Upgrade to remove ads
Only $35.99/year

SONOS Interview Prep

Terms in this set (52)

What is SONOS?
Developer and manufacturer of wireless home audio products including smart speakers;

Sound experience company. Pioneered multi-room wireless audio
When was the company founded?
2002
Where is SONOS based?
Santa Barbara
Job title applying for
Junior Graphic Designer, Packaging Experience and Visual Design
Main job responsibilities
-solve design challenges w/ a core focus on experience, embracing company design philosophy of calm technology

-contribute to multiple product programs and work closely with lead designers to resolve real-world graphic design challenges

-support building of presentation material
-develop + maintain global pckging and print materials using SONOS visual design system

-participate in deep discussions
-ideate, develop, resolve design concepts through sketches mockups and models (2D/3D)

-assist development of guidelines to support our packaging design system as needed

-influence + support development of sustainable packaging efforts / initiatives
Key qualities they are looking for in the applicant:
-want to be part of a team (enjoy collaboration)

-enjoy challenges (ambitious, comfortable w/ making mistakes—learn from these)

-love to listen—approach interactions with curiosity and desire to understand, want to make positive impact in the world, and passionate about culture and know the power of music, film, podcasts, games, and stories that bring people together
SONOS company culture values
Respect, transparency, collaboration, listening, and ownership
According to SONOS, listening does what?
-brings people together
-builds understanding
-drives change
-makes us happier
What is Michelle Enright's job title at SONOS?
Senior Designer Manager, Packaging Experience & Visual Design (2012—8 years)
Where did Michelle work before SONOS?
Rieches Baird, Dioptics, Dell
Tell me more about yourself and your background?
Ive been in the graphic design field for 4 years now, recently graduated with a BFA in graphic design from Cal Poly. My most recent project was for the 2020 AmeriStar packaging competition, where I worked with an team of packaging students and a graphic design student over the course of 9 weeks to research, design, and develop an innovative package in our chosen category.
Because of covid, the timeframe, and nature of our work changed a bit, having a week less of time to complete the project and collaborated through completely virtual meetings which meant we had to adapt and find new ways around old methods, one of these included using online technology called Mural, where we were able to create our own virtual concept board, add "stickynotes" with our ideas to organize and group our thoughts, add them to graphs and things.
Having worked recently on these full scale packaging projects like this one has sparked my interest for packaging design, as I have found I really enjoy being involved in the entire process of a more complex project—it goes beyond creating just the graphics by being a part of the initial ideation, research, and development of the functionality of a design that then interacts with the graphic look and feel, which is very rewarding as the results are always so much better when you work on both parts and collaborate with a team that is diverse in skill sets.
Describe a project you're most passionate about / proud of and why / walk me through your process
Liquid Shade
- Ameristar packaging competition
- collaboration among a diverse team of packaging students graphic design students
- solved real world problem—sunscreen (addresses the issue of skin damage and the universal need for this type of product through new packaging and design solutions that address the function and awareness/reputation issues with todays sunscreen products.
- got to work on every aspect of the project, working on ideation, research / development all the way through the final rendering where I learned to use keyshot
- it was a one of my best experiences because I was involved in every step even though we all had our own set of skills and strengths it really helped to get each team members own perspective and approach to the problem and we found a lot of great ideas even though not all of them were a part of our final product.
-as we narrowed down on our package solution, acknowledging our strengths, we broke out and worked on different areas to get us to the final product
Why did you choose graphic design?
I grew up with a very particular eye for detail, and curiosity with "design". I always had a natural talent for drawing and painting and was constantly drawing or copying fancy lettering and labels from anything I came across, I was fascinated by handlettering and typography and logos before I even knew what they were. When I decided to apply as an art major I had a vague idea of what graphic design was and what it entailed so I didnt really go into knowing much but as soon as I started taking classes I knew I was in the right place, everything I was learning about design principles, color theory, and typography just made sense and grew my curiosity even more and I realized how much more I had to learn and it was exciting. As I continued my studies and completed more projects I really began to learn how much more graphic design was and how much it influences the world around us. As soon as I started doing larger scale projects that touched on other fields like packaging, branding, or photography and advertising that involved a lot of collaboration I knew I wanted to work in a field in design where I could do just that. Packaging in particular drew me in because of how tangible and relatable that form of design is, we experience it almost every day and you can feel that connection when the form and function is just perfectly intentional, you learn these principles in design classes but getting to actually physically feel and see the function of a design and the connection to it's aesthetic form is really exciting.
Why are you interested in this position? Why SONOS?
Well firstly SONOS is an impressive company that has produced high quality and innovative products for the audio / listening industry which is a great reflection of the work of it's employees, from the products it produces to the feeling when viewing its thoughtfully designed website, I know from these things that SONOS has a great understanding of user experience and its audience.
Since recently graduating and being on the job hunt
I am looking for companies that value growth and learning, especially when it's through a collaborative team environment. I want to be in a role where I am challenged and pushed to create meaningful design solutions and after reading this position's description,
I felt like everything aligned with my goals and values and I got to get an even better idea of the culture at SONOS. I believe it is a place where I will be challenged, listened to, and can bring great value. I feel the best work is produced in environment where people's ideas are heard, and can collaborate because not everyone thinks and works the same, and for me that is place I where want to work and know I will thrive in.
What do you hope to get from this opportunity?
I am hoping to learn and grow as a designer especially in the environment and mindset of a premium brand like SONOS. I have learned a lot about branding, packaging, and user experience but I want to be able to take that knowledge and apply it to real world situations and be able to push and enhance the SONOS visual design and brand experience. I also hope to meet and learn from other experienced designers in this field and be able collaborate with them.
Sets with similar terms