Microsoft Product Designer Interview Guide

tl;dr

Microsoft is a company that needs no introduction, and it might actually be difficult to give one considering the sheer volume of industries they’re involved in. Browsing their product offerings takes so much scrolling that you almost expect Clippy to pop up and guide you through the page (if that reference pre-dates you, never mind, just keep reading).

The tech giant employs over 228,000 people worldwide, with an estimated 2,000 product designers. The breadth of their software, hardware, and cloud solutions leaves lots of room for product designers to bring their creativity and innovative ideas to high-impact projects.

No two interview processes are exactly alike at Microsoft, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to interview prep (reassuring, I know). The big-ticket items product designer hopefuls can expect are a portfolio presentation and an onsite with cross-functional team members across the org. Hiring at Microsoft is based on specific team needs, which means you’ll know exactly which team you’re interviewing with when you apply (e.g., M365 Core Design Studio, Azure, etc.).

Landing a product design offer from Microsoft requires solid strategic thinking and creative problem-solving skills coupled with deep user-centered design knowledge. Interviewers want to see that you can own the design process from ideation through production, handle ambiguities in your projects, and that you work effectively with cross-functional stakeholders. Use the portfolio presentation to deep dive into your design processes and highlight your ability to design for end users rather than for the product.

What does a Microsoft Product Designer do?

With so many Microsoft products—and individual teams that work on them—your day-to-day work as a designer varies a lot based on the product and team you’re working with. But in general, Microsoft Product Designers are responsible for shaping the user experience across the full Microsoft ecosystem (no pressure) by performing user research, leading design strategy, and collaborating effectively with internal and external stakeholders to deliver intuitive, accessible user experiences. Long-time Microsoft designers report that design has a seat at the table early in the ideation/strategizing phase, so you may find that you have more control over setting the long-term product vision compared to other big tech companies.

Product designers typically work as part of a “feature team,” along with teammates from other disciplines—including product managers, UX leads, and content designers—to bring a feature or product to market. Projects are fluid and fast-paced, so make sure you’re comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities. Designers who enjoy collaboration and large-scale projects will have the most success at Microsoft.

Microsoft hires product designers at all career stages, from Product Designer I through Principal Product Designer. Compensation packages are competitive for industry standards (actually competitive, not like the generic job description, “competitive salary”), and they include base, stocks, and bonuses. Take a look at the compensation averages for the most popular Microsoft Product Designer roles:

• Product Designer I (Level 59): ~$133K
• Product Designer II (Level 60–61): ~179K
• Senior Product Designer (Level 62–63): ~210K
• Principal Product Designer (Level 64–65): ~305K

Before you apply

1. Curate your portfolio with three particularly impactful design projects you worked on. A strong portfolio presentation sets you apart from other candidates, and a lot of the final round hinges on your success here.
2. Practice behavioral interview questions so you’re ready to demonstrate how effectively you collaborate with cross-functional teammates.
3. Check out Exponent’s top product designer interview questions.

Interview process

Each hiring team at Microsoft has almost full autonomy over the structure of the hiring process, but generally, product designers can expect a two-part interview cycle:

1. Recruiter screen with a knowledgeable design recruiter.
2. Final onsite with 5–6 interviews, including a portfolio presentation and multidisciplinary 1:1 discussions focused on your team fit.

The most interesting thing about Microsoft’s Product Design interviews isn’t what they include—it’s what they exclude. Many hiring teams don’t bother with the standard app critique, which means nearly all of your technical expertise is showcased in the portfolio presentation. Sharpen your story-telling abilities so you’re able to own the conversation and explain your design approaches.

1. Recruiter screen

The first step in your interview cycle with Microsoft is likely a 30-minute call with a recruiter. Often, these are design recruiters who have some background in design, so they can ask more pointed questions about your design process and help the hiring team evaluate your portfolio.

But don’t worry about too many hard-hitting questions just yet. At this stage, the recruiter focuses more on general background and behavioral questions to get a sense of your overall fit for the role, your experience, and your design process. They’ll also help you prep for the onsite by giving an idea of what to expect, as well as tips on how to tackle your portfolio presentation.

While the recruiter won’t dive deeply into technical design questions, they will gauge whether your skills and experience align with the position. You might be asked basic behavioral questions like:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why are you interested in working at Microsoft?
• What’s a unique challenge you faced working in one of your previous roles, and what was your approach?
• How do you work with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders?

In terms of design questions, you can expect questions like:

Tell me about a time when you designed for accessibility.

Asked at Google 

See question

• Do you have experience designing for enterprise, consumer, or SaaS products?
• How do you balance user needs with business goals?

2. Final round (onsite)

The final round is an onsite that typically consists of the portfolio review and several 1:1 rounds spread over 5–6 hours. You’ll meet with engineers, UX team members, product managers, and designers, with each interview focused on different aspects of your skills and approach to product design.

The portfolio presentation is the most high-impact portion of the interview, giving you a chance to articulate your design process and share the design impact for each project you present. All your interviewers attend, and occasionally other team members sit in as well. The presentation usually lasts about an hour, with 45 minutes of presentation time and 15 minutes for Q&A. Plan to discuss 2–3 key projects you worked on, and make sure you know these projects inside and out. Display a breadth of work that emphasizes your ability to handle ambiguity and the end-to-end user experience lifecycle.

Storytelling is an especially important skill here. Craft an engaging, well-structured narrative that tells the story of each project, stepping through each phase of the product design lifecycle in detail. Panelists want to see that you can design across different platforms and consider the end-to-end experience for each of those platforms. Show that you can translate designs across different devices, and be able to explain the differences in your approach.

Panelists are also interested in your ability to set the context and scope of a project, step through it stage by stage, and provide the insights you learned during each stage. Give each phase of the project equal weight in your presentation; don’t focus too much on the ideation phase and showing sketches. Instead, show the interviewers what you actually shipped and clearly explain how it improved the product.

If the portfolio presentation isn’t too grueling (compared to other top-tier companies), you’ll move on to the interview rounds. These rounds vary depending on the hiring team, but you can expect to meet with team members from different disciplines to assess your ability to work cross-functionally as well as your technical expertise. Interviewers like to see that candidates have extensive experience working as part of an interdisciplinary team, so be prepared for a lot of behavioral questions.

When interviewing with engineers and product managers, highlight your strong communication skills, empathy, and your growth mindset (this is a core Microsoft value). Common questions during these interviews include:

How would you respond if a developer disagrees with your UX recommendations?

Asked at Google 

View 3 answers

• How do you advocate for design decisions while balancing technical or business constraints?
• Describe a situation where you had to manage multiple stakeholders.
• Tell me about a time when you had to balance competing priorities while working as part of a cross-functional team.

When interviewing with UX team members and designers, emphasize your leadership qualities, design strategy, and your ability to work on large-scale, dynamic projects. Use the STAR framework to give your answers structure and completeness, and be ready to demonstrate a solid understanding of complex product ecosystems and user workflows. Prep for questions like:

• How do you think about designing at scale within a design system?
• How do you stay up-to-date with design trends and emerging technologies?
• How would you improve an existing Microsoft product for a different audience?

Additional resources

• Workshop your portfolio using a portfolio review by a Microsoft Designer.
• Check out Microsoft’s interview tips.
• Hone your interview skills with Exponent’s Product Design Questions course.

FAQs about the Microsoft Product Designer interview

How should I prepare for a Microsoft Product Designer interview?

Be confident in your experience and uplevel your storytelling abilities so you’re ready to deliver a strong portfolio presentation. Emphasize user-centered design throughout the interview rounds, and align your past projects with business objectives. Be prepared to showcase your impact and explain your decision-making clearly. Finally, highlight your experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teammates.

How much do Microsoft Product Designers make?

Microsoft Product Designers average total compensation for each level in their designer org:

• Product Designer I (Level 59): ~$133K
• Product Designer II (Level 60–61): ~179K
• Senior Product Designer (Level 62–63): ~210K
• Principal Product Designer (Level 64–65): ~305K

How long is the Microsoft Product Designer interview process?

The interview process for a Microsoft Product Designer is typically 4–6 weeks from initial contact to offer extension.