Product Sense: Designing an E-Book Collection for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers

You are asked to design a digital library for children who are not yet five years old. Explain who the product serves, which problems it solves, what you would build first, and how you would know it is working. ```hint Who reads, who chooses Most children this young cannot read or navigate by text, while an adult usually picks the content, pays and sets the rules. Think about whose needs come first at each moment of use. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is this a standalone product for families or part of an existing platform, and on which devices: tablets, phones, smart speakers or TVs? - Is the library free, subscription-based, or tied to public libraries or preschools that lend titles? - Which ages matter most: babies and toddlers, or three- and four-year-olds who are starting to learn letters? - Should the first version launch in one language and market, or support several languages from the start? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear goal for the library and a definition of what it contains (picture books, read-along stories, audio). - Segmentation of the children by developmental stage, and of the adults who choose and supervise (parents, other caregivers, teachers, librarians), with a chosen focus. - Pain points specific to pre-readers and their caregivers, and solutions designed for them, including safety and privacy for very young users. - A prioritized first version, with the reasoning for what is left out. - Success metrics that reward healthy reading habits rather than maximum screen time, with guardrails. ### Follow-up Questions - How would you earn money from the library without advertising or purchase prompts that young children can reach? - A parent tells you their child now wants the tablet all day. How should the product and your metrics respond? - How would the design change if the main customers were preschools and public libraries instead of families?