Tom Scott (@iamtomscott): "Where I see designers not get hired: 1. Not enough real product work - You must show end-to-end ownership of real, shipped work, not just visuals or explorations and show evidence of driving complexity with clarity on your specific contribution. 2. Weak visual craft - UIs …"

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1. Not enough real product work - You must show end-to-end ownership of real, shipped work, not just visuals or explorations and show evidence of driving complexity with clarity on your specific contribution. 2. Weak visual craft - UIs that feel dated, generic, or too dependent on a design system. Overly safe, dry, poor hierarchy, alignment and spacing. Elite companies expect sharp, modern taste and confident execution with enough fidelity to show what good looks like. 3. Not enough product sense - Candidates fail not because of visuals, but because they can’t explain why a problem matters, what insight drove the idea, how they narrowed scope, the trade-offs they considered, how they collaborated with engineering, and what shipped. 4. Incoherent storytelling - Getting stuck in minor details no one cares about. Not leading with outcomes. 5. Tied to old playbooks - They want designers who are evolving their work, prototyping in new tools, starting with the solution, etc. Lots of companie

Tom Scott (@iamtomscott): "Where I see designers not get hired: 1. Not enough real product work - You must show end-to-end ownership of real, shipped work, not just visuals or explorations and show evidence of driving complexity with clarity on your specific contribution. 2. Weak visual craft - UIs …" Home Subscriptions Chat Activity Explore Profile Create Make money doing the work you believe in Start your Substack Learn more For you Tom Scott Jan 9 Verified Insider Where I see designers not get hired: 1. Not enough real product work - You must show end-to-end ownership of real, shipped work,

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