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 end-to-end journey work: cabin interior concepts, pre-flight training arcs, microgravity moment storyboards, viewport choreography. Ask for service blueprints, CAD or Figma artefacts, and mockup builds they personally shipped.
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 suborbital or analogue projects with blueprints, cabin mockups and journey maps they authored, plus evidence flown or built.
02
Evaluation factor
Craft and rationale
25% weight
Probe human factors literacy: anthropometrics in pressure suits, restraint and handhold placement, motion sickness mitigation, NASA-STD-3001 or equivalent, and how those constraints shaped their design 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
Explains design decisions against launch loads, suit ergonomics and habitability standards, not just aesthetics or brand mood boards.
03
Evaluation factor
Feedback and iteration
25% weight
Test how they handled critique from flight safety, life support engineers and test participants; look for iterations driven by parabolic flight trials, VR walkthroughs or crew debriefs.
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 redesigns after analogue trials or safety review, naming what failed and the measured improvement afterwards.
04
Evaluation factor
Working with the brief
15% weight
Assess work with mission timelines, mass and volume budgets, certification gates and marketing promises to ticket holders; ask how they scoped within a launch provider's fixed constraints.
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 mass, volume and mission profile limits into a scoped brief, negotiating trade-offs with engineering and crew ops early.
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