I jumped straight to features without really nailing down who the user was.
Start by clarifying the scope and requirements of the smart lock, then outline a high-level design covering hardware, software, and user experience. Focus on key features like security, connectivity, and access management, and discuss trade-offs and potential challenges.
Pro tip: Emphasize security and reliability from the start, as these are critical for a smart lock; mention how you would handle edge cases like power loss or network outages to demonstrate thoroughness.
Ask questions to understand the target users, use cases, and constraints (e.g., residential vs. commercial, budget, existing ecosystem). Define functional and non-functional requirements.
Outline the main components: physical lock, microcontroller, communication module (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), power source, and backend services. Describe how they interact.
Detail essential features like remote locking/unlocking, access codes, user management, and integration with smart home systems. Walk through primary user flows.
Discuss encryption, authentication, secure boot, and fail-safe mechanisms. Address potential vulnerabilities and how to mitigate them.
Consider trade-offs between cost, battery life, and features. Discuss how the design can scale to multiple locks and users.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.