How to Prepare For Design Tests?
Believe it or not, only two kinds of people can step into designing, the first one would be the one who are curious about it, and another just followed the footsteps of someone who get success in this career, do you agree with me?
May be you have already taken one and felt a little.... frustrated? but don't worry, we are here to guide you, so you can't be lost in the mist. Whether it's for a UI/UX internship, a product design job, or even a college entrance program, design test can be scary, not because it's tough or something, but because, no one generally talks about it, like how to prepare until now, but jobdekhao.com got you covered.
Mindset Comes First: Don't Try to Impress, Try to Express
The major thing is, many designers particularly those who are more recent, approach tests with the presumption, "what would the recruiter want to see?" They also lose themselves in the process.
Instead of that, you can ask, "How would i solve this and why?" That's the kind of energy, that people wants to connect and even remember for long.
Now comes the main part, How do you prepare?
1: Start your journey with real life design challenges
Just pick any of the online app or website you use, and then redesign one flow. Think about, "Can i make booking a ticket on a travel app less painful?" This way you can give yourself a fake brief and a deadline, this simulates the test environment, and builds design muscles over time.
2: Build a Go-To Design Process
You don't need a 10 step strategy, just a simple flow. First understand the process, research about it like the pain point, competitors etc. Then sketch ideas, paper or Figma, whatever you are comfortable with. Then make decision and then do the design stuff, but don't overdo it, just clean and clear will do better, and finally present it, by creating a short and friendly explanation of your thinking.
3: Practice Thinking Aloud
In design interviews, you might get to face the situation, where you will be asked to think out loud. So if you will be practicing this process, it will be more easier for you to face this in the interview. I know it sounds silly at first, but it's so powerful move, as it will make your thinking transparent, which recruiters like.
4: Time-Box Yourself
Most tests are comes with time boxing or time limits, like 2 hours, 4 hours, 1-day briefs, so for this you need to practice under constraints. Practice by setting a timer, and don't try to be perfect, just work on clarity of thought and you will notice, in the 6th or 7th time you will be more accurate, from the starting chance.
5: Use Your Tools Well
Figma is amazing. But design tests are not any Figma competition, you only need to use this to communicate ideas and thoughts. Tools like FigJam or Google Docs will also be helpful in organizing your thoughts.
Conclusion
Design tests are not to fear you, but these are to reveal you better potential, your taste, your process and that is what people are looking for now-a-days.
In the test you just need to show how passionate you are towards designing and that you care about design, like in real kind, the kind that solves problem, without being stressed a-lot, and makes life better.
So, if you reached here, then you are kind of serious grabbing it as soon as possible. Don't be hesitant, about asking question, if you need more information please don't mind visiting at jobdekhao.com, your trusted buddies to support you in your career journey!