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Microsoft·Software Engineer·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Intermediate

Intermediate
May 2026

Summary

Did a frontend design round at Microsoft where they asked me to redesign their company website. Pretty open-ended, which I wasn't expecting for a technical role.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

How would you redesign the company's main website to improve the user interface?

Product Sense & IdeationTechnical Trade-offs
Author's notes

I went straight into layout and visual hierarchy stuff, which felt right in the moment, but I think I should've started by asking who the site is actually for.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the goals and constraints of the redesign, then propose a user-centered process that balances UX improvements with technical feasibility. Emphasize measurable outcomes and iterative delivery, showing you can align engineering decisions with product strategy.

Pro tip: Anchor your answer in data and user feedback, and explicitly call out trade-offs like performance vs. richness or accessibility vs. speed. Mentioning Microsoft’s design system (Fluent) and accessibility standards shows you understand the company’s context.

1. Clarify Goals and Constraints

Ask about success metrics (e.g., engagement, conversion, task success), target users, and technical constraints like legacy systems or browser support.

2. Research and Audit

Propose gathering qualitative and quantitative data: user interviews, analytics, heatmaps, A/B tests, and accessibility audits to identify pain points.

3. Prioritize Improvements

Use a framework like RICE or impact/effort to prioritize changes, focusing on high-impact, low-effort wins first while planning larger redesigns.

4. Design and Prototype

Suggest creating wireframes and interactive prototypes, leveraging design systems (e.g., Fluent) and involving users for feedback early.

5. Implement and Measure

Outline an iterative rollout with feature flags, A/B testing, and monitoring of key metrics to validate improvements and iterate.

Key Points to Mention

  • User-centered design principles and accessibility (WCAG)
  • Performance optimization (e.g., Core Web Vitals, lazy loading)
  • Responsive and mobile-first design
  • A/B testing and data-driven decision making
  • Design systems and component reuse (e.g., Fluent UI)
  • Technical trade-offs: SEO, load time, maintainability

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