I know this Q was not for me but I really want to put something out there. I can’t speak for people’s circumstances in life, it’s not my place to. However we all think we don’t have other opportunities and this may sound cliched, but honestly when I started saying no, especially to red flag opportunities, I ended up with much better ones that eventually opened doors to even better ones. I will never believe that I don’t have an option. I also didn’t have the luxury, I hit a 0 bank balance and my wife and I went through hell but I refused to keep taking on ridiculous clients.
In today’s environment it’s never been better to be a UX designer or related to that field. I’ve learnt the moment we give into some kind of fear or doubt we’ve closed to door to what else is out there. I wish you all the best and if this turns out to be a good opportunity then great work!
Totally agree. But! There is one thing why I, as a beginner, would probably take this assignment. That is - gaining experience and (if I am lucky) receiving some feedback from real people. No better way to learn than practicing. Dealing with
and
is also a nice (and free 
) practice!
To the group: do you think this might be a ruse to get help with a pitch? Ie the agency is pitching to O2?
c
i dont think so. o2 is a massive client, potentially worth a lot of money. Too risky and time-consuming to ask external interviewees for insights. Any decent UX’r will be able to produce an expert review anyway, so no value in this extra process.
for my most recent role, i had to produce an expert review also, and landed the job. I also had to do one for one other company i interviewed at. Whilst most companies dont expect this, some companies do sometimes ask this of their interviewees.
Of of the big problems with these types of interviews is that they never come with feedback. I’ve talked to dozens of UXers who have taken these types assessments. I’ve yet to speak with a single one who got feedback after failing this portion of the interview.
Hanoln’s Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity - but don’t rule out malice. Is it likely? No. Is it possible? Absolutely.
Unless, of course, the plan is to use the application process as a farm for ideas, and then use that idea as their own without hiring that UXer.
It’s sneaky and underhanded, but I have taken reports of it happening.
I haven’t been a UX designer yet though, so that’s my dilemma 
I’ve only just completed a 3 month UX certificate and I’m now seeking employment - period.
I don’t have the experience nor the resources to be choosy at this point, but I can appreciate your logic.
It was definitely an interesting learning experience as my first home assessment. I’m still unsure what the intended discussion pack was actually meant to consist of 
So created a 28 page doc consisting of a user test plan, recruitment surveys, tasks to test, test objectives, questionnaires and surveys, comms, timelines, schedule, Usability review template, accessibility checklist, etc
Out of curiosity, how much time did you spend on this assignment?
Most people plan on giving years of their life to their employer. You should always be choosy.
I’ll be sure to keep you all in the loop… however, I didn’t feel optimistic at the end.
I Was informed I should have feedback within a week…
I have since received the following email …this afternoon:
"Thanks for this Bryce,
Appreciate the extra content and effort"
That’s it? I’d folllow up and say that the email looks like it got truncated.
Honestly, I’d be surprised if he got any more feedback than that.
Yeah. 
They should have just written “Thanks for the free consultation Bryce, we will pass your findings onto our intern team to implement”
I hope I’m wrong though.
2 weeks ago now, no feedback.
Note to the group: if you’re not asked to come in face to face, run a mile.
or if you suspect its a con, write a goddam awful site review with mental advice
par l’example ici:
“it is good UX practice to put three confirmation buttons of varying colour next to each other to let the user choose the most reassuring button for them”
So what happened here? I’m interested in hearing the rest of the story!
Hi everyone,
I hope you are all doing well!? 
@lordmolesbury - "it is good UX practice to put three confirmation buttons of varying colour next to each other to let the user choose the most reassuring button for them”, but, is that not good UX??? Ooops… 
Sorry for the absence. So rude of me to not complete the first chapter of Bryce’s User Experience Interviews, Trials, and Tribulations!
So @dougcollins was correct, a week and half went by with not a peep from them, so I emailed… and asked for my deserved update. By then I knew that the response would be…
" Dear Bryce,
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat to us. We appreciate the time you spent to meet with us - and your effort with the Practical Assessment during our recruitment process.
Unfortunately, we will not be pursuing your candidacy for the available positions. We loved your attitude and drive but the selection process was highly competitive and we have decided to move forward with a candidates whose skills and experience are more in line with what we require for our business at the minute.
We thank you for your interest in Immersion UX, and wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Kind regards,
Lydia Erasmus Strydom
_ _
HR Operations"
That stinks, expected or not. I’m sympathy-sorry that happened to you.
Thanks! It’s ok. It was a good experience in many ways and my first official formal heuristic evaluation, UX presentation, and discussion pack