Copy of PM Interview Guide

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Product

Product Design
Product Design

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Step 1: Narrow Scope

Is there a particular user in mind, or should I define that?

Is there a particular objective in mind, or should I define that?

What will this software be built on?

Mobile? Web?

Hardware?

What geography are we targeting?

Language?

Particular racial, ethnic, religious, cultural component?

For a complex product that includes services, partners, etc.

Try to focus on a part of the product, and make assumptions about the rest of it.

E.g. Bike rental service

Can we assume that users have to come pick-up their bikes at a specified location? Rather than have locations around the city?

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Step 2: Users

Define subsets of users that might effectively partition the total user segment

List users with very different needs

Pick a user, articulate why you think that user segment is particularly interesting or valuable to discuss

Tech-susceptible

Growing market

Underserved populations

Example:

The users for a gym might be pro-users, novice users, users who only take classes ad the gym, and users that barely ever go to the gym.

Pick the users that don’t go to the gym because they’re ripe for innovation and they’re wasting a large chunk of money on memberships

We believe we can expand this market substantially if we can crack the nut.

Step 3: Pain Points, Needs or Opportunities

Select some key pain-points, needs, or opportunities

Main point is to understand the needs/wants of the users better

Example

So, what prevents users from accomplishing their gym goals?

Bored at the gym

Intimidated by the gym, and don’t want to go

Busy schedules

Not knowing what to do at the gym

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Step 4: Ideas

Brainstorm several ideas that could address the pain-points or opportunities

Ideas

Personalization

Customization

Gamification

Competition

Social

etc.

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Step 5: Vision

Pick an idea, and then tell your interviewer what your proposal looks like in 5 or 10 years?

What’s the North Star?

Come up with a tag-line:

e.g. “It’s the [Gym] Assistant”

Example:

Let’s make the gym a fitness arcade of the future. Combining the amazing joy of an arcade with the healthy goal of staying fit.

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Step 6: Feature Priority

Define some features and use-cases

Walk the interviewer through a couple stories of a user interacting with this product to really paint the picture.

Prioritize the features based on your user segment’s pain points and product vision

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Step 7: Trade-Offs

Define some of the trade-offs of your approach

Example

By making the gym into an arcade, this may deter other types of users - such as the pro-users.

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Design Fundamentals

Interaction Model

Abstract ideology

An overarching set of design patterns that enable the user to engage with an applications functionality and content

E.g. word processing = adding text to a written page

E.g. Kindle = swiping right or left changes the pages

User Flow

Concrete workflow

User flows document how a user will move through all components of the application

This is the path a user will take through an application as they complete a certain task

Remember to discuss sub-flows

Messaging flow (direct messaging on instagram, for instance)

Photo view flow

User sign-up flow

Connecting points

Points that connect different workflows

Photo view-flow into messaging flow

Design Objectives

Leading with objectives

PM should focus on the objective guidance and let the design experts find the right tactics and path to achieve it.

Examples

The experience should be clean so the user isn’t distracted by lots of options

The call to action should be easily visible and prominent

The user should be educated on the key value proposition

Conversion

The act of converting a user from one state to another

Example

Non-user to a user

non-paying to subscribed, paying user

Key Questions

How much information does a user need before he/she converts?

What's the best way to convey that information? A video, images, charts, tables?

What's the right feel and tone for the conversion flow? Spartan and minimal or warm and fuzzy?

Discovery

Helping the user discover the value of the specific product, whether that be content, or functionality, or both.

How should we expose the content and/or functionality available in a productive manner?

Should there be an endless exposure of content (eg, like a Facebook newsfeed)? Or is too much content overwhelming?

At what point is it better for us to engage the user versus just allow them to explore? Or is exploring the same as discovering on our platform (eg, Pinterest)?

Engagement

Engagement objectives refer to actually engaging the user in the core functionality of the product.

What is the right way to nudge the user into engagement with the product?

How aggressive should the nudge be (eg, a full-screen call to action, or a persistent but small call to action)?

What's the right way to allow a user to disengage? Or to shift to other modes of the product (eg, conversion, education, discovery)?

Education

Education objectives refer to teaching the user how to use the product functionality and content. The goal of education elements is to demonstrate how to use the product and point out where various features and functionality can be accessed.

When designing product education flows, some of the key questions are:

Is specific product education necessary for this product? Or will a user figure it out him/herself quickly?

If so, what functionality is critical to explain to the user proactively?

Should this functionality be optional or forced? If forced, when in the user's lifecycle should it be forced?

Design Trends

Skeuomorphism

The design concept of making items represented resemble their real-world counterparts

Examples

Making a word processing page look like a notepad

Flat Design

A style of interface design emphasizing minimum use of stylistic elements that give the illusion of three dimensions. Minimal use of simple elements, typography, and flat colors.

Step 1: Narrow Scope

Step 2: Users

Step 3: Pain Points, Needs or Opportunities

Step 4: Ideas

Step 5: Vision

Step 6: Feature Priority