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TikTok·Product Manager·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Intermediate

Intermediate
Apr 2026

Summary

TikTok PM interview with a product design question aimed at a non-traditional user base. Short and focused, basically one question that sounds deceptively simple but has a lot of moving parts if you actually think it through.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

How would you redesign TikTok specifically for elderly users?

Product Sense & IdeationProduct StrategyAdaptability & Ambiguity
Author's notes

My first instinct was to just say 'bigger text, simpler UI' and I almost stopped there which would've been embarrassing.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the goal: is it to increase engagement among existing elderly users or attract new ones? Then segment elderly users by tech-savviness and needs, and prioritize features that address their core pain points like usability, content relevance, and safety. Finally, propose a phased redesign that balances accessibility improvements with preserving TikTok's core value proposition.

Pro tip: Avoid stereotyping all elderly users as tech-illiterate; instead, focus on designing for varying levels of digital literacy and emphasize how the redesign can benefit all users through universal design principles.

1. Clarify Goals and Constraints

Ask clarifying questions to understand the objective: Is the goal to increase adoption, engagement, or retention among elderly users? What are the success metrics? Are there any technical or business constraints?

2. Segment Elderly Users

Break down the elderly demographic into sub-segments based on tech-savviness, interests, and needs. Consider factors like familiarity with short-form video, physical limitations, and social motivations.

3. Identify Pain Points and Opportunities

Map out current pain points for elderly users (e.g., small text, complex navigation, overwhelming content) and opportunities (e.g., community building, educational content, simplified creation tools).

4. Propose Redesign Features

Suggest specific design changes such as larger fonts, simplified UI, voice commands, content curation for older interests, and safety features. Prioritize features based on impact and feasibility.

5. Measure and Iterate

Define metrics to evaluate the redesign's success (e.g., engagement time, retention, user satisfaction) and propose an iterative approach with user testing and feedback loops.

Key Points to Mention

  • Accessibility features: larger text, high contrast, voice navigation, and simplified gestures.
  • Content relevance: curate videos on topics like health, hobbies, family, and nostalgia; consider an onboarding flow to capture interests.
  • Community and safety: features to connect with similar users, combat ageism, and protect against scams.
  • Creation tools: simplified video creation with templates, prompts, and easy sharing to reduce intimidation.
  • Universal design: benefits for all users, not just elderly, to avoid stigmatization and increase adoption.
  • Metrics: define success metrics like daily active users in the 65+ demographic, session duration, and retention rate.

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.