I applied for a design role and the process started well but became frustrating due to unclear expectations and poor communication. Step 1: I was assigned a major design task to create an end-to-end concept for an AI-powered cooking assistant app (CookSnap). I designed the complete journey including fridge scanning, ingredient detection, personalized meal suggestions, guided cooking through voice and chat, visual flows for multimodal interaction, and future scope. I documented the entire process with detailed UI screens, flows, and supporting slides. Step 2: The second round was with the VP of Product and was supposed to be a discussion about my first submission. However, he joined 10 minutes late, had not reviewed my submitted work, had not seen my portfolio, and appeared unprepared. The conversation was unfocused and unproductive. Instead of receiving feedback or having a meaningful discussion, I was given another quick task to redesign the YouTube Premium mobile homepage, which I also completed with a polished UI concept and final screens. Step 3: After completing both tasks, I was told I was being rejected because they were looking for “more end-to-end visual design submission.” This was puzzling because my first task was exactly that. If this was the actual reason, it should have been identified during or right after the second round instead of assigning more work. What went wrong: • No proper review or discussion of my first large-scale submission • Shifting expectations between rounds • Feedback that contradicted the work delivered • Unprofessional conduct in the second round with the VP of Product • Lack of preparation and respect for the candidate’s time • Delayed and vague closure Advice to Management: Be clear about expectations from the start and stick to them. Review candidate submissions before interviews and come prepared. If there are concerns with a submission, address them immediately instead of adding more tasks without alignment. Respect the time and effort candidates put into the process by giving timely and constructive feedback. Overall Impression: Interesting product space and design challenges, but the interview process was poorly managed, with unclear expectations and unprofessional behavior in key rounds. This resulted in wasted effort and a negative candidate experience.