Hi, and thank you for taking the time to share your interview experience. We appreciate the effort that goes into preparing a take-home assessment. In our industry, these are a common part of the interview process and help us understand how a candidate communicates ideas, translates trends into salable products, and presents their work. For candidates, it’s an opportunity to get a feel for how we collaborate—specifically, how feedback flows between the creative director, product development, and the design team. We always clarify that in-store or comp shopping is a suggestion, and not a requirement for this assessment, and we never use submitted work in any commercial capacity. Regarding work hours, we do not require—or request—designers to stay late. Communication with overseas partners may occasionally fall outside business hours, but this is infrequent and not part of the role during the 90-day probationary period. Our designers manage their own time, and if they choose to work outside standard hours, it’s at their discretion. We’re proud of the team we’ve built and always appreciate feedback that helps us improve our hiring process. Thank you again, and we wish you the best in your career.