Solving Product Design Exercises

1. Design is about market relevance and meaningful results, not just aesthetics

"Design isn't just about beauty; it's about market relevance and meaningful results."

Beyond visual appeal. Design in the tech industry has evolved beyond creating visually appealing interfaces. Top companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon expect designers to play a role that focuses on product thinking and business impact. This shift requires designers to understand company goals, user needs, and how their work connects to broader business objectives.

Business value of design. Designers who can help companies solve business problems are increasingly valued. They need to be aware of:

• How design affects business outcomes
• The importance of design within the organization
• How to optimize design to deliver on key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Methods for measuring a design's performance

2. Product thinking and business awareness are crucial skills for designers

"Strong product thinking means that you understand what a good outcome is and how to design an experience that would lead to those good outcomes."

Essential skills. Product thinking and business awareness are critical for designers to progress in their careers and create impactful work. These skills involve:

• Understanding the company's business goals
• Knowing how design work connects to these goals
• Identifying target users and their needs
• Measuring the success of design work

Bridging the gap. Many designers struggle with these skills due to:

• Lack of education in business aspects of design
• Over-emphasis on visual skills in design communities
• Misalignment between company expectations and designer skills
• Limited resources for practicing product thinking

3. The framework for solving product design exercises: 5W1H

"Your job during the interview exercise is to demonstrate how you answer these questions and follow a process."

5W1H framework. This approach helps designers structure their thinking and problem-solving process:

• Why: Understand the goal of the product or feature
• Who: Define the target audience
• When and Where: Understand the context and conditions of use
• What: List potential ideas and solutions
• How: Measure the success of the solution

Process over perfection. Following a structured process demonstrates:

• Critical thinking skills
• Ability to ask relevant questions
• Understanding of user needs and business goals
• Capacity to prioritize and make design decisions

4. Understanding the goal and defining the audience are critical first steps

"A great way to start your solution and presentation is to define what it is that you're aiming for and how it helps the business."

Goal clarity. Begin by clearly articulating:

• The problem being solved
• The product's importance
• Its potential impact on users and the business

Audience definition. Identify and describe the target users:

• Demographics (age, gender, location)
• Psychographics (interests, values, lifestyle)
• Specific needs and pain points
• Potential subgroups within the main audience

5. Explore context, needs, and ideas before prioritizing solutions

"To understand the various high-level types of audience for the product, ask yourself — what are the categories of people who have significantly different motivations for using this product?"

Context and needs. Analyze:

• When and where the product will be used
• User emotions and motivations
• Specific user stories and scenarios

Idea generation. List potential solutions considering:

• Different product types (digital, physical, hybrid)
• Various platforms (mobile, desktop, wearable)
• Interface options (graphic, voice, AR/VR)

Prioritization. Evaluate ideas based on:

• Impact on users and business
• Implementation effort
• Potential reach and value

6. Solve the problem with user-centric design and measure success

"Doing it poorly will significantly decrease your chances of getting hired. In this step, you'll have to demonstrate your UI/UX skills."

Design process. Focus on:

• Creating user flows and journeys
• Developing wireframes and prototypes
• Considering accessibility and usability

Success metrics. Define how to measure the solution's effectiveness:

• User engagement and retention
• Task completion rates and times
• Revenue or cost-saving impact
• Net Promoter Score (NPS)

7. Effective presentation of design solutions is key to success

"Since the goal of these exercises is to evaluate a designer's thinking, the presentation should include all of the thinking that led to the solution."

Presentation structure. Include:

• Problem statement and goals
• Target audience definition
• Context and user needs analysis
• Idea generation and prioritization process
• Detailed solution explanation
• Success metrics and measurement plan

Communication tips:

• Clearly explain design decisions and rationale
• Discuss both strengths and weaknesses of the solution
• Be prepared to handle feedback and answer questions
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence in your work

8. Companies use design exercises to evaluate candidates' skills and thinking process

"It's such a good technique because there's no faking (like showing portfolio work from a big team effort)."

Purpose of design exercises. They allow companies to:

• Assess candidates' problem-solving skills
• Evaluate their ability to work under pressure
• Gauge communication and presentation skills
• Understand their design process and decision-making

Types of exercises:

• Live whiteboarding (15-40 minutes)
• On-site exercises (1 hour with presentation)
• Take-home exercises (8 hours to a week)

9. Different types of design exercises test various aspects of a designer's abilities

"Candidates aren't judged solely by the final result. The goal of exercises is to understand how the candidate approaches the problem, what their process is and how they work with the team."

Skills evaluated:

• Product thinking and business awareness
• User-centered design approach
• Visual design and UI skills
• Communication and presentation abilities
• Ability to handle feedback and criticism

Exercise focus areas:

• New product development
• Improving existing products
• Conceptual tasks
• Business metric-oriented challenges

10. Designers should prepare for interviews by practicing product thinking

"Practice your product design and UX skills. Prepare for your next job interview."

Preparation strategies:

• Study and practice the 5W1H framework
• Work on sample design exercises
• Develop a structured approach to problem-solving
• Improve presentation and communication skills

Resources for practice:

• Online design challenges and case studies
• Design communities and forums
• Mentorship programs
• Self-initiated projects focusing on business problems

Last updated: November 25, 2024