Google product design: home automation for people who are blind

You are a product manager at Google. Design a smart-home product for people who are blind. Explain which users you would focus on, which everyday problems at home the product should solve for them, what you would build first, and how you would measure whether it is working. ```hint Walk through a day without sight Trace an ordinary day at home step by step and note each moment that today depends on seeing something or asking a sighted person for help. Include the moments before the product works at all, such as unboxing and setup. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "blind" mean people with no usable vision only, or should low-vision users be included as well? - Should the design build on Google's existing smart-home devices and voice assistant, or is new hardware in scope? - Which market should launch first? Language support, housing types, and how devices are sold and installed vary by country. - Is success defined by blind users' independence and safety at home, by adoption, or by a business outcome such as device revenue? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear goal for the product and a specific segment within blind users, with the reasoning for that choice. - Pain points drawn from home tasks that currently depend on sight, ranked by how often they occur and how serious they are, including safety. - Solutions that give feedback without a screen and stay accessible from setup onward, prioritized into a defined first release. - Success metrics tied to independent, sustained use, with guardrails for false alerts, misidentification and privacy. - Risks such as loss of connectivity, over-reliance on voice, and cameras in private spaces, with mitigations. ### Follow-up Questions - The user shares the home with sighted family members. How does your design work for everyone, and who controls the settings? - The internet connection drops while the user relies on the system for safety alerts and the door lock. What must still work? - How would you test the first release with blind users before a wide launch, and what results would make you change course?