Product Design Case: Rethinking the First Screen People See on YouTube

You are asked to design YouTube's front page, the first screen people see when they arrive on the website or open the app. What would you build? ```hint Start from why people arrive Before placing any section, list the different reasons someone lands on this page and what each of them needs to see in the first few seconds. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - By the front page, do you mean the home feed people see when they open YouTube, or a page aimed at visitors who have never used it? - Should I design for signed-in viewers with a watch history, signed-out visitors, or both? - Which surface matters most here: the phone app, desktop web or the TV app? - What should the design move first: how satisfied viewers are, how often they come back, or creator and ad outcomes? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated reading of the prompt and a chosen user segment and surface, with the reasons for both - Pain points of today's first screen for that segment, tied to why they arrived - A concrete page layout or feature set, prioritized, with what is left out - Success metrics with guardrails that cover viewers, creators and advertisers - Trade-offs such as personalization against discovery, and choice against simplicity ### Follow-up Questions - How would the page work for someone visiting for the first time, with no watch history at all? - Your redesign lowers total watch time slightly but raises viewer satisfaction scores. Do you ship it? - How would the design change on the TV app, where people browse with a remote from across the room?