Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Portfolio
35% weight
Review their reel and turntables: ask which assets they modeled versus textured, polycounts shipped, and whether work went to game engines, film renders, or 3D print.
Evidence to listen for
Work exists and can be looked at, not just described
States what they made versus what the team or a template made
Shows range rather than one repeated style
Can walk through a piece from brief to final
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No portfolio, or work that is unattributable or clearly templated.
2
Needs Improvement
Thin portfolio; unclear what they personally made.
3
Satisfactory
Real work with adequate range; contribution mostly clear.
4
Very Good
Strong varied portfolio with clear personal ownership.
5
Excellent
Shows named shipped assets with wireframe turntables, states polygon budgets, and clearly separates their own work from team contributions.
02
Evaluation factor
Craft and rationale
25% weight
Probe topology decisions: edge flow for deforming meshes, quad discipline, UV packing and texel density, high to low poly baking, and tools such as Maya, Blender, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Marmoset.
Evidence to listen for
Explains why a layout, type choice, or colour decision serves the brief
Knows typography and hierarchy as craft, not decoration
Works to a brand system without either breaking it or hiding behind it
Names the tools they are genuinely fast in
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot explain any decision; work is arbitrary.
2
Needs Improvement
Talks in taste terms only; no link between choice and brief.
3
Satisfactory
Sound craft with some ability to justify decisions.
4
Very Good
Articulate about why each choice serves the brief.
5
Excellent
Explains clean edge loops around joints, controls texel density deliberately, and diagnoses baking artefacts like skewed normals or ray distance errors.
03
Evaluation factor
Feedback and iteration
25% weight
Test how they absorb art director and technical art notes: silhouette revisions, retopology requests, LOD reductions, and how many iterations a hero asset typically took.
Evidence to listen for
Takes critique without treating it as an attack
Distinguishes a subjective preference from a real problem, and says so politely
Iterates fast rather than defending version one
Delivers files correctly and on time
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Defensive about critique; will not revise.
2
Needs Improvement
Accepts feedback passively; iterations do not improve the work.
3
Satisfactory
Revises willingly; struggles to push back on weak feedback.
4
Very Good
Iterates quickly and can argue for the work when the feedback is wrong.
5
Excellent
Describes specific redlines received, reworked topology or proportions without defensiveness, and cites turnaround times per revision round.
04
Evaluation factor
Working with the brief
15% weight
Assess how they work from concept sheets, scan data, or CAD references, plus adherence to naming conventions, scene scale, pivot placement, and engine or render pipeline specs.
Evidence to listen for
Asks about audience and goal before opening the design tool
Works with marketing, product, or clients rather than in isolation
Flags an impossible brief early
Hands over files and assets others can actually use
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Designs in isolation; ignores the brief's purpose.
2
Needs Improvement
Starts designing before understanding the goal.
3
Satisfactory
Asks the right questions when prompted.
4
Very Good
Interrogates the brief up front and hands over cleanly.
5
Excellent
Reads concept art and orthographics accurately, follows studio naming and unit conventions, and flags spec conflicts before modeling begins.
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