Canva
Open-ended with AI usage mandated and scored explicitly, interviewers pause after every generation and ask "what does this code do?"
Canva takes the open-ended format and makes the AI a first-class, scored part of it: AI usage is mandated and evaluated explicitly. This is the clearest instance of a company treating the AI itself as a skill under test rather than a tool you may or may not use.
What interviewers do
The behavior candidates report most: after each AI generation, the interviewer pauses and asks "what does this code do?" They're not asking whether the code is right — they're asking whether you can walk through the generated logic confidently. If you can't, it tells them you're not really directing the work.
This makes the verification skill central. Every time you hand the AI a prompt, budget for a follow-up explanation: read the output, understand every non-obvious line, and be ready to narrate it on demand.
How to prepare
Tactical checklist
- Design first: entities, data structures, approach — before you prompt.
- After every generation, silently re-read it, then expect the "what does this code do?" question.
- If the AI added an abstraction you can't justify, say so and simplify.
- Keep your prompts specific enough that the output is explainable.
- Never accept a generation you can't walk through.
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- Canva mandates AI usage and scores it explicitly.
- After each generation, the interviewer asks "what does this code do?" — you must walk the logic.
- Working with your real tools is fine, but the judgment must be visibly yours.
- The full article, complete and uninterrupted
- All pattern deep-dives and problem breakdowns
- Practice sandbox and verdict feedback