In a whiteboard challenge, a job applicant is given a design prompt and asked to complete it while the hiring team watches. Whiteboard challenges can be somewhat nerve-racking, but they are survivable! Keep in mind that this part of a UX design job interview is to test your design knowledge and problem-solving abilities, so prepare to do your best.
What Is a Whiteboard Challenge?
A whiteboard challenge is a design-on-the-spot exercise that many companies ask job applicants to perform. It can be done in person or remotely and is administered by one interviewer or a team of human resources people and designers. The idea of coming up with a design in front of other people makes most job applicants nervous, but with some preparation and the right mindset, you can excel at your next whiteboard challenge.
The Design Interview Process
The UX design interview process has several parts. After you have found and responded to a job advertisement, you may receive a phone call or email as a first contact from the company. This may lead to an on-site interview at the company’s offices or a more formal phone interview.
This next step in the process will be a portfolio presentation, either in-person or remotely. This is your opportunity to show the interviewer your past work. If the company likes your work, they will ask you to do a design exercise so that they can watch your design process. This could be a take-home exercise or a whiteboard challenge. If this step is successful, you could have another interview or be made an offer for a job.
The hiring team could be made up of a combination of human resources people and designers or one or the other. The team wants to see how you approach problems, how you think, what your design process is, and if you will fit in with the company culture. They are interested in the questions you ask about the prompt and any assumptions you make about the business, product, or users. They are also interested in how well you manage your time, your collaboration abilities if you are working with a team on the challenge, and how well you are able to reflect on your own process at the end of the exercise.
Doing a Whiteboard Challenge
When you start your whiteboard challenge, you will be given a prompt and asked to solve a problem. Often you are given a product and will have to come up with a design or fix something that is a problem in an existing product. You will have 30 to 60 minutes to finish the challenge.
The first step is to understand the problem. In many cases, the interviewer will answer questions about the product, and you can get an idea of the needs of the business and any user research that might have been done. You can also ask about any constraints on the design, such as budget and timing, and what is the metric for success. You will probably have to make some assumptions, but be sure to state those assumptions clearly. This is part of the challenge.
The point of the whiteboard challenge is for you to demonstrate your problem-solving process. If it is an in-person interview, you will probably have a physical whiteboard and markers. If it is a remote interview, you may be asked to use a digital collaboration app or perhaps paper and pens and your webcam
You may want to come up with a simple persona and a journey map. Whatever you decide to do, explain what you are doing and why. Create a low-fidelity wireframe to present your solution, then summarize your design and reflect on your findings.
Be careful to stay on track during the challenge. You only have 30-60 minutes, so block out sections of time and stick to the schedule so you have time to complete the challenge. You might want to use 10 minutes to define the problem and ask questions, 10 minutes to generate ideas, 25 -30 minutes for a solution, and 10 minutes for summary and reflection. How do you stick to such a rigid schedule when you are under pressure? You practice for it!
How to Prepare for a Whiteboard Challenge
How do you prepare for a test when you don’t know what the question will be? The first step is to make a plan for how you will tackle it ahead of time and stick with it. Follow the steps of the design thinking process–empathize, define, ideate, and prototype (you can’t really test in this situation)--during the challenge. Make the process very familiar and you will be less likely to forget and freeze during the challenge.
If the idea of commenting on your process frightens you, you might look into taking a public speaking class. As a designer, part of your job will be to run workshops for other team members and stakeholders, so feeling comfortable talking in front of groups will make your job more enjoyable.
While it is important to think out loud during the challenge, it is okay to stop talking for a moment to gather your thoughts. Just don’t let it drag on too long or lose track of time and get off schedule. You want to make sure you have time to present your solution.
Practice whiteboard challenges before you begin looking for your first job. You can find design challenge prompts online and practice until you feel comfortable with your process. Then you will be able to meet any challenge, no matter the question.
Find a coach or mentor to help you practice. A coach or mentor can give feedback, share wisdom and experiences, and give you tips for handling nerves and sticking to the schedule.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We learn more from making mistakes than we do from doing a job perfectly. Being able to reflect on and learn from mistakes is a valuable way to grow as a designer.
Where to Learn UX Design
If you would like to learn more about UX design in order to switch to a new career, one of the best ways to do that is to sign up for classes. You can choose classes that meet in-person or online to learn design software and other applications. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn’t always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
The best way to prepare for a career shift to a field like UX design is to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program. These are intensive training courses that run from a few weeks to a few months and another plus of training is that you will leave class with a professional-quality portfolio that you can show to prospective employers.
It’s easy to learn UX design and start a new career. Check out Noble Desktop’s UX design classes. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online UX design courses and attend from anywhere. Use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me to find other UX design bootcamps in your area.