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Microsoft·Product Manager·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Senior

Senior
May 2026

Summary

Microsoft PM interview with a product sense question focused on accessibility. Single question, felt open-ended in a way that was both freeing and kind of paralyzing.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

How would you redesign Google Photos to make it significantly more accessible for blind users?

Product Sense & IdeationProduct StrategyRoadmap Prioritization
Author's notes

I spent the first minute going too broad, listing every possible accessibility feature I could think of, which was a mistake.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by framing the problem around the core jobs-to-be-done for blind users (e.g., finding, organizing, and sharing photos) and the unique challenges of a visual medium. Then propose a prioritized set of features that leverage multimodal AI (audio descriptions, haptic feedback, voice control) and validate them with accessibility metrics and user testing. Finally, discuss trade-offs and a phased roadmap that balances impact, effort, and Microsoft's inclusive design principles.

Pro tip: Anchor your answer in Microsoft's inclusive design principles and reference existing accessibility APIs (e.g., Narrator, Seeing AI) to show you understand the ecosystem and can drive cross-product synergy.

1. Define the user and problem

Identify the target users (blind and low-vision) and their key pain points with Google Photos, such as inability to browse, search, or share photos independently.

2. Map the end-to-end journey

Break down the photo experience into stages: capture, upload, organize, search, view, edit, and share. Highlight accessibility gaps at each stage.

3. Ideate solutions with AI and multimodal feedback

Propose features like automatic audio descriptions of photos, voice-guided navigation, haptic feedback for orientation, and customizable voice commands.

4. Prioritize using impact vs. effort

Evaluate each idea on user impact, technical feasibility, and alignment with Microsoft's accessibility goals. Use a 2x2 matrix to select quick wins and strategic bets.

5. Define success metrics and roadmap

Set metrics like task success rate, time on task, and user satisfaction for blind users. Outline a phased rollout with milestones and feedback loops.

Key Points to Mention

  • Leverage AI for automatic alt-text and audio descriptions of photos, including scene, people, and emotions.
  • Implement full voice control for navigation, search, and editing, with natural language queries.
  • Use haptic feedback and spatial audio to help users understand photo layout and navigate galleries.
  • Ensure compatibility with screen readers (e.g., Narrator, VoiceOver) and follow WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
  • Involve blind users in co-design and usability testing to validate solutions and uncover unmet needs.
  • Consider privacy and consent for AI-generated descriptions, especially for sensitive content.

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