Product Sense: Designing At-Home Video Streaming for Older Adults

Design a streaming video product aimed at older adults. ```hint Seniors are not one user Older adults range from confident streamers to people who have only ever used cable or antenna TV. Decide which group has the biggest unmet need before you design anything, and think about who else in their life gets involved with their TV. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is this a new streaming service with its own content, an app that sits on top of services people already pay for, or a device such as a set-top box with its own remote? - Which older adults are in scope: people living independently who are new to streaming, confident streamers, or residents of assisted living whose caregivers manage their TV? - Is the business goal subscriber growth, engagement, or a social aim such as reducing isolation? - Is the main screen a TV, a tablet, or both? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A segmentation of older adults by needs and comfort with technology, and a justified choice of focus - Pain points for that segment covering vision, hearing, dexterity, memory and confidence with technology, as well as content and cost - Solutions prioritized into a first version, including the role of the family members or caregivers who help with setup - A north-star metric with guardrails such as accidental purchases, support requests and exposure to scams - Trade-offs between simplicity and features, and risks such as the stigma of a product that feels made "for old people" ### Follow-up Questions - Usage is strong in the first month but drops once the relative who set it up goes home. What do you investigate and change? - How would you adapt the product for a viewer with early memory loss, for whom any change on screen can be confusing? - Would you build this as a separate product or as a mode inside an existing streaming service? What drives that choice?