Interview scorecard template

Emotional Design Psychologist interview scorecard

Evaluate Emotional Design Psychologist candidates across 4 weighted areas: portfolio, craft and rationale, feedback and iteration, and working with the brief. Portfolio leads at 35%, so ask to walk through two projects where emotional response drove design decisions: onboarding flows, product packaging, care environments. Look for before and after affect data, not. Use the rubric to compare role-specific evidence consistently.

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design visual communicationdesign psychologyemotion measurementkansei engineeringux research
TL;DR
For portfolio, look for evidence the candidate shows named projects linking a design change to measured shifts in self-reported affect, trust ratings, or completion and retention numbers. For craft and rationale, look for evidence the candidate names specific instruments and scales, explains why each suited the question, and flags where self-report and biometrics disagreed. Apply the written 1–5 anchors to every answer, record the evidence behind each rating, and use the factor weights to reach a consistent overall assessment.
Complete evaluation framework

What to assess and how to score it

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

Ask to walk through two projects where emotional response drove design decisions: onboarding flows, product packaging, care environments. Look for before and after affect data, not mood boards alone.

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 projects linking a design change to measured shifts in self-reported affect, trust ratings, or completion and retention numbers.

02
Evaluation factor

Craft and rationale

25% weight

Probe the methods behind the work: PANAS or SAM scales, facial coding, galvanic skin response, Kansei engineering matrices, and how Norman's visceral, behavioural and reflective levels shaped choices.

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

Names specific instruments and scales, explains why each suited the question, and flags where self-report and biometrics disagreed.

03
Evaluation factor

Feedback and iteration

25% weight

Test how they respond when a stakeholder disputes findings or when pilot emotion data contradicts the creative direction. Ask about a design they abandoned after user testing.

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 revising or dropping a favoured concept on evidence, and shows iteration cycles with sample sizes and what changed each round.

04
Evaluation factor

Working with the brief

15% weight

Check how they translate a vague brief such as "make it feel calmer" into testable emotional constructs, hypotheses, and deliverables designers and engineers can build against.

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

Converts fuzzy emotional goals into defined constructs and measurable criteria, then hands designers concrete, prioritised guidance rather than academic summaries.

Evidence-led prompts

Interview questions for a Emotional Design Psychologist

Use these prompts to surface evidence for the weighted factors above and compare candidates against the same role-specific criteria.

  1. 01

    Can you describe a project where you applied emotional design principles?

  2. 02

    Can you give an example where your design changed what users did?

  3. 03

    What experience do you have designing interactions to produce a specific response?

  4. 04

    Which psychological theories do you rely on in this work?

  5. 05

    What techniques do you use to understand your audience's responses?

See the complete Emotional Design Psychologist question set
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