Product Sense: Accessible, Easy-to-Navigate Video Streaming for Older Adults
Company: Google
Role: Product Manager
Category: Product Design & Strategy
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Other
Design a video streaming app made for older adults. Explain which older viewers you would build it for, what makes watching video hard for them today, which features you would include in the first release and why, and how you would measure whether the product works.
```hint Older adults are not one user
The label covers people who stream every day and people who cannot start a show without a family member's help. Choose one group, and let its specific barriers drive the features rather than a generic accessibility checklist.
```
### Clarifying Questions
- Is this a new standalone app or an easier mode of an existing streaming service, and which devices (smart TV, tablet, phone) matter first?
- What kind of video should it offer: long-form films and series, creator videos, live TV-style channels, or a mix?
- How is it paid for (subscription, ads or free), and is a particular market or language the priority?
- Is the main goal to reach older adults who do not stream today, or to keep those who already do?
### What a Strong Answer Covers
- A segmentation of older adults by digital confidence, device and living situation, with a justified focus segment
- Concrete barriers for that segment, such as vision, hearing, navigation, sign-in and fear of mistakes or scams, plus the role of family members who help them
- Features that remove those barriers, prioritized for a first release with clear reasoning on impact and effort
- Success metrics showing that older adults can watch on their own and come back, with guardrails such as help requests and accidental purchases
- Risks and trade-offs, such as a design that feels patronizing, privacy in family-assist features, and simplicity versus breadth of content
### Follow-up Questions
- How would you test the design with older users who are unfamiliar with research sessions or prototypes?
- A family member wants to manage the app remotely for a parent. How do you balance that help with the parent's privacy and independence?
- Would you build this as a separate app or as a mode inside a mainstream service, and what evidence would change your mind?
Overview: A product design question asking candidates to design a video streaming app for older adults. It tests segmentation of senior viewers, understanding of barriers such as vision, hearing, navigation and reliance on family helpers, feature prioritization for a first release, and metrics for independent, repeat viewing.