Interview Kit
The Project
Background
I'm interested in the idea of how to interview and how to be more confident when trying to get your foot in the door at any company. What do you need to do to stand out compared to everyone else?
Problem
How to get better at an interview? How can you improve your interview skills?
Are all interview questions straightforward, or is there a deeper meaning to them?
How much practice is necessary, or should you go in blind?
How many references do you need for the company?
What are some things you should avoid saying during an interview?
And how can you tell whether your interview went well or poorly?
Duration
2 Weeks (80Hrs)
Tools
Figma
Pen and Paper
Google Doc
The Process
Assumptions
Here are some of my assumptions.
Interview questions are often straightforward and designed to assess specific skills or qualifications.
Confident candidates are more likely to articulate their thoughts clearly, showcase their skills effectively, and make a lasting impression.
While job requirements outline the necessary qualifications and skills for a position, they can sometimes be seen as flexible guidelines rather than rigid criteria.
Regularly practicing interview scenarios, answering common questions, and refining responses can significantly enhance a candidate's performance.
Prior to an interview, conducting research on the company, its culture, and the role being applied for can provide valuable insights.
Market Research
For this project, our aim is to understand how users prepare for interviews, their processes, the sources they rely on for information, and the perceived helpfulness of that information.
Competitive Analysis
During my competitive analysis, I researched various online resources that provide interview help. Throughout the process, I discovered that most colleges have a career center that offers resources for their students, including interview practice and resume review. However, these resources are typically private and accessible only to students. If students did not have access to their college's career center, they often turned to YouTube or other websites for help.
User Interviews
For the user interviews, I interviewed three people, two of whom were in the midst of their interview process, while the third person was an HR professional who served as the interviewer. Here is a sample of questions and answers.
Warm-up questions
Please tell me a bit about yourself.
What do you do?
TOPIC-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
How do you feel about the interview?
what are some tips you would give to someone going through their first interview?
If you can remember how your first interview went?
What did you do to prepare for an interview?
How many interviews did you do to get your job?
How did you get better at doing interviews?
What are your biggest frustrations when getting interviewed?
Did you ever use software to help you with an interview?
Did you get the dream job that you wanted?
Why do you do this type of work?
Do you like your current job or are you planning to interview again?
If given the position of the interviewerHave you ever been in the position of interviewer?
What do you like and dislike about being an interviewer compared to an interviewee?
Do you like giving interviewers or being an interviewee?
What are some pros and cons of being the interviewer?
Affinity Map
After all the interviews, I created an affinity map to identify common problems and concerns that users had with the platform. Here are some of the key issues I discovered, which I believe would be important to address in the redesign. I was particularly intrigued by how these categories often intersected with one another, despite the interviews involving individuals with different skill sets. I didn't expect so many of these issues to overlap, as I assumed each person's unique skill set would result in different perspectives.
Define The Persona
Persona B
Anna is , our confident interviewee persona. Anna is characterized as someone who is self-assured and comfortable during interviews. She is confident in expressing herself and engaging with interviewers. It's important to consider Anna's strengths and design solutions that can further enhance her interview performance, providing her with additional resources and strategies to excel in her interviews.
Persona A
Tim is our shy interviewer persona. Tim is characterized as someone who tends to feel nervous and lacks confidence during interviews. He may struggle with expressing himself clearly and may find it challenging to engage in conversation with interviewers. It's important to consider Tim's needs and design solutions that can help alleviate his anxiety and boost his confidence during interviews.
Design Exploration
Roadmap
Here are my thoughts on what needs to be done for this website. In particular, I have chosen to focus on how to effectively present different styles of data and learning, taking into consideration the user's needs. The goal is to provide a centralized source of information without requiring users to visit multiple websites.
Task Flow
Here is the task flow of how to book a session with a tutor.
Low Fidelity
After conducting extensive research, I have formed some initial thoughts on how to address and resolve the initial problems and design issues.
Mobile Version
After creating the desktop design and transitioning to the mobile version, I realized that not all elements can be translated equally. However, there are certain design aspects that need to be adjusted to ensure simplicity for users on smaller screens. It's important to learn how to condense the content effectively in the mobile version.
High Fidelity
After incorporating numerous revisions with the invaluable assistance of my mentors and peers, I am delighted to present my final high-fidelity design.
Mobile Verson
After incorporating numerous revisions with the invaluable assistance of my mentors and peers, I am delighted to present my final high-fidelity design.
Selected Screen
Selected Screen Mobile Version
Testing /Prototyping
Prototype
Here is my prototype
Testing
I asked a few people I know to see how good the prototypes were and what revisions need to be made. Here are the transcripts of the converstaion I had during testing.
Revisions
Here are some of the revisions I was able to make, thanks to the feedback from my mentor and peers. As you can see I tested two versions of the design before I settled on my final design.
Wrap uUp
Conclusion
Interview questions are often complex, just like peeling an onion. They have multiple layers that require candidates to provide in-depth responses. I didn't realize that some people actually enjoy interviews, despite being shy as an interviewer myself. Practice is key to improving interviewing skills. The more you practice, the better you get. Designing for websites and mobile devices involves considering factors like sizing and responsiveness to ensure a good user experience. This concludes the case study, incorporating the observations and findings mentioned above.