The interview process is a standard multi-stage approach to filter potential candidates. They will generally follow a 4 stage approach 1. Phone screening. 2. Case Project (design test) 3. Meet the team 4. Meet the CEO and other relevant parties Step 1: The phone screen The phone interview was with the Head of Design. We discussed the company, the role, what was required, briefly how they approached design, what I was looking for, and the recruiting process. I was told I would need to submit the case project in the next stage, and it was based on an existing product. Anyone would think this means an existing product in the market. Step 2: The case project (design test) When the case arrived three days later, I was given shallow instructions with a 7-day time limit. The case project (design test) described brand new product being developed internally and it required a “Very High Fidelity prototype” to be “Demonstrated to stakeholders without you being in the room”. This raised a red flag with me. When I jumped on a call to discuss, I was told it was not just a test of skill but also for how I approached projects in the company. I was given an excuse that designers were often not presenting their own work, and was told other candidates had done it but it depended “how badly” I wanted to work at the company. It was immediately clear the only outcome was to be bumped from the hiring process, which is what happened. If a “design test” requires more than 1 hour of your own time, you should be compensated accordingly and if it’s a new product or one closely related to the company’s core business you risk potentially gifting your ideas for nothing.