In short: Send a follow up email after an interview within 24 hours. Keep it under 150 words, thank them, mention one specific detail from the conversation and include anything you promised to send. If you hear nothing by their decision date, wait two working days and send a short check in.

The interview went well, and the designer knows it. On the bus home she opens her laptop and starts the thank-you email. It grows. Paragraph two explains her design philosophy. Paragraph four revisits an answer she wishes she’d given better. By the time she reaches her stop it’s 400 words long, and she can’t bring herself to send it. So the follow up email after an interview she’d enjoyed never gets sent.

The other candidate on the shortlist sent four lines that evening. They thanked the design lead, mentioned the packaging problem she’d described with the supplier in Gujarat, and included the link to the case study he’d promised. When the team met two days later to decide, his name came up first.

A follow up email after an interview is a small piece of design. It has a brief (thank them, remind them who you are), a constraint (they’ll read it on a phone between meetings) and a deadline. Get those right and it does its quiet work. This guide covers how to follow up after a design interview: when to send one, what to put in it and six email templates you can copy and adapt.

When to send a follow up email after an interview

Send a thank you email within 24 hours. If they told you when they’d decide and that date passes, wait two working days, then send a short check in. One more, a week later, is fine. If you still hear nothing, move on and put your energy into other applications.

Who to send it to

Email the person who arranged the interview, usually the recruiter or hiring manager. If you met a panel, you can send one email to the hiring manager and ask them to pass on your thanks. If you have everyone’s email, short separate notes work well, as long as each one mentions something you talked about with that person. Five copies of the same email, sent at the same minute, look exactly like what they are.

What goes in it

A good follow up has a clear subject line with your name and the role, so it’s easy to find later. Then a thank you, one specific detail from the conversation, a line on why you’re still keen, and anything you promised to send, like a link or a case study (Show Your Working helps if it still needs writing up). Sign off warmly.

The specific detail is what makes it work. Our second candidate’s mention of the supplier in Gujarat told the design lead he’d been listening, and it put his face back in her head as she read. The questions you asked at the end are a good source, and Your Turn has fifteen to choose from. Keep the whole email under 150 words and send links instead of large attachments.

Six interview follow up templates

Copy these, change the bits in square brackets, and make the details your own.

1. The thank you email after an interview

Subject: Thank you, [Your name], [Role] interview

Hi [Name],

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today about the [Role] role. I really enjoyed hearing about [specific project or challenge they mentioned], and it made me even more excited about the work your team is doing.

As promised, here’s the link to [case study or project]: [link]

Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me.

Best,
[Your name]
[Portfolio link]

2. The thank you with a small idea

Use this one when the interview raised a problem you can add a thought to. Keep the idea brief and modest, as the aim is to show you’re interested.

Subject: Thanks for today, and a quick thought on [topic]

Hi [Name],

Thanks again for the conversation this afternoon. I kept thinking about what you said on [problem, for example onboarding drop-off]. One thing I’d want to explore is [one sentence idea], perhaps starting with [small first step].

I’d love to dig into it properly if I join the team.

Best,
[Your name]

3. The check in after their deadline

Subject: Checking in, [Role] application

Hi [Name],

I hope you’re well. I wanted to check in on the [Role] position, as you mentioned the team hoped to decide by [date]. I’m still very interested and happy to share anything else that would help.

Best,
[Your name]

4. After a take-home task

Use this when you send the task back. The Homework Test covers the task itself.

Subject: [Your name], take-home task for [Role]

Hi [Name],

Here’s my response to the design task: [link]. I’ve included a short note on my assumptions and what I’d do next with more time. I’m happy to walk through it on a call.

Thanks for the chance to work on it.

Best,
[Your name]

5. The reply to a rejection

A gracious reply keeps the door open, and plenty of designers get hired later by teams that turned them down the first time.

Subject: Re: [Role] application

Hi [Name],

Thank you for letting me know, and for the time you and the team spent with me. I enjoyed learning about [team or project]. If you’re able to share any feedback, I’d really appreciate it. I’d love to be considered for future roles.

Best,
[Your name]

6. The reply to an offer

Subject: Re: Offer, [Role]

Hi [Name],

Thank you so much, I’m delighted to receive the offer. Could you send the full details in writing? I’d like to review them and will get back to you by [date].

Best,
[Your name]

Asking for time to review an offer is completely normal, and it gives you room to negotiate. Our upcoming guides on pay and negotiation cover the next step.

What tends to go wrong

Most follow-up mistakes come from trying too hard. The 400-word essay is the classic. Sending the same generic note to everyone on the panel is another, along with attaching a 30 MB portfolio when a link would do. Following up every other day turns keen into anxious pretty quickly. And check every name and company detail before you hit send, as a misspelled name undoes all the good work.

The Designer’s Interview Playbook covers the whole interview, from preparation to follow up.