What is a UX/UI Designer?

At Whatnot, the UX/UI Designer (often titled Product Designer) is a pivotal role that sits at the intersection of community, entertainment, and commerce. You are not simply designing interfaces; you are shaping the future of livestream shopping. This role requires you to build for a two-sided marketplace, creating seamless experiences for buyers who crave engagement and sellers who need powerful enterprise-grade tools to manage their businesses.

You will be expected to tackle high-ambiguity problems, often taking products from "zero-to-one." Whether you are focusing on the Seller Experience—optimizing complex inventory and shipping workflows—or the consumer-facing live auction interface, your work directly impacts the platform's growth and usability. The design culture here is hands-on; you will be collaborating deeply with engineering, product, and operations to ship scalable systems that solve real user problems.

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation for Whatnot requires a shift in mindset from purely visual design to holistic product ownership. You must demonstrate that you can handle end-to-end design processes in a fast-paced, remote-first environment.

Product Thinking & Strategy – You must show that you understand the "why" behind your design decisions. Interviewers will assess your ability to balance user needs with business goals, specifically within a marketplace context. You should be ready to discuss how your designs drive metrics like conversion, retention, or seller efficiency.

Interaction Design & Systems Thinking – Whatnot values designers who can untangle complex flows. You will be evaluated on your ability to design for edge cases and scalable systems, not just "happy paths." Proficiency in prototyping tools (Figma, Protopie, Framer) is essential to demonstrate how your solutions feel and function in real-time.

Execution in Ambiguity – As a fast-growing company, we often operate with undefined requirements. You need to demonstrate a track record of thriving in ambiguous environments, defining new product spaces, and shipping high-quality work without needing constant hand-holding.

Culture Fit & "Dogfooding" – We believe the best way to build for our users is to be a user. You will be evaluated on your familiarity with the Whatnot platform. Candidates who have actually used the app to buy or sell generally perform better because they possess genuine empathy for the user base.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process at Whatnot can be rigorous and, at times, lengthy. It typically begins with a recruiter screen to align on your background and interest in the livestream shopping space. From there, you will move into a series of interviews that may include a portfolio review, specific skills assessments (app critique or whiteboard challenge), and behavioral rounds.

Candidates have reported that the process can involve meeting various team members across different functions, reflecting our collaborative culture. While some candidates experience a smooth and quick process, others have noted that it can feel extended with multiple touchpoints. The goal is to ensure you can wear "many hats" given the lean nature of our design teams. You should be prepared for a deep dive into your past projects, with a strong preference for candidates who can articulate their specific contributions clearly.

The timeline above illustrates the typical flow. Note that the Portfolio Review is often the most critical stage; this is where you must defend your design decisions against senior designers. Use the time between the Recruiter Screen and the Onsite Loop to refine your case studies, focusing specifically on complex problem-solving and business impact.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Your interviews will focus on your practical ability to deliver value. Based on candidate experiences and our operational needs, you should prepare thoroughly for the following areas.

Portfolio Review & Craft

This is the core of your evaluation. You will present past work to a panel of designers and cross-functional partners.

Be ready to go over:

• Complex Workflows – Showcasing how you simplified a complicated process (e.g., enterprise dashboards, inventory management, or supply chain tools).
• Zero-to-One Projects – demonstrating how you navigated a project from a vague idea to a shipped product.
• Prototyping – Showing live prototypes (using Protopie or Framer) rather than just static screens is highly effective here.
• Advanced concepts – Designing for accessibility and inclusive user experiences within a high-velocity marketplace.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk us through a project where you had to balance seller efficiency with platform constraints."
• "Show us a time you used user research to pivot your design direction completely."
• "How did you handle the hand-off process with engineering for this feature?"

Product Sense & Strategy

Beyond visuals, we test your ability to think like a Product Manager. You need to understand the marketplace dynamics of Whatnot.

Be ready to go over:

• Marketplace Dynamics – Understanding the relationship between buyers and sellers.
• Metrics – How you measure the success of a design (e.g., time-to-task, conversion rate).
• Trade-offs – Explaining why you chose one solution over another based on resource constraints or technical feasibility.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "If we wanted to increase the number of sellers going live daily, what features would you prioritize and why?"
• "Critique the current onboarding flow for a new user on Whatnot. What is broken?"
• "How do you decide when a feature is 'good enough' to ship?"

Collaboration & Culture

We look for "bold, forward-thinking problem solvers." This session assesses how you work with others and handle feedback.

Be ready to go over:

• Cross-functional communication – How you advocate for design while respecting engineering limitations.
• Conflict resolution – Handling disagreements on design direction.
• Mentorship – If applying for senior roles, how you elevate the craft of those around you.

The word cloud above highlights the frequency of terms like "Seller," "Prototyping," "Workflow," and "Marketplace." This indicates that your preparation should be heavily weighted toward enterprise/B2B-style design challenges (for sellers) and high-fidelity interaction design, rather than just consumer visual polish.

Key Responsibilities

As a UX/UI Designer at Whatnot, your day-to-day work is diverse. You will be responsible for end-to-end product design, meaning you will own the process from initial research and wireframing to high-fidelity prototyping and QA.

You will frequently collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers to translate complex requirements into intuitive experiences. For those on the Seller Experience team, this involves designing tools that automate repetitive processes, manage inventory, and handle logistics—essentially building an enterprise platform that feels as simple as a consumer app.

Additionally, you will contribute to the broader design system, ensuring consistency across our web and mobile platforms. You are expected to use data and user feedback to iterate on existing features. A unique part of the role is the expectation to "dogfood" the app; you will actively use Whatnot as a buyer or seller to identify friction points and uncover opportunities for innovation.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for this role, you generally need a blend of high-level strategic thinking and hands-on technical execution.

• Technical Skills

  • Must-have: Expert proficiency in Figma.
  • Must-have: Strong prototyping skills (e.g., Protopie, Framer, or advanced Figma prototyping).
  • Must-have: Experience designing for mobile (iOS/Android) and web.
  • Nice-to-have: Experience with design systems and accessibility standards.

• Experience Level

  • Typically 5+ years of Product Design experience with a strong portfolio of shipped work.
  • Proven experience in zero-to-one product launches.
  • Background in e-commerce, marketplaces, or supply chain management is significantly advantageous.

• Soft Skills

  • Ability to communicate complex interaction models clearly to engineers.
  • Comfort working in a remote-first, asynchronous environment.
  • Strong autonomy; ability to move projects forward without constant oversight.

Common Interview Questions

The following questions reflect the types of inquiries candidates face at Whatnot. They focus heavily on past experience and your ability to articulate your design process.

Portfolio & Experience

• "Tell me about a project that didn't go as planned. What did you learn?"
• "Walk me through a complex workflow you designed. How did you simplify it for the user?"
• "How have you used data to inform a specific design decision in your portfolio?"
• "Describe a time you had to design for a two-sided marketplace (e.g., buyer vs. seller needs)."

Behavioral & Situational

• "How do you handle feedback from stakeholders that contradicts your user research?"
• "Tell me about a time you had to compromise on design quality to meet a deadline."
• "How do you foster a strong design culture in a remote team?"
• "Give an example of a time you proactively identified a problem and solved it without being asked."

Craft & Execution

• "How do you approach designing for edge cases in a transaction flow?"
• "What is your process for handing off designs to engineering? How do you ensure the build matches the design?"
• "If you could change one thing about the Whatnot app right now, what would it be and why?"

These questions are based on real interview experiences from candidates who interviewed at this company. You can practice answering them interactively on Dataford to better prepare for your interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does the interview process take? The process can vary. While some candidates move through in a few weeks, others have reported a longer timeline with intervals between steps. It is important to follow up with your recruiter if you haven't heard back, as the process can sometimes lack transparency regarding timeline updates.

Q: Is this role fully remote? Yes, Whatnot is a remote-first company with hubs in the US (LA, SF, NYC, Seattle) and Europe. You generally have the option to work remotely (within the US for US-based roles) or from one of the office hubs.

Q: What is the "Dogfooding" allowance mentioned in benefits? Whatnot provides a monthly allowance for employees to spend on the app. This is to encourage you to understand the product deeply. You are expected to use this to buy items, experience the live auctions, and understand the user journey firsthand.

Q: Do I need experience in Livestreaming apps? While not strictly required, experience in e-commerce, social platforms, or marketplaces is highly preferred. Understanding the mechanics of a two-sided marketplace (buyers and sellers) is more critical than livestreaming specifically.

Other General Tips

Download and Use the App Immediately: Do not walk into an interview without having created an account, watched a few live streams, and ideally, purchased a small item. You need to speak the language of the platform.

Focus on the Seller: Many candidates focus only on the buying experience because it's fun. However, Whatnot's business relies heavily on empowering sellers. If you can discuss how to make sellers more successful (inventory tools, analytics, shipping), you will differentiate yourself.

Prepare for Ambiguity: In your behavioral answers, highlight instances where you created structure out of chaos. Whatnot is growing fast, and they need designers who don't need a perfectly written product requirement document (PRD) to get started.

Highlight "Shipped" Work: They value execution. Ensure your portfolio clearly distinguishes between conceptual work and live, shipped products. Be prepared to discuss the results of what you shipped.

Summary & Next Steps

The UX/UI Designer role at Whatnot is an opportunity to shape the future of social commerce. You will be joining a team that values innovation, autonomy, and a deep connection to the community. To succeed, focus your preparation on demonstrating strong systems thinking, high-fidelity prototyping skills, and a clear understanding of marketplace dynamics.

The compensation for this role is competitive, ranging from $153,000 to $235,000 USD. This range reflects the high bar for talent and the expectation that you will drive significant impact from day one.

Approach your interviews with confidence. Show them that you are not just a designer of screens, but a builder of businesses who understands the intricacies of connecting buyers and sellers. Review your case studies, practice your storytelling, and get ready to demonstrate why you are the right person to build the next generation of live shopping.

For more insights and to track interview patterns, you can explore further resources on Dataford. Good luck!