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
Look for live email work: campaign templates, promotional sends, lifecycle flows. Ask for sent-email screenshots or Litmus previews across Gmail, Outlook and iOS dark mode.
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 real sends with hero modules, dark mode variants and mobile renders, plus the brands and send volumes behind them.
02
Evaluation factor
Craft and rationale
25% weight
Probe typography, hierarchy and modular grid decisions inside 600px constraints; ask how they handle image weight, alt text styling and bulletproof CTA buttons.
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 layout choices against inbox constraints: web-safe font stacks, image-off fallbacks, tap-target sizing and file weight budgets.
03
Evaluation factor
Feedback and iteration
25% weight
Assess how they respond to A/B results and stakeholder edits: subject line pairings, hero swaps, CTA colour tests, and reworking a template after low click rates.
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
Cites specific iterations driven by open, click or heatmap data rather than taste, and accepts brand or legal edits without friction.
04
Evaluation factor
Working with the brief
15% weight
Check intake and handoff habits: campaign briefs, send calendars, working with copywriters, and delivering assets into Klaviyo, Braze, Mailchimp or ESP module libraries.
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
Translates a brief and deadline into named deliverables, flags asset gaps early, and ships build-ready files matching the ESP template system.
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