I had a frustrating and somewhat concerning interview experience. During the final round with the designer, they mentioned assigning a test design project and said HR would follow up with the details. I asked upfront whether the work would actually be used, as I’ve previously had a negative experience with another company where my design work was used without permission after completing a test project. Given that, I wanted to be cautious and transparent. It’s also worth noting that I had already submitted my portfolio earlier in the process and even shared it again with HR, so my work and capabilities were already clearly presented. After that conversation, I never received the test assignment or any follow-up. The lack of response made the process feel unclear and raised concerns about whether the role was genuinely open, or if the process was more about assigning projects to meet internal KPIs rather than hiring. Overall, the experience lacked transparency and follow-through. Candidates’ time, effort, and intellectual property should be respected, especially when unpaid work is involved.