Designer interview questions and answers

I would start with the brief: who buys this tea, the price point, where it sells, and what makes it different, say single-estate Assam tea for gifting. I would study competitors on shelves and online to avoid looking like everyone else. Then I sketch on paper, at least thirty rough ideas, exploring a wordmark, a symbol like a tea leaf or estate gate, and a combination. I shortlist three directions and build them in Illustrator in black and white first, so the idea works without colour. Then I test them small, on a tea bag tag, and large, on a shop signboard.

RGB is for screens and mixes red, green and blue light. CMYK is for print and uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink, and it cannot reproduce some bright RGB colours, so they look dull if converted late. For print, I set up the document in CMYK from the start, or use Pantone spot colours for exact brand colours. I add bleed, usually 3 mm on each side, keep text inside a safe margin, use images at 300 dpi at final size, and convert text to outlines or embed fonts. I export a print-ready PDF and ask the printer for their preferred settings.

Raster images are made of pixels, like photos from a camera, so they lose quality when enlarged beyond their resolution. Vector graphics are built from paths and shapes defined mathematically, so they scale to any size without blurring. I use vectors in Illustrator for logos, icons, illustrations and anything that may go on both a visiting card and a hoarding. I use raster in Photoshop for photo editing, retouching and textures. I always deliver logos as vector files, such as AI, EPS, SVG or PDF, plus PNG exports for everyday use by the client.

I start from the brand’s personality and the medium. A law firm might suit a calm serif, a food delivery app a friendly rounded sans. I usually pair two fonts at most: one with character for headings and a highly readable one for body text, with clear contrast, such as a serif heading with a sans-serif body. I check the family has enough weights, and that it supports the languages needed. For Indian brands, that often means Devanagari or Tamil, so I look for families designed with matching scripts. I also confirm the licence covers print, web and app use.

A good brand guide explains the brand and shows how to apply it. I include the brand story and personality in a page or two, the logo with its variations, clear space, minimum size and examples of misuse, like stretching or placing on busy photos. Then the colour palette with CMYK, RGB, HEX and Pantone values, the typography system with sizes for headings and body, photography and illustration style, icon style, and tone of voice with example lines. Finally, templates: social posts, presentations, letterheads and signage. I keep it practical, with do and do not examples on every page.

A grid gives the layout structure, so elements align and the page feels organised. For a magazine spread I might use a twelve-column grid, which can split into two, three or four columns. Hierarchy tells the reader what to see first, second and third, using size, weight, colour and position. For an event poster, the event name is largest, then date and venue, then smaller details. White space is not wasted space. It separates groups, gives important elements room and makes the design feel premium. When a layout feels cluttered, I usually remove elements before shrinking them.

I keep the same key visual, headline and colours so the campaign is recognisable everywhere, but I redesign for each format. On Instagram, it is 1080 by 1350 pixels, viewed on a phone for a second or two, so I use a bold image, very few words and the logo placed where the interface will not cover it. A newspaper ad prints on low-quality paper, so I avoid fine details and thin fonts, and check the black-and-white version if needed. A hoarding is seen from a moving vehicle, so I use one image, about six to eight words and a huge logo.

I start from the brand’s personality and its category. I look at competitors, because standing out matters: if every fintech is blue, a deep green may work better. I consider cultural meaning in the market. In India, for example, red and gold feel festive and auspicious, while white can be linked to mourning in some contexts. I build a palette with one or two primary colours, a few neutrals and one accent for calls to action. Then I test contrast for readability, check how colours print in CMYK, and see how they look on cheap phone screens.

I ask what the design must achieve, such as more walk-ins or launching a new product, and who the audience is: age, location, language and what they care about. I ask where it will be used, in what sizes and formats, and whether any brand guidelines already exist. I ask for examples they like and dislike, and why. Then I confirm practical details: deadline, budget, content they will provide, who gives final approval and how many revision rounds are included. I send a written summary of the brief afterwards, and we both agree on it before I start.

Every project has the same folder structure: brief, references, working files, exports and final. I name files with the client, item, version and date order, like clientname_brochure_v03, and never use final or final-final. I keep linked images and fonts packaged in InDesign so anyone can open the file. Before delivery, I preflight for missing fonts, low-resolution images and wrong colour modes. Final handover includes print PDFs, editable source files if agreed, web exports and a short note on which file to use where. Everything is backed up to cloud storage.

I start with the dieline from the printer or manufacturer, which shows cuts, folds, glue areas and bleed, and I design on it in Illustrator. I think about how the pack looks on a crowded shelf and in a small e-commerce thumbnail. Then the mandatory information: in India, packaged goods need details like MRP, net quantity, manufacturer or packer address and customer care details, and food products need the FSSAI logo and licence number, ingredient list and the veg or non-veg mark. I check barcode size and quiet zones, print a mock-up, fold it by hand and review it with the client.

A restaurant client rejected all three logo concepts I presented, saying none felt right. Instead of starting again blindly, I asked him to point to what he disliked in each. It turned out he wanted the family’s old Mangalorean recipe heritage to show, which was never in the brief. I asked him to share old family photos and the original menu card, and I found a hand-painted lettering style on it. I developed a new concept based on that lettering. He approved it in one round. Since then I ask clients about their history and story in every brief meeting.

Before Diwali I had a brochure, a set of twelve social posts and a shop banner all due on the same Friday. I listed each item with its real deadline and effort. The banner had to go to the printer by Wednesday, so it came first. The social posts could be delivered in batches, so I asked the account manager if we could send six on Friday and six on Monday, since they were scheduled across two weeks. She agreed with the client. I blocked mornings for the brochure. Everything reached on time, and nothing went out rushed.

I once sent a trade show standee to print with a phone number that had two digits swapped. The client and I had both approved the proof. I noticed it only when the printer shared a photo of the finished piece. I told the client immediately, apologised, and paid for a corrected vinyl patch that was fixed on the standee before the event. It cost me part of my fee but kept the client. Since then I read all contact details and prices aloud against the source document before any print file goes out, and I ask the client to sign off on those separately.

In my internship at a branding studio, I designed a college fest poster with lots of effects: gradients, textures and four fonts. The art director said it looked busy and nobody would read the date. I thought she was being harsh, but I asked her to show me what she would change. She took away three fonts and most effects, and made the date much larger. The poster suddenly worked from across a room. I realised I was designing to impress other designers, not to communicate. Now I start every layout by deciding the one thing people must remember.

A skincare client with a calm, minimal identity wanted a sale post with neon colours and big sparkly fonts because a competitor was doing it. I understood the goal: they wanted the sale to grab attention. I made two versions: one exactly as they asked, and one that kept brand fonts and colours but used a bold oversized 40 per cent off in their accent colour with strong contrast. I put both next to their past posts on a mock Instagram grid. The client saw that the neon one looked like a different brand and chose the second version.

A client asked for short animated versions of their static social posts, and I had never used After Effects. I told my manager honestly and asked for three extra days. I followed a beginner course for the basics of keyframes, easing and exporting, then practised by animating one of our old posts. I kept the first animations simple: text reveals, logo builds and gentle movement on product shots. The client liked them, and the team started offering motion posts as a paid add-on. I now handle most simple motion work in our team.

I have just finished my design diploma and a six-month internship at a branding studio. From what I have seen for junior graphic designer roles in Mumbai, offers usually fall around 2.5 to 4 lakh per annum depending on the studio and the portfolio. Based on my internship work in packaging and social media, I am expecting around 3.5 lakh. I would also value a licensed software setup and a good system, and I am keen to learn from your senior team, so I am open to discussing the overall offer.

Yes, I currently do a few freelance logo and menu projects for small restaurants and shops, mostly through word of mouth. If I join, I will finish the two projects I have committed to within the next month and I will not take new ones without discussing it with you first. I understand I cannot work for any of your clients or their competitors, and I would never use office time or licensed software for freelance work. If your policy does not allow side projects at all, I am fine with stopping them completely.

I have followed your studio’s work for a while, especially the identity for the handloom cooperative and the packaging for the regional snack brand. What stands out is how you use local craft, lettering and colour in a modern way, without it looking like a cliche. That is exactly the direction I want to grow in. Most of my work so far has been social media posts for one brand, and I want to work on complete identity systems with a team that cares about craft. I also like that your designers present their own work to clients.