Microsoft Product Design Interview Questions

Review this list of 64 Microsoft product design interview questions and answers verified by hiring managers and candidates.
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Video answer for 'What's your favorite product and why?'
    +260

    "Clarify "What do you mean by favorite product? Are you thinking specifically hardware, software, or a feature within those, or something non-electronic? Dealer's Choice. "Are you asking why I love this product, or to explain why this product is a market leader independent of how i feel about it? Talk about why YOU love this product. Rephrase Question With all that in mind, i want to rephrase the question. "What is your favorite software product and what features in this product"

    Tim W. - "Clarify "What do you mean by favorite product? Are you thinking specifically hardware, software, or a feature within those, or something non-electronic? Dealer's Choice. "Are you asking why I love this product, or to explain why this product is a market leader independent of how i feel about it? Talk about why YOU love this product. Rephrase Question With all that in mind, i want to rephrase the question. "What is your favorite software product and what features in this product"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
    +2 more
  • +4

    "CQs: Any specific geography? Assuming Indian market Are we partnering up with some other company for delivery ? Assuming yes Time frame for MVP? 1 year Scoped out Problem statement: Design a food delivery app for restaurant owners for India market within a timeframe of 1 year Mission of this app: Helping owners and vendors in smooth coordination of orders and delivering orders on time Product goal: Since this is a new product , we will focus on adoption/acquisition in short t"

    Rajat A. - "CQs: Any specific geography? Assuming Indian market Are we partnering up with some other company for delivery ? Assuming yes Time frame for MVP? 1 year Scoped out Problem statement: Design a food delivery app for restaurant owners for India market within a timeframe of 1 year Mission of this app: Helping owners and vendors in smooth coordination of orders and delivering orders on time Product goal: Since this is a new product , we will focus on adoption/acquisition in short t"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Video answer for 'Design a LinkedIn for blue collar workers.'
    +39

    "Clarifying Questions & Assumptions: Blue collar :relating to manual work or workers, particularly in industry, they usually dont have college degree Linkedin: a social network that focuses on professional networking and career development. Why is linkedin expanding to blue collar workers? Ans: to expand new market as they have great untapped potential Do you want anew app or integrate it with Linkedin? Ans: you decide I would like to look more into the problem space before deciding on tha"

    D J. - "Clarifying Questions & Assumptions: Blue collar :relating to manual work or workers, particularly in industry, they usually dont have college degree Linkedin: a social network that focuses on professional networking and career development. Why is linkedin expanding to blue collar workers? Ans: to expand new market as they have great untapped potential Do you want anew app or integrate it with Linkedin? Ans: you decide I would like to look more into the problem space before deciding on tha"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    +8

    "Assumptions: Platform: iOS/Android and Web Application Service Type: Renting Bicycles (hourly, daily, weekly), possibility of buying or selling Geography: Focusing on Asian markets, e.g., India, where bicycles are a popular mode of transportation Role: Product Manager at Microsoft Objective: Design an app focusing on customer engagement and new customer acquisition Setting the Stage: Why a Renting Business? Market Potential: In Asian markets, a si"

    Nagendra S. - "Assumptions: Platform: iOS/Android and Web Application Service Type: Renting Bicycles (hourly, daily, weekly), possibility of buying or selling Geography: Focusing on Asian markets, e.g., India, where bicycles are a popular mode of transportation Role: Product Manager at Microsoft Objective: Design an app focusing on customer engagement and new customer acquisition Setting the Stage: Why a Renting Business? Market Potential: In Asian markets, a si"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
    +1 more
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Video answer for 'Design Facebook Messenger.'
    +54

    "Great explanation on each of the components and their use. During the interview would a PM candidate be expected to go in-depth for capacity estimation (e.g. storage estimation, bandwidth estimation etc.?)"

    A B. - "Great explanation on each of the components and their use. During the interview would a PM candidate be expected to go in-depth for capacity estimation (e.g. storage estimation, bandwidth estimation etc.?)"See full answer

    Engineering Manager
    Product Design
    +2 more
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  • +10

    "Design an alarm clock for blind people Clarifying question: Does it have to be a physical product or software? Your call Do I need to think about the long-term implications of the product from a strategy perspective or a single product? single product What are the metrics this company will focus on? Engagement What industry are we in? (start-up, google/Amazon, etc) - Startup What do we mean by blind? - ppl who cannot see anything, or people who still have sense of"

    Manu G. - "Design an alarm clock for blind people Clarifying question: Does it have to be a physical product or software? Your call Do I need to think about the long-term implications of the product from a strategy perspective or a single product? single product What are the metrics this company will focus on? Engagement What industry are we in? (start-up, google/Amazon, etc) - Startup What do we mean by blind? - ppl who cannot see anything, or people who still have sense of"See full answer

    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Product Manager
    Product Design
    +2 more
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Video answer for 'How would you improve your favorite product?'

    "When a question like this is asked what is really being asked is "how do you think about the elements that make up a product and how does each part add value?". I generally try to answer it with a feature that has to do with user interaction. Good answers to this question could include "I would add a button to edit a post, and make it more visible and accessible rather than buried in a menu". Your rationale might be "**because it encourages users to post without fear that they will make"

    Sydney S. - "When a question like this is asked what is really being asked is "how do you think about the elements that make up a product and how does each part add value?". I generally try to answer it with a feature that has to do with user interaction. Good answers to this question could include "I would add a button to edit a post, and make it more visible and accessible rather than buried in a menu". Your rationale might be "**because it encourages users to post without fear that they will make"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Video answer for 'Design a refrigerator for kids.'

    "I have a few clarifying questions before diving into designing a fridge for kids. What is this company in? - Startup exploring ideas to design fridge, or an already established fridge company - Startup Kids = which age group is referred to her or I can define the user segments? -* You can define it* Where is the refrigerator being used (household/school/daycare)? - Household Assumption: I am assuming Fridge's basic function is to freeze meats/ice cream/veggies etc and stor"

    Manu G. - "I have a few clarifying questions before diving into designing a fridge for kids. What is this company in? - Startup exploring ideas to design fridge, or an already established fridge company - Startup Kids = which age group is referred to her or I can define the user segments? -* You can define it* Where is the refrigerator being used (household/school/daycare)? - Household Assumption: I am assuming Fridge's basic function is to freeze meats/ice cream/veggies etc and stor"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    +19

    "First I will talk about this restaurant space in general. Types of restaurants, trends, think about how we can offer something that is differentiated to a viable buyer. Vision / mission of this product User segments - pick one Define user goals, user journey, needs/pain points Think about solutions to their pain points (10 min) Then I’d pick one or two of the solutions and define the features in more detail, as it ties to user journey. I’ll define tradeoffs **1.Restaurant sp"

    Yespm T. - "First I will talk about this restaurant space in general. Types of restaurants, trends, think about how we can offer something that is differentiated to a viable buyer. Vision / mission of this product User segments - pick one Define user goals, user journey, needs/pain points Think about solutions to their pain points (10 min) Then I’d pick one or two of the solutions and define the features in more detail, as it ties to user journey. I’ll define tradeoffs **1.Restaurant sp"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "During a trip to Japan, I encountered a significant language barrier that influenced how I communicated with others. As I didn't speak Japanese fluently, I had to rely on basic phrases and non-verbal communication to interact with locals. This experience made me realize the importance of understanding cultural diversity. Despite the language barrier, I found that people were patient and understanding. They appreciated my efforts to communicate in their language, even if it was limited. This expe"

    Vikas K. - "During a trip to Japan, I encountered a significant language barrier that influenced how I communicated with others. As I didn't speak Japanese fluently, I had to rely on basic phrases and non-verbal communication to interact with locals. This experience made me realize the importance of understanding cultural diversity. Despite the language barrier, I found that people were patient and understanding. They appreciated my efforts to communicate in their language, even if it was limited. This expe"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    +2

    "I'm going to structure my answer like this so it is easy for both of us to follow up and grasp them easily. Let's first clear out some of the grey areas and make them black and white. Also, decide what are in-scope and out of scope. Second, let's understand what is our goal for improvement - is it the customer experience or any specific feature in mind? for a group of users? Third, I will brainstorm what are the pain points for user personas and solutions to improve them. Fourth, I will priorit"

    Suhasan C. - "I'm going to structure my answer like this so it is easy for both of us to follow up and grasp them easily. Let's first clear out some of the grey areas and make them black and white. Also, decide what are in-scope and out of scope. Second, let's understand what is our goal for improvement - is it the customer experience or any specific feature in mind? for a group of users? Third, I will brainstorm what are the pain points for user personas and solutions to improve them. Fourth, I will priorit"See full answer

    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Video answer for 'Design a photo app for the blind.'

    "Context Photo app || Click images, videos via mobile app (android, ios) + editing + share + upload Who are we? || Startup who wants to build accessibility apps for the disabled people Why do we want to build this app? || Current apps are not usable by visually impaired, we can bring difference & gain market share. Constraints || To launch in next 12 months Is this app exclusively targeted for blind? || Yes but regular people may also use it but not our main target group **Goa"

    FuzzyLogic - "Context Photo app || Click images, videos via mobile app (android, ios) + editing + share + upload Who are we? || Startup who wants to build accessibility apps for the disabled people Why do we want to build this app? || Current apps are not usable by visually impaired, we can bring difference & gain market share. Constraints || To launch in next 12 months Is this app exclusively targeted for blind? || Yes but regular people may also use it but not our main target group **Goa"See full answer

    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "That is a great product opportunity. I see the vision to drive engagement by building a reward based experience to encourage kids to login to the app and track their books and trigger a visual pleasing experience when the child completes a book. The more complex the book, the bigger the reward."

    Christina Z. - "That is a great product opportunity. I see the vision to drive engagement by building a reward based experience to encourage kids to login to the app and track their books and trigger a visual pleasing experience when the child completes a book. The more complex the book, the bigger the reward."See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "Goals; Customer engagement/ acquisition; Persona: 60-70; User journey: Selecting the right flight → Adding details → Selecting the best coupon for payment; Web-Check in; At the airport: Luggage check-in; Boarding; Flight Travel; Arrival: Collecting the luggage from belt; I would be focusing on the first two steps: Selecting right flight + and web check-in → That seems the most challenging aspect an elderly; Pain Points/ Challenges: Selecting the right flight (Duration/ Pric"

    Shanti informatics - "Goals; Customer engagement/ acquisition; Persona: 60-70; User journey: Selecting the right flight → Adding details → Selecting the best coupon for payment; Web-Check in; At the airport: Luggage check-in; Boarding; Flight Travel; Arrival: Collecting the luggage from belt; I would be focusing on the first two steps: Selecting right flight + and web check-in → That seems the most challenging aspect an elderly; Pain Points/ Challenges: Selecting the right flight (Duration/ Pric"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 

    "Clarifying questions Key value proposition of the product: targeted search engine for kids to search the internet Target users: kids below 18 years of age Target geography: USA Form factor: web app Target market Kids (largely school students) are now increasingly using the internet for educational purposes to perform assignments, collaborate on projects etc. A search engine is a core need to access the internet for this audience and is needed quite frequently - almost every time a"

    Rahul J. - "Clarifying questions Key value proposition of the product: targeted search engine for kids to search the internet Target users: kids below 18 years of age Target geography: USA Form factor: web app Target market Kids (largely school students) are now increasingly using the internet for educational purposes to perform assignments, collaborate on projects etc. A search engine is a core need to access the internet for this audience and is needed quite frequently - almost every time a"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • "As a product manager in microsoft to support the customers I have to design a product. Let us take the E-Service as a name.In that we can see a form at first and after that a chat bot at the picture even there is a calling facility.Other queries done with the bot."

    Dheeraj sai P. - "As a product manager in microsoft to support the customers I have to design a product. Let us take the E-Service as a name.In that we can see a form at first and after that a chat bot at the picture even there is a calling facility.Other queries done with the bot."See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    +1

    "Clarifying Questions Who are we? Traditional elevator company or a new age tech startup Assumption: New age tech based elevator company Any constraints: Budget, etc. Assumption: No What kind of a skyscraper building: Assumption: Commercial. Includes office spaces as well as others Any particular goal with respect to building this elevator? Design best in class elevator providing the best user experience for passengers User needs - Users have the following needs when"

    Shasleen I. - "Clarifying Questions Who are we? Traditional elevator company or a new age tech startup Assumption: New age tech based elevator company Any constraints: Budget, etc. Assumption: No What kind of a skyscraper building: Assumption: Commercial. Includes office spaces as well as others Any particular goal with respect to building this elevator? Design best in class elevator providing the best user experience for passengers User needs - Users have the following needs when"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Product Design
    +1 more
  • Microsoft logoAsked at Microsoft 
    Video answer for 'How would you improve the experience of moving to a new city?'
    +1

    " I would ask some clarifying questions to refine my objective and know about our users? What do you mean by experience? Travel, food, short stay, long stay, dating, event, work, airport, registration? - Improve Food, Travel, Event experience, which can be a short or long stay. What do you mean by the movement to a new city? International travel/ within a specific country (designing solution for any country?) or any geography? - within a country suppose India What is our business objecti"

    Ajinkya P. - " I would ask some clarifying questions to refine my objective and know about our users? What do you mean by experience? Travel, food, short stay, long stay, dating, event, work, airport, registration? - Improve Food, Travel, Event experience, which can be a short or long stay. What do you mean by the movement to a new city? International travel/ within a specific country (designing solution for any country?) or any geography? - within a country suppose India What is our business objecti"See full answer

    Product Design
    Analytical
    +1 more
  • +4

    "Me: First of all, I’d like to have some clarification about this project. Me: What is the current product line design of the vending machine? Is this a traditional vending machine? Customers pay money cash or credit card, and select products and receive the product. Interviewer: Yes, that is the correct assumption. We make vending machines for canned drinks and bottled drinks. Another product line is for selling small packaged snacks. Me: What is the goal of this project? Is"

    Takashi M. - "Me: First of all, I’d like to have some clarification about this project. Me: What is the current product line design of the vending machine? Is this a traditional vending machine? Customers pay money cash or credit card, and select products and receive the product. Interviewer: Yes, that is the correct assumption. We make vending machines for canned drinks and bottled drinks. Another product line is for selling small packaged snacks. Me: What is the goal of this project? Is"See full answer

    Product Design
    Execution
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