Mobile app development is a huge industry and it’s growing exponentially with no end in sight. If you’re passionate about mobile platforms and have the right development skills to translate code into user-friendly apps then a mobile app designer could be the perfect job for you.
Mobile app designers are responsible for the overall design and functionality of a mobile application. This includes the user interface, colors, themes, buttons, and the overall user experience.
Here are some of the key responsibilities of a Mobile App Designer (for both iOS and Android).
These are important to keep in mind when thinking about mobile app designer interview questions and how to prepare for them.
-
Be actively engaged in the entire mobile application lifecycle from concept, design test, iterations, testing, launch, and support.
-
Know how to write clean code to build fully functional mobile applications.
-
Gather specific requirements from the client brief and come back with suggestions and recommendations.
-
Identify malfunctions by writing unit and UI tests.
-
Ensure all new and legacy mobile applications meet the set quality standards.
-
Stay up-to-date with the latest technology trends.
-
Troubleshoot and debug mobile applications to optimize their performance on a regular basis.
-
Design interface that promotes good customer experience.
-
Collaborate with the product development team to plan and execute new features.
-
Research and suggest novel mobile products, applications, and protocols.
Some of the key skills required to be an attractive mobile app designer include:
-
Proven and relevant work experience as a mobile developer.
-
An impressive portfolio of released applications on the App Store or the Android market.
-
Thorough knowledge of programming languages such as Java, Swift, and more. The more languages you know, the better.
-
Familiarity with OOP design principles.
-
Experience with third-party libraries and APIs.
-
Excellent communication and analytical skills with a good problem-solving attitude.
-
Ability to perform and thrive in a team environment.
-
BSc degree in Computer Science or relevant field.
Additional Resources On Mobile App Design
Need to learn more about Mobile App design? Check out some of these useful resources:
Mobile App Design Interview Questions And Answers: A Few Samples
Listed below are a few mobile app designer interview process questions that you could expect in your interview.
1. Tell us more about yourself. Talk about your work & portfolio, process, and goals.
This is a fantastic opportunity to take the interviewer through your resume and your career journey. Talk about what your work and academic experience have been so far and how they can help you do well in the role that you’re applying for. Avoid giving them every tiny detail of your resume and do not get too personal. Use this interview question as an opportunity to highlight your skills and achievements and how they translate into you being the perfect choice for this role.
Take this opportunity to walk them through your previous jobs and important projects. Give them reasons why you’re leaving your current job and what expectations you have with your next position. Give them a sense of your personality by telling them a little bit about your hobbies and passion. Do you have a side hustle? Tell them about it. Use this opportunity to not just tell them about your professional accolades but also what kind of team member you are to work with.
2. What is the difference between native and web mobile app design? Is it important to have both?
Native or responsive is one of the first questions people ask to understand your grip on these concepts. What is the difference from a design perspective and how would you address it?
Mobile apps can be developed natively or as hybrid apps, while mobile-friendly websites can be developed as adaptive or responsive. The basic design process behind both is pretty much the same except when designing for mobile, there are a specific set of rules that you need to follow. Make sure you highlight some of these rules in your answer.
Responsive web design is also crucial for SEO and Google indexing. If your objective is to make your website rank on Google search results, then you must have a mobile-friendly responsive design. According to the latest Google updates, it won’t rank websites unless they have a mobile-friendly design.
3. What are cards in mobile app design and when should they be used?
Cards have lately become one of the best design patterns for mobile devices. They collect individual pieces of content put together into one cohesive experience. The idea behind cards is to show only the most relevant information to the user at the right time. This removes unnecessary clutter and ensures that you focus only on the most important message.
The best time to use cards is when you want to show a piece of specific information that you think is important for the user at a given time. There are so many websites and platforms that are using the card system to display information to their users. This way they visually separate or highlight information.
4. When designing a new application, what are the most important questions you would ask?
A few initial questions you could ask are:
-
What’s the primary goal of this app?
-
What will be some of the most important sections in this app?
-
What kind of actions should the user be able to take throughout their journey?
-
Who is your direct/indirect competition?
-
Which features do you want to include in your mobile app?
These questions will give you the initial brief you need to start searching for the best design pattern for this app. The more questions you can add to the list, the more it’ll speak of your experience. Only when you’ve gone through the process of building multiple mobile apps, do you know the questions that need to be answered to get started with execution.
5. When designing for a varied set of users who will engage with your app, what do you need to consider?
Along with device platform guidelines, you also need to be mindful of the accessibility guidelines for a range of users. Will the app be used by younger people? Are they avid users or casual users? How crucial is it that the app is easy to understand and use? These accessibility guidelines will help you set design constraints and they’ll also be part of the challenges that lead to the creation of amazing products.
6. Should mobile designs use tabs as a pattern? How do they affect an app’s usability?
Tabs are one of the most commonly used elements of mobile UIs, and there are quite a few reasons for that.
Tabs allow users to easily move between a small number of panes and they bring a real-world component to the mobile applications. If implemented properly, tabs can improve the user interface significantly. They are considered to be intuitive and easy to use and should definitely be a part of mobile design.
7. When do you choose a hamburger menu and how does this decision help the user?
Since a mobile screen isn’t as big as a desktop, it’s crucial that the information is presented in a user-friendly manner. This should be done before moving on to the mockup design because that’s a matter of UX rather than UI design.
The Mobile app designer had to decide which information to present first and which can be hidden. He can use different patterns such as tabs, filters, and more. According to research, a hamburger menu can get lost in the design but sometimes there’s no choice but to use it because of the length and breadth of information. Users will mostly scroll instead of looking for a menu which is why it’s important to show all the vital information upfront.
8. Why do you want to work here?
This isn’t one of the unique mobile app designer interview questions but it is one that is asked in most job interviews irrespective of the industry and vertical. The best way to answer this question is to do thorough homework on the company.
Is the organization you’re applying for a tech startup or a well-established large corporation? You could highlight how you thrive in a fast-paced and innovative work environment or that you’ve tried the fast-paced environment and are now looking for the stability that proven companies offer and have heard wonderful things about their head mobile app designer and would love a chance to work with them and be mentored by them.
One way to do this homework is to go through the company’s ‘About Us’ page and get a sense of what their values are and align your answers with them. Or you could also use the interview to ask them about the values that they’re most proud of and how they treat their employees to make it a dialogue.
Conclusion
There is no one set list of mobile app design interview questions that you can go through to feel prepared for an interview. However, having a true passion for the profession, keeping yourself abreast of all the latest innovation and trends, and doing your homework before the interview can help you impress the interviewers and get the job.