It happened about 7 years ago. I was applying for a remote Product Designer position at a European startup. I really liked their idea, so I was super eager to join.
The Interview
It went great, super great. The interviewer was welcoming, and I felt enthusiastic after the call. He really liked my portfolio and my style.We agreed that I'd do a product design test task (again, I really liked the product, so I agreed without hesitation).
We briefly discussed the task during that first call and agreed on deliverables. As it was a product task, I clearly explained that I'd create user journeys, personas, user tasks, and a low-fidelity prototype.
I completed the task well and prepared a nicely structured PDF along with a Figma wireframe. As I like the product concept, it was easy to dive and get ready with the stuff shortly.
The second interview went great too, the interviewer mentioned that I have nailed the product work. So I was eagerly awaiting another email from the company.
This is when the irony stepped in. Their response was super short: "We expected some beautiful visuals."
Yeah... 🤦♂️
I then sent a kind message explaining that the work I'd done was more focused on product design, and if they wanted UI work, I could spend a little more time and have something done shortly.
The answer was short again: "No, thank you."
It was an unpleasant situation where I had genuinely tried hard to showcase my skills.
Anyway, here's what I learned
- Communicate expectations beforehand as clearly as possible.
- Ask questions so your vis-a-vis explains what they expect.
- You often talk to people from other spheres, so try to communicate in simple terms.
- Never be surprised if something goes wrong.