:

• Turn your ideas into fully working apps, not just case studies.

• Show you understand design and build, a rare combo that stands out in applications.

• Experiment safely with free projects, then refine and ship your best work.

And right now, Loveable is running a one-week Challenge: build something, share it, and join the community of makers pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

This is the perfect moment to start — your portfolio (and future self) will thank you.

Navigating the Design Hiring Process in 2025: What to Expect (and How to Prepare) 🧭

The hiring process in design hasn’t really changed much since I first joined the industry. Some conventions have shifted slightly, but the overall format is surprisingly consistent.

When I mentor candidates, I often hear how overwhelming this process feels. And I get it — if you’ve never been through it, the stages can seem mysterious and unpredictable. But once you know the typical flow, you can prepare more precisely, and that gives you a real advantage.

One thing to keep in mind: not every company follows the exact same structure. Some start with a task, which I consider bad practice. Others flip the order, put culture interviews earlier, or combine stages to shorten the process. But the modules themselves are fairly universal.

I’ll outline them here in the traditional order. Not every company will have all six stages, but most processes will follow four or five of them. And even though the order sometimes shifts, what you’re expected to show or deliver at each stage usually doesn’t.

Why Knowing the Process Matters

When I landed my first job, I only realized at the very end how much practice I had gained by failing earlier interviews. Each stage — whether it was talking about myself, presenting work, or navigating tough questions — gave me a chance to improve.

That’s why I often say: the skills you need to get hired are not the same as the skills you need to do the job. It’s a mismatch, but it’s the reality.

If you know what to expect, you can start practicing sooner. And while nothing replaces the real thing — interviews are dynamic, you’ll get unexpected questions — having a mental map of the process helps you show up better prepared from day one.

Also, don’t try to fix every stage at once. If you’re not getting interviews at all, don’t obsess over culture-fit questions yet. Focus on your application first. Once you break through that stage, then it makes sense to shift your attention further down the pipeline.

Stage 1: The Application

Most candidates fail here — often 80% or more. There are two main reasons.

First, the basics. Location, visa status, and language skills matter more than people expect. A job labeled “remote” in the US still typically means you need US work authorization. The same is true in Europe: no visa, no chance, unless the company explicitly sponsors. Many applicants lose time applying for roles they’re not legally eligible for.

Second, your portfolio. If the basics line up, your portfolio is the next filter. The first pass is visual: does your site look sharp, modern, and professional? That judgment happens fast. If your portfolio isn’t visually convincing, you’ll be out before they ever read a case study.

If you pass the visual check, relevance becomes key. If you’re applying to a B2B SaaS role, but your portfolio is full of consumer mobile apps, hiring managers will struggle to see the fit. Make sure at least some projects reflect the kinds of problems your target roles deal with. I wrote an article on how to design your portfolio and another one on how to level it up visually—make sure to check them!

Only after this comes the deeper look: how you solved problems, how you structured your case studies. Tools like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity can help you see where recruiters drop off, so you know what to improve. I also wrote a guide on how to write good case studies and how to treat your portfolio like a product including the use of analytics so you can make sure you know what might be missing in yours still.

A good benchmark: if you’re landing three to six interviews out of ten applications, your portfolio is doing its job.

Stage 2: The Recruiter Interview (Phone Screener)

This stage is often easier than the application, but it still filters people out. The recruiter is running a shortlist for the hiring manager.

The main pitfall? Juniors often present themselves as juniors. They undersell, sound insecure, or ramble about irrelevant details. Remember: this stage is about showing yourself in the best light.

Expect the question: “Tell me about yourself.” This isn’t an invitation to talk about your personal life. It’s your chance to give a concise overview of your relevant experience. Think of it as flying them over a landscape: you skim over most of it, but you ask them to zoom in on a few landmarks — the experiences most relevant to this role.

Prepare this answer carefully. Practice it. Adjust it depending on the role. If a job emphasizes research skills, spotlight your research experience. If it’s about design systems, highlight that. Some elements (like cross-functional collaboration) should always make it in.

And practice out loud. This answer will likely come up again in later stages, so the better it flows, the stronger you’ll appear. To help you I wrote an article about how to practice and nail interviews including a free AI coach.

Stage 3: The Hiring Manager Interview / Portfolio Presentation

This is where many candidates stumble. The hiring manager — usually a designer, though sometimes a PM or engineering lead — will ask you to walk through one or two projects.

Here’s the mistake: simply opening your portfolio and reading out your case study. They’ve already seen it. What they want now is the unscripted version: the details you left out, the decisions behind the scenes, the parts tailored to this job.

Slides are your best tool here. Create a concise deck (10–20 slides per project) with minimal text. Prepare more than you’ll show, so you can hide irrelevant slides but pull them up if a follow-up question arises. This not only makes you look polished but also gives you flexibility.

Done well, this stage is less about perfect visuals and more about clarity, structure, and confidence. You’re showing that you can communicate your process and decisions — the core skill of a working designer.

If you need more input for that make sure to reference my guide on the case study presentation (including a handy slide template).

Stage 4: The Take-Home Task or Whiteboard Challenge

This stage is dreaded, but it’s often not as bad as the hiring manager interview. There are two main flavors:

• Whiteboard challenge: live, collaborative problem-solving. They want to see your thinking process, communication, and adaptability.

• Take-home task: a deeper, usually visual deliverable. They want to see how you approach a problem end-to-end.

Advice here is simple:

• Don’t reinvent the wheel. Use component libraries and tools you already know.

• Don’t overshoot the brief. If they say “4 hours,” don’t spend 12.

• Tailor to the company. If it’s consumer-facing and visual, high-fidelity work will be expected. If it’s B2B, a thoughtful flow may matter more.

Above all, respect the scope. Reviewers don’t want a bloated submission. They want to see how you think within constraints.

I recently wrote about the whiteboard challenge and how to navigate it as well — so make sure to check that out if you have one upcoming.

Stage 5: The Culture Fit

Sometimes it comes earlier, sometimes it’s bundled into other stages. But whenever it appears, it can make or break your application.

Expect behavioral questions: conflict, collaboration, tough decisions. Companies want to know if you’ll be good to work with, not just if you can push pixels.

The STAR method helps here: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep context brief, explain the task, describe what you did, and share the outcome. The British National Career Services have a really good and concise guide on it.

Don’t limit yourself to design stories. These questions are often agnostic to role. Experience from other jobs — even outside design — is fair game if it demonstrates collaboration, resilience, or problem-solving.

Stage 6: The Offer

At this stage, the main pitfall is rushing. Offers sometimes come in lower than you expect. Even if the number feels good, always ask for time to think — at least a few hours, ideally a day.

Never quit other processes until you’ve signed a contract. And if a company pressures you to accept immediately, that’s a red flag.

Negotiation isn’t always possible at early-career levels, but if the offer is clearly below the stated range or your expectations, push back. It’s better to have that conversation now than to regret it later.

Bonus: Don’t Forget to Ask Questions

At every interview stage — recruiter, hiring manager, culture fit — you’ll almost always be asked: “Do you have any questions for us?” Saying no is a red flag.

Use this as your chance to learn more about the company, but also to test for red flags yourself. Ask about how the team collaborates, how success is measured, or what challenges they’re currently facing.

If you’re unsure what to ask, I've published a full list of examples you can lean on. But the main thing is: prepare a few questions in advance. It shows interest, and it makes the conversation more balanced.

Final Thoughts

The design hiring process can feel long, repetitive, and frustrating. Most people don’t land the first job they interview for. But each stage is practice, and each time you go through it, you’ll come out sharper.

If you understand the stages, you can prepare with intention. Whether it’s tailoring your portfolio, practicing your intro, building a project slide deck, or sharpening your behavioral answers, each step is manageable when you know what’s coming.

And that’s the point: knowledge gives you confidence. Confidence gets you further. And eventually, it gets you the job.

👀 Portfolio Showcase

Today: Celeste Seah

Celeste Seah’s portfolio is a strong example of balance — strategic, analytical design work paired with polished visual presentation.

A thoughtful mix of storytelling, research depth, and craft that shows she can move fluidly between strategy and execution.

From her case studies, it’s immediately clear that Celeste thrives in projects where analytical rigor meets product impact. But what sets her apart is how she packages that depth into a portfolio that’s easy to follow, engaging to look at, and polished enough to compete with the best.

Let’s look at what she does especially well — and a few areas where there’s still room to take things even further.

That’s it for this week—thanks so much for the support! ♥️

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Do you want your own portfolio reviewed in-depth with a 30-minute advice-packed video review? Or do you require mentoring to figure out a proper strategy for your job search?

I got you!

• Book an in-depth portfolio or resume review with me

• Book a mentoring session with me

• Book a quick 15 min chat to ask a question and see if we vibe

Keep kicking doors open and see you next week!
- Florian