Whiteboard interview prep when AI draws the first draft

Sketch a solution, explain each connection and revise the board when the interviewer changes a constraint.

What companies say they’re looking for

“Ask questions, define assumptions, and align on goals before jumping into solutions.” (opens the source)

Tina Babst, Staff Product Designer (IC5), Mark43 · Mark43, Jul 8, 2026

Ask whose work to show and where the sketch stops.

“A Whiteboard Exercise (also referred to as a Drawing Exercise) may be part of the interview process for some tech roles.” (opens the source)

Amazon, In-person interview preparation guide · About Amazon, Jul 24, 2025

Check the invitation. Amazon’s guide says a scheduler will tell you if this exercise is required.

“whiteboarding the solution with some rough screen level layouts” (opens the source)

Flipkart, Product Design candidate guide · Flipkart Careers, Undated

Use a rough sketch. Label which links move an object and which send information.

“there’s a risk of defaulting to the thing that looks shiny or sounds right instead of thinking it through” (opens the source)

Test a plausible sketch with one example that could take a different path.

“Think of it as whiteboarding via Figma—equal parts critique and review” (opens the source)

Duolingo Team, Product Design interview guide authors · Duolingo, May 9, 2023 · Updated Sep 11, 2024

Compare two small sketches and point to the constraint that changes your decision.

“talking aloud for a back-and-forth conversation, asking follow-up questions to gain more context” (opens the source)

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Product Design interview guide · Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Undated

Name each box and arrow so the interviewer can follow your trace.

Tina Babst, Staff Product Designer (IC5), Mark43, at the time. Mark43, “Mark43: Demystifying the Whiteboard Exercise”, Jul 8, 2026. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
Amazon, In-person interview preparation guide, at the time. About Amazon, “Everything you need to prepare for your in-person Amazon interview”, Jul 24, 2025. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
Flipkart, Product Design candidate guide, at the time. Flipkart Careers, “A Guide to Help You Prepare for Your Product Design Interview at Flipkart”, Undated. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
Jen Dunnam, VP of Futures, Hinge, at the time. Figma, “How to keep design teams steady through constant change”, Jul 9, 2026 · Updated Jul 22, 2026. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
Duolingo Team, Product Design interview guide authors, at the time. Duolingo, “Interviewing with Duolingo’s Product Design team”, May 9, 2023 · Updated Sep 11, 2024. Open the source. Checked against the published text.
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Product Design interview guide, at the time. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, “Product Design | Interview Guide”, Undated. Open the source. Checked against the published text.

Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026