Struggles to talk through code, and feels anxious about behavioral questions.
Wants realistic practice but doesn’t have a mock interview partner.
← All work
MockAI · AI interview prep · 2024 to 2025
MockAI: helping engineers practice the talking part of interviews
Most engineers prep for interviews alone and on paper, then struggle to explain their thinking out loud. I co-founded MockAI and led three designers on the V3.0 concepts for storytelling, live practice, and staying motivated.
My roleCo-founder, founding UX designerLed 3 designers on V3.0
Team3 co-foundersWith two college friends
TimelineV2.0 in Aug 2024V3.0 concepts in 2025
Recognition6 design awards Including Gold, London Design Awards 2025
The problem
Engineers prep alone and on paper, then struggle to explain their thinking out loud. 96% of the 200+ tech recruiters we surveyed value communication as much as code.
What I did
I co-founded MockAI with two college friends and led design from the V2.0 voice interviews to the V3.0 concepts, leading three designers on V3.0.
The result
2K+users
6international design awards
iFDesign Award 2026
The problem
Prep tools only check the code
Most prep tools check whether your code is correct. Few help you practice explaining it, even though interviews happen out loud.
How might we
Give engineers a low-pressure place to practice talking through answers, with feedback they can actually use?
Who it’s for
Who we designed for
Both are strong engineers who have trouble explaining their thinking in an interview.
Hasn’t interviewed in years, and isn’t sure how to frame past achievements.
Needs practice that fits around a full-time job, and feedback that makes interviewing feel familiar again.
Research
What seven interviews told us
Engineering students, international candidates, and professionals in tech, chemistry, and finance all named the same struggles.
01
Speaking under pressure
Clear answers fell apart once the clock and an interviewer were in the room.
02
Thinking out loud
Candidates could solve the problem, but not explain how while coding.
03
Behavioral questions
Without coaching or friends to practice with, their stories came out rambling and nervous.
The solution
Four V3.0 concepts
I led three designers on four features.
01
Onboarding that defines your persona
Users pick how they want to come across (visionary, collaborative, or detail-oriented), and prompts help them recall work stories that show it.
02
A behavioral cheatsheet
Users turn their stories into STAR answers for a specific company, then refine them in a chat with AI suggestions on tone and structure.
03
A dashboard that builds a habit
Daily challenges and mock battles, short timed prompts that add a bit of pressure and give people a reason to come back.
04
Mock interviews with real-time coaching
Practice live or record an answer, then get feedback on how it came across, from AI and, if you want, from a real person.
Recognition
Six international design awards
MockAI won six awards from four international programs in 2025 and 2026. Each one links to its official winner page.
-
2026Winner
iF Design Award 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Branding & Communication · Apps/Software
-
2025Gold
London Design Awards 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- UX Design · Best Use of AI & Machine Learning
-
20252 × Silver
Indigo Design Award 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- Website Building Software
- Website Design for Social Change
-
20252 × Silver
MUSE Design Awards 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- Conceptual Design – AI
- Conceptual Design – Services
Also a nominee for the UX Design Award 2025.
What I took away
What I learned as a co-founder
Pitching is part of design
A good concept wasn’t enough to get my co-founders on board. I had to bring evidence and present it with conviction.
Don’t wait for perfect
Some of our best ideas came from rough prototypes, so we tested early and let what we heard change the plan.
Keep things moving
In a small early team, keeping work moving mattered as much as picking the right idea.
