I was asked several times about my overall way of working, and one question in particular made me question the company's actual culture:
“How would you validate your design choices if you cannot test with users, and your design peers and engineering resources are completely unavailable?”
I answered by referring to standard product design practices: user research, design critiques, and cross-functional collaboration, which were also mentioned in the job description. Surprisingly, that answer seemed unexpected to them. That led me to wonder whether the company operates in silos or whether this expectation was specific to the team.
Later, when I asked about the company culture, the hiring manager paused before describing it as “flat and collaborative.” That pause said a lot.
This, to me, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of product design. In a mature product organization, design decisions are validated through research, testing, and collaboration across disciplines. Even in highly complex industries, validation is what creates trust and leads to better outcomes.
If a company removes user testing and cross-functional validation from the process, then the role is no longer really product design; it becomes isolated visual design.
The interview process suggested a culture that prioritizes operational silos over true product maturity, which did not match the collaborative image the company presented externally. Because of that mismatch, I decided to stop the process and withdraw my application.
