Member-only story
You’re not supposed to get it right
I left the Google design challenge convinced I had failed — and I passed. This is what actually matters in these interviews.
It was terrifying to do a design challenge as a UX writer.
I knew I was OK talking about my experience, showing off my cases, and felt more or less confident in the earlier stages of the interview process, but… coming up with an actually useful solution on the spot? Not my specialty.
Not because I can’t draw boxes in Figma (contrary to popular belief, UX writers can draw them), but because, if pushed to brainstorm a user journey, I was scared to make a wrong assumption and build on top of it. It was also scary to miss the chance to recover from a mistake and not get to the “right” answer.
And the worst part is being judged by what’s visible. Because what’s visible tends to carry more weight. Boxes, flows, and structured screens make the design — and the author’s thinking — feel convincing. Visuals create an instant sense of clarity. Content doesn’t hit like that.
Overall, for me, a design challenge is a nightmare because you’re expected to simulate depth at speed — to make, in one hour, decisions that normally take days, and make them look intentional. I hate working on the…
