Interview Process Overview for Senior Product Designer II (L6) - Carrot AI at Instacart

If you’re preparing for the Senior Product Designer II (L6) - Carrot AI position at Instacart, here’s a detailed guide based on my experience and insights from other candidates who have gone through the interview process for this role. This guide will cover the interview stages, the types of questions you can expect, and tips to help you succeed.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for the Senior Product Designer II (L6) - Carrot AI position at Instacart typically includes several stages. Instacart is looking for a highly skilled designer with experience in AI-driven products, and the process reflects this focus. Expect a mix of design, technical, and behavioral interviews.

1. Initial Recruiter Call

The first step is usually a call with a recruiter. This is a screening call where the recruiter assesses your fit for the position and the company. They’ll ask questions about your design experience, particularly regarding AI products, machine learning, or data-driven design, as well as your motivation for applying.

Common Questions:

• “Can you tell me about your experience designing for AI or data-driven products?”
• “Why are you interested in working with Instacart and the Carrot AI team?”
• “How do you approach designing for machine learning systems or AI features?”
• “How do you ensure the designs you create are user-centric, especially in the context of complex technologies like AI?”

During this call, the recruiter will also explain the next steps in the process and provide details about the team and role.

2. Portfolio Review

After the recruiter call, you’ll likely be asked to present your portfolio in more detail. For the Senior Product Designer II (L6) role, the portfolio is critical. You should showcase a range of experiences, but focus on projects where you designed for AI-driven products, machine learning applications, or other complex, data-driven solutions.

Portfolio Tips:

• Highlight AI-driven design projects: Show projects where you’ve had to simplify complex AI workflows or data systems into user-friendly designs.
• Focus on the problem-solving process: Walk the interviewer through your design process, particularly how you’ve solved challenging design problems in AI or data-driven systems.
• Emphasize collaboration: Include examples of how you worked with data scientists, product managers, and engineers to develop AI products.

3. Design Exercise

A significant part of the interview process is the design exercise. You may be given a take-home task or live design challenge to solve. The challenge could be related to designing an AI feature or improving an existing AI-driven product, especially for consumer-facing products like Instacart.

Sample Design Exercise:

• “Design an AI-based recommendation system for the Instacart app that suggests grocery products based on the user’s purchase history and preferences.”
• “How would you design a user-friendly interface that explains complex AI-powered predictions or recommendations to a user in a way that builds trust?”

The focus here is on your ability to simplify complexity, create user-friendly designs, and apply design thinking to AI-driven systems. Be prepared to explain how you would validate the design with users, iterate on feedback, and ensure that the interface is intuitive.

4. Behavioral Interview

In this stage, you’ll be assessed on your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, manage multiple projects, and handle design challenges in a fast-paced environment. Instacart values designers who can work effectively with product managers, engineers, and data scientists, especially on complex AI-related problems.

Sample Behavioral Questions:

• “Tell me about a time when you had to work with data scientists or engineers to design a product feature. How did you ensure the design was feasible?”
• “How do you approach prioritizing design tasks, especially when working with ambiguous or evolving requirements?”
• “Describe a project where you had to advocate for the user experience in a product with complex AI-driven features. How did you balance user needs with technical constraints?”

This interview focuses on your communication skills, your ability to influence decision-making, and how well you can advocate for the user while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

5. Final Interview with Senior Leadership

The final round of interviews usually involves meeting with senior leadership or executives. This round assesses your strategic thinking, long-term vision, and fit within the company’s culture. You’ll likely discuss your experience leading design initiatives, your thoughts on AI in product design, and your potential impact at Instacart.

Sample Leadership Questions:

• “How do you envision the role of AI in eCommerce design over the next 5-10 years? How can we leverage AI to enhance the user experience at Instacart?”
• “What’s your design philosophy when working with machine learning or AI-powered products? How do you ensure users understand and trust these technologies?”
• “Can you give an example of a design project where you took the lead in creating a strategy for a complex product, particularly with data-driven or AI features?”

This is your opportunity to demonstrate your thought leadership, vision for AI in product design, and how you can contribute to Instacart’s mission and long-term goals.

Key Skills and Tools for Success

To excel in the Senior Product Designer II (L6) - Carrot AI interview at Instacart, you should focus on the following skills and tools:

• AI & Data-Driven Design: Experience designing for machine learning, AI, or data-rich environments. Be ready to discuss how you’ve simplified complex data and AI outputs for user-friendly interfaces.
• Design Thinking: Strong ability to define problems, ideate solutions, create prototypes, and iterate based on feedback. You should be comfortable working with ambiguous or evolving requirements.
• Collaboration: Ability to work closely with product managers, data scientists, and engineers to create designs that meet both user and business goals.
• Tools: Proficiency in Figma, Sketch, InVision, or similar design tools. Experience with Prototyping and Wireframing is essential. Familiarity with AI and machine learning tools or frameworks is a plus.
• UX/UI Design: Expertise in creating intuitive, scalable, and accessible designs for web and mobile interfaces, particularly in complex systems like AI-powered features.
• User-Centered Design: Experience in conducting user research, usability testing, and applying insights to improve design outcomes.

Final Tips for Preparation

• Refine your portfolio: Ensure your portfolio highlights AI-related design projects and shows your ability to simplify complex systems for users.
• Practice design challenges: Prepare for the design exercise by solving similar AI-related design problems. Focus on how you would make complex technologies understandable and user-friendly.
• Understand Instacart’s business: Research how Instacart uses AI in its operations, especially around product recommendations and customer personalization. This will help you tailor your approach and showcase your strategic thinking.
• Prepare for collaborative questions: Be ready to discuss how you’ve worked with cross-functional teams in the past, especially in data-driven design or AI-related projects.
• Think about the future of AI: Since the role involves AI-powered features, consider how you would approach the evolving role of AI in eCommerce design and how you can contribute to Instacart’s mission.