‘Let’s consider the candidate’s required qualities:
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Independence
The basis of what we are looking for. Conditions, a strong team, a demanding art director – all this can be given to a person, but there is no way to instill a desire to become better. I remember one interview when a candidate was completely confused and could no longer answer the questions posed coherently. Drastically changing the movement of the discussion, he said: “Look, I don’t understand a little here, but give me time and I will find out everything, I will do it efficiently.” Now, this guy is successfully managing a team of 12 people.
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Curiosity
“What else might you be interested in about our company?”, “Well, I already know everything, give me a test.” Such a frequently encountered dialogue leaves behind a bitter sense of understatement. A person can spend the next couple of years in the company, this should be curious. And who will ask the client about all the features of his business process?
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Friendliness
One of the most overlooked questions, which still gives very unexpected reactions: “Why did you leave your last job?” From the reviews of the “former”, it quickly becomes clear how much a person can work in a team, how much he can be imbued with the questions and desires of people who will use the products that we have designed.
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Understanding the working process
I often ask candidates about how else we could help the client, what can be offered from what the client does not see. The question often confuses the guys, and out of habit, they start talking about users, about the convenience of the interface. “So, where does the money come from? What will they pay for? ” – these are terrible questions for a designer that is worth thinking about. Visual design has devalued too much, and people who know how to think in the same direction as a business are snapped up.
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Ability to communicate
I came across a large number of bright ideas that were never voiced and kept to themselves. I once read an interesting idea that when you develop software these days, you have to be a politician. Otherwise, even your most successful ideas will not see implementation.
In all these qualities, there is not even a word about the tool with which the designer will work. If you like what you are doing, then will it be a big obstacle to switch from Photoshop to Sketch?’