Whiteboard interview-day checklist

A printable timeline from several days out through the close. Use it for remote and in-person whiteboard rounds. Skip any row that does not match your format.

Several days before

Run two or three timed rounds on WiBo using the 30-minute framework and a realistic practice prompt.
Score one finished round with the self-evaluation rubric. Practice the two lowest categories.
Rehearse an opening: restate the prompt, ask a short cluster of clarifying questions, and name assumptions out loud.
Research the company at a product level: who they serve, main surfaces, and one recent product change. Skip memorizing a company-specific interview script.
Confirm format, duration, board tool, and who will be in the room. Write those facts on this page.
Test the full stack on a dummy board: camera, mic, share, drawing tool, and a second screen if you use one.
Decide what you will carry: markers, notebook, water, ID, and a backup pen. Check travel time at the hour you will go.

The day before

Print this checklist or bookmark it. Put the 30-minute timeboxes where you can see them.
Confirm calendar time, time zone, meeting link or office address, and a backup contact.
Charge the laptop, update the drawing tool, pick a quiet room, and test the exact meeting software.
Lay out clothes, ID, directions, and a transit buffer. Know where you will wait after check-in.
Write a close template you can reuse: problem, primary user, choice, why, metric, next step.
Set two alarms. Stop extra practice at a reasonable hour. Sleep and food beat another prompt.

Immediately before

Water, bathroom, and a short stretch. Put a visible timer where you can glance without staring.
Join five minutes early. Headphones on, notifications off, blank board open, name and camera framed.
Arrive with time to check in. Phone silent. Uncap and test markers. Stand where you can reach the board.
Repeat one sentence: clarify, frame, explore, commit, and close. If tech fails, say so immediately and ask for a backup board.

Starting the challenge

Greet them. Confirm how long you have and which board to use.
Read the prompt out loud. Restate it in one sentence and check that you heard it.
Ask a short cluster of clarifying questions: users, constraints, success, platform, and what is out of scope.
Write assumptions on the board. Name a primary user and the problem you will solve in this round.
Sketch a rough agenda with timeboxes. Invite a course correction: you will start here unless they want a different depth.

During the challenge

Think out loud. Silence reads as lost even when you are working.
Glance at the clock at each stage. Cut polish, not the close. Labels beat decoration.
Show two or three options, then commit. Say why this path, and what you are not doing.
Tie each decision to the user, the constraint, or the success metric. Draw the flow, not UI chrome.
When they push, restate the feedback, change the board, and say what you dropped. Do not defend a sketch.
Check in: ask whether this matches what they wanted to see. Ask only questions that would change the design.
If you stall, name the tradeoff out loud and pick a path. Speak to the interviewer, not only the board.

Concluding and presenting

Leave about three minutes. Stop drawing even if a screen is unfinished.
Summarize: problem, primary user, solution, key flow, main tradeoff, success metric, and next step.
Say what you would prototype or research next, and what you would cut if you had half the time.
Ask if they want a different area deepened. Thank them. Do not apologize for a rough sketch.

After the interview

Write the prompt, your problem statement, what they pushed on, and what you would redo.
Score yourself with the rubric the same day. Note one behavior to practice next.
If a thank-you note is part of their process, send a short one with one specific moment from the round. Skip a full recap of your solution.
Schedule the next WiBo practice session. If there is another round, reuse this checklist for that format.

Related resources

30-minute whiteboard challenge framework: A timeboxed structure for a live product design round: clarify, frame the problem, explore options, commit, and leave a clear next step.
10 realistic practice prompts: Ambiguous, interview-style prompts you can run on your own or in a WiBo session. Built to feel like the real whiteboard, not a portfolio tutorial.
Self-evaluation rubric: A 1-to-5 self-score for a finished round: framing, questions, product thinking, communication, and close. Practice only, not a hiring prediction.

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