Tell me about a time when you received feedback from a design manager or director that you felt was unjustified or based purely on personal preference, and how did you navigate that situation?

Question Analysis

This question is designed to assess your ability to handle feedback, especially when it seems subjective or unjustified. The interviewer wants to understand how you handle criticism, your communication skills, and your ability to maintain professionalism in challenging situations. They are interested in seeing whether you can navigate differences constructively and whether you can adapt to feedback while maintaining your own design integrity.

Answer

Situation: In my previous role as a UX designer, I was working on the redesign of a mobile app interface. After presenting my design to the team, the design director provided feedback that the color scheme should be changed to a palette I felt was less effective for user experience. It seemed like a personal preference rather than a decision based on user data.

Task: My task was to address this feedback while ensuring that the final design aligned with user needs and business goals. It was important to maintain a positive working relationship with the design director and to uphold the integrity of the design process.

Action: I initiated a meeting with the design director to discuss his feedback in more detail. During the meeting, I asked open-ended questions to understand his perspective and shared the user research data that supported my original design choices. I proposed conducting a quick A/B test with both color schemes to gather additional user feedback. This approach aimed to base the decision on objective data rather than personal preference.

Result: The design director appreciated my proactive approach and willingness to collaborate. We proceeded with the A/B test, and the results showed that my original color scheme performed better in terms of user engagement. We implemented the data-backed choice, which ultimately led to a successful redesign. This experience helped strengthen my relationship with the director and reinforced the importance of data-driven design decisions.