From reading HackerNoon articles to working for the company, I've come a long way. Hi! I’m Devansh, a self-taught designer & a 2022 CS graduate. And just like most of us amidst the hiring freeze and lay-offs, I too was looking for a job. I even “almost” landed one (A full-time design role at a Fintech, based in the US) but the HR left me stranded as they went into a hiring freeze, and my salary negotiation interview got scheduled but never happened. So, I was back to square one. A Ray of Hope 🤞 After scrolling for hours on LinkedIn in search of the role that suited me perfectly, I came across this: The moment I saw this, I knew I had to take a shot. I’ve been reading HackerNoon articles ever since one of my seniors introduced me to it back in 2019. So, without wasting any time I updated my resume and got my portfolio ready. The application procedure was quite simple and I could apply with ease. You just need to fill out your details, answer a few questions, add some links to your socials/portfolio, and your resume ofc. Ps: I won’t go into further details about the complete application form since we all like to discover things on our own & I don’t wanna be the one who ruins your adventure. The Interview Process 📃 The whole recruitment process was pretty straightforward with 3 Main Rounds, namely - The Application Round, a Test, and The Interview. I applied on September 10, 2022 Application Round: On September 24, 2022, I received the very first update (From none other than Hang) along with an anticipated timeline mentioning that I was still being considered. First Update: Depending on the team(s) you selected during the application, you receive your test(s). (You receive multiple tests if you apply to more than 1 team). On September 27, 2022, I received invites to the test round from both Social Media and Graphic Design Teams. Test Round(s): As per my interest, I ended up submitting the test for the latter. It took me a good whole week to finish up and meet the deadline (4th October) Test Submission: On October 18, 2022, the good news finally came in. I was invited for an interview with Kien Dao (Design Lead) at HackerNoon. I ended up selecting October 27, 2022, as Diwali was just around the corner. Interview Round: I had an amazing time with Kien during the interview and it became more of a 1-1 discussion about all things design rather than a typical boring interview. Interview: Finally the wait was over and the mail was here. Result: The Task that took me through to The Interview 🚀 After getting shortlisted, comes the task. These were the tasks that earned me a spot for the interview. The test from the Design Team comprised two tasks: Logo Design Task Motion Graphic Design Task Logo Design Task 🎨 The logo design task proved to be a perfect match for me. It challenged my brain to unleash its creativity to the fullest and bring some crazy ideas to life. Here’s the design brief that was sent over: So initially, I approached the problem statement keeping a few things in my mind: Gotta keep it simple Remember, ”Less is More” Don’t forget to add a pinch of Pixelated/Retro Vibe Process My process for this logo design sprint began with the 10/10 method where I produce 10 random ideas that come to my mind and then, later on, add further details to the design. 10/10 Method The 10/10 Method (as I call it) is all about sketching down 10 raw ideas in 10 minutes. (All based on your initial interpretation of the problem statement) & then figuring out the details for the same. Here are the 10 that I came up with initially: Adding details Come to think of it, Designers at HackerNoon did an excellent job designing the first SOTY ‘22 logo. The rocket is a very recognizable symbol. In order to come up with something as iconic as the one they used earlier, I opted for the “Innovation Bulb/Lamp” or we can say the “Idea Symbol”. It was based on my belief that a startup can only bloom if it has a solid foundation and a solid foundation is an idea that can make this world a better place - even if just a little. Ps: The humanoid bust represents the human factor of any startup/org & in order to incorporate the touch of Retro I went for a pixelated bulb. (Created in illustrator). Also, the filament here represents one’s journey through ups and downs to reach their goal. Colors In order to keep it simple and minimalistic I went for a combo of White (#FFFFFF) and Pigment Green (#1AA54A). The green here represents growth and sustainability - the ideals a startup should be built upon. Out of all other greens, Pigment Green hits the spot for me with a balance of 10% red, 62% green, and 28% blue. The white perfectly harmonizes with the green to create a calm tone. Final Submission After a fun week-long design sprint I finally ended up with my final designs for Startups of The Year 2022. Motion Graphic Design Task 🎥 The motion design task was next in line. It was fun and turned out to be a whole new learning experience in itself. Here’s the brief that was sent over. Just like before, I went in with the same approach of keeping it minimal. The process began with drawing out some frames that I had in mind and creating the basic flow (kinda like a storyboard). The final flow for the intro that I came up with was: The video opens with a pull-down light bulb that opens up the Logo animation Followed by the link Then came “Presented by Hackernoon” And at last, the sponsors. Final Submission During a whole week of balancing both tasks, I ended up messing up the deadline and had to improvise without the BG MUSIC 💀 (A major mistake when it comes to motion design. Music always comes first since it sets up the pace for the animation) Well that aside, here was my final submission (mp4→gif) for the motion graphics design task. The Happy Ever After ✨ Before I knew it, I was in an interview with . The interview went really well and we ended up discussing design trends. It became a friendly 1-1 meet rather than a typical interview. Kien And just like that the wait was over and was here: the mail Like the mail, the contract followed thereafter and in no time I officially onboarded HackerNoon as a Graphic Design Intern.
