Why pre-screen graphic design interns before portfolio reviews with your design team
Pre-screening graphic design interns protects your designers' calendar. Applications arrive from university programmes, bootcamps, Behance, and open calls, often hundreds for one seat. A PDF portfolio cannot tell you who set the type, whether a class brief was invented by the student, or how they react when a lead marks up their layout. A ten minute screen surfaces their rationale, their tool fluency in Figma, Illustrator, and InDesign, their term dates, and whether they ask about audience before designing.
What actually matters when screening Intern - Graphic Design candidates
- 01
Portfolio
For an intern, look for any real portfolio: coursework, personal projects, or client work, as long as they made it.
- 02
Craft and rationale
Test whether they can explain a type, layout, or colour decision beyond personal taste.
- 03
Feedback and iteration
Assess how they respond to critique, since most of an internship is revision.
- 04
Working with the brief
Judge whether they ask about audience and purpose before opening the design tool.
Pre-screening questions to ask Intern - Graphic Design candidates
11 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Portfolio and craft
3 questions01Share your portfolio link, then pick one piece and walk us through it: what was the brief, what did you make yourself, and what would you change now?
Listen forA live link plus a specific piece where they name the brief, their own contribution, the tools used, and one honest thing they would revise.
No portfolio, a link full of tutorial replications or template edits, or vagueness about which parts they personally designed.
02How familiar are you with colour theory and typography? Point to one piece where you chose the typeface and palette, and tell us why.
Listen forReasoning tied to legibility, hierarchy, contrast, x-height, brand constraints, or print versus screen output rather than personal taste.
Only aesthetic language such as "it looked clean" with no link between the choice, the audience, and the medium.
03What types of design projects do you enjoy working on most, and what have you already made in that area?
Listen forA clear interest (packaging, editorial layout, social graphics, motion) backed by at least one finished self-started project in that area.
Broad enthusiasm for "anything creative" with no self-initiated work behind the stated interest.
Brief and process
3 questions04Walk us through your creative process when you start a new design project, from receiving the brief to the first draft.
Listen forQuestions about audience, purpose, format, and deadline before opening the tool, plus references, moodboards, or thumbnail sketches before pixels.
Jumping straight into Canva or Illustrator with no mention of audience, purpose, or reference gathering.
05How do you approach problem-solving when a design is not working? Give us a real example.
Listen forA specific stuck point, alternatives they tested, and the reasoning that settled it, such as simplifying hierarchy or changing crop and grid.
Restarting from scratch every time, or waiting for someone else to tell them what to do.
06Describe a time you had to meet a tight deadline on a design project. What did you cut and what did you protect?
Listen forA dated example with a real deadline, a clear tradeoff they made, and delivery of usable files on time.
Missed deadlines blamed on classmates or clients, or no example of working under time pressure at all.
Feedback and collaboration
2 questions07How do you handle feedback and criticism on your designs? Tell us about a critique that changed your work.
Listen forA specific note received, clarifying questions they asked, the revision they made, and what they deliberately kept and why.
Treating critique as personal, or claiming they accept every note without judgement or discussion.
08How comfortable are you presenting and explaining your designs to people outside the design team, like marketing or sales?
Listen forPlain language framing of design choices around the audience and goal, ideally an example of presenting to a client, tutor panel, or club.
Jargon-heavy explanations, or reluctance to defend the work to anyone other than a designer.
Tools and availability
3 questions09Which software do you use most, and roughly how long have you worked in each: Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, or others?
Listen forHonest depth on two or three tools with time in each, matching the software actually named in their portfolio pieces.
Listing every Adobe app with no depth, or naming tools that never appear in the work they submitted.
10Do you have any experience with video editing or motion graphics, for example in After Effects, Premiere, or CapCut?
Listen forA concrete example such as an animated logo, a reel edit, or a class motion piece, with the tool and duration named.
Claiming motion skills with nothing to show, or confusing exported presets with work they built.
11How well do you handle multiple projects at once, and what are your available days and hours during the internship period?
Listen forA method for tracking parallel tasks (a list, Notion, Trello) plus specific weekly hours and term or exam dates.
Undefined availability, or hours that clash with class schedules they have not disclosed.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Portfolio
35%5Portfolio shows range and genuine personal authorship, whether from coursework, personal, or client work.
Craft and rationale
25%5Explains type, layout, and colour choices in terms of the brief and the audience, not just preference.
Feedback and iteration
25%5Takes critique well, iterates quickly, and can politely question feedback that would hurt the work.
Working with the brief
15%5Asks about audience and goal before designing, and hands over organised files without being told to.
Design hiring is judged by eye and ear: async video lets an intern share their screen, point at a layout, and explain a type choice out loud, which is exactly the skill they will use in critique.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How many pre-screening questions should I send a graphic design intern applicant?
Eight to eleven questions works well for internships. Keep two as short text (software, term dates, portfolio link), and make three or four audio or video so you hear them explain a decision. Ten minutes of candidate effort is fair for an unpaid application step and still gives your design lead enough to shortlist confidently.
Should I require a portfolio from an intern with no professional experience?
Yes, but define portfolio broadly. Coursework, personal projects, band posters, club social graphics, and unpaid work for a family business all count as long as they made the artwork themselves. Ask for a link plus one piece they walk you through, so you can tell original work from tutorial replication or template edits.
Evaluating answers
What does a good answer about handling design feedback sound like?
A good answer names a specific critique they received, what they changed, and what they kept and why. Listen for evidence they asked clarifying questions rather than silently redoing the file. Interns who describe critique as personal, or who claim they always agree with every note, will slow down revision cycles.
How can I tell if an intern understands typography and colour, not just the software?
Ask why they chose a specific typeface or palette in one of their own pieces. Strong answers reference legibility at size, hierarchy, x-height, contrast ratios, brand constraints, or print versus screen output. Weak answers stop at "it looked clean" or "it matched the vibe" without connecting the choice to the audience or medium.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
