It started over chai.
I was sitting with my mentor at a cafe, catching up. We got onto a topic that’s been bubbling under the surface for me, the often murky space of design interviews, and more specifically, design tests.
Now, I understand that small companies or start-ups might not have fully formalised hiring processes. That’s okay. Not every team has a dedicated recruiter or the luxury of time. But we’re well past the point where best practices are hard to find. There are books, online guides, and industry examples everywhere. Ignorance is no longer an excuse.
So let’s talk about one specific red flag: the design test that crosses the line into free labour.
The project that felt wrong
I had recently been interviewing with a promising early-stage company. The product was interesting, the team sounded kind, and the challenge felt like a good fit. I even had a great connection with one of the designers during the process. Things were going well.
Then came the design test.
What should have been a whiteboarding exercise, a one-hour prompt to assess thinking, not output, turned out to be a fully scoped product challenge. It required end-to-end mock-ups, with strategic reasoning and near-production-level design quality. And the brief? It was tied directly to the company’s current product strategy.
Alarm bells.
I politely questioned the scope. Their reply: “You decide how long you want to spend. Some people take two hours, others eight.”
Eight hours. Unpaid. On a real business problem.
This wasn’t an open-ended exploration or a design jam. This was spec work disguised as an interview.
Where this crosses a line
Whiteboarding exercises have long been a part of design hiring. At their best, they test how we think, how we prioritise, how we communicate. But when the scope balloons, and the topic starts to look like the company’s backlog, it’s no longer hypothetical.
The distinction matters. Good prompts are intentionally abstract, think ATM machines, fictional dashboards, or generic onboarding flows. These setups level the playing field. They remove the possibility of candidate work being reused or mined for ideas.
If the design test mirrors a live problem the company is tackling, and candidates are pouring hours into it, that’s not a test. That’s unpaid labour.
You’re allowed to say no
When I explained why I wouldn’t proceed with the test, I kept things respectful. The conversation stayed polite. But I knew I had to withdraw.
That was a values moment. And as uncomfortable as it felt, I was proud to hold the line.
My mentor told me another story. A designer she knows responded to a similar test with a simple request: “Happy to complete this, here’s my freelance rate and availability.” Bold. But fair.
She didn’t get the job. But she didn’t get exploited either.
What should we do instead?
Interview red flags aren’t always glaring. Sometimes they hide in plain sight:
- The over-scoped assignment
- Vague expectations
- Lack of feedback after significant effort
- Defensive replies when you ask questions
As a community, we need to normalise better practices. If you’re hiring:
- Keep challenges short, hypothetical, and focused on process
- Compensate candidates if the task requires substantial effort
- Be transparent about what you’re evaluating
If you’re interviewing:
- Ask questions. Clarify timelines and expectations
- Don’t ignore your gut
- Share your boundaries calmly and professionally
Closing thoughts: Respect starts at the first conversation
The interview process should be a space of mutual respect, not silent compliance. As designers, we are trained to ask the right questions, and that shouldn’t stop at the design brief. Ask questions during the hiring process. Clarify expectations. Express your boundaries. The way a company responds tells you a lot about how they value your time, your skills, and your voice.
If a recruiter or hiring manager cannot make time to explain their process, or reacts defensively to reasonable questions, that’s a red flag. Not every sign of disorganisation is ill-intentioned, but a repeated lack of clarity or fairness often points to deeper issues in how the organisation operates.
Stay professional. Stay calm. But most of all, stay honest with yourself. If your gut tells you something is off, even if everything looks great on paper, trust that instinct. Upholding your own values during interviews is not just about finding a job. It’s about protecting your mental wellbeing and shaping a better design industry for everyone.
If you’ve experienced similar situations, or want to chat about interview red flags, connect with me on LinkedIn or send a message through my contact form.