← Google Interview Insights

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

Intermediate
Apr 2026

Summary

Google PM interview with a product design question focused on accessibility and underserved demographics. Pretty open-ended, which sounds nice until you're sitting there trying to figure out where to even start.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

How would you design a supermarket specifically for elderly customers?

Product Sense & IdeationAdaptability & Ambiguity
Author's notes

I spent the first minute just listing accessibility features like wider aisles and bigger fonts, which felt shallow pretty fast.

Create a free account to read the full note

AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the goal and constraints, then segment elderly customers by needs and abilities. Use a structured product design process: define user personas, identify pain points, brainstorm solutions, prioritize features, and outline success metrics. Emphasize how your design addresses physical, cognitive, and social needs while being commercially viable.

Pro tip: Show empathy by grounding your design in real user research and consider accessibility standards (e.g., ADA) as a baseline, not an afterthought. Also, discuss trade-offs and how you'd validate assumptions with prototypes and user testing.

1. Clarify and Define

Ask clarifying questions to understand the scope: Is this a new store or a redesign? What's the budget? Are we targeting all elderly or specific segments? Define success metrics (e.g., satisfaction, sales, repeat visits).

2. Understand the User

Create personas representing elderly customers with varying mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive abilities. Identify their pain points in traditional supermarkets (e.g., hard-to-reach shelves, small print, long checkout lines).

3. Ideate Solutions

Brainstorm features addressing physical, sensory, and social needs: wider aisles, seating areas, larger signage, personal shopping assistants, home delivery, and community spaces. Consider both in-store and digital experiences.

4. Prioritize and Design

Prioritize features based on impact vs. effort, focusing on high-impact, feasible solutions. Sketch a layout and service blueprint, integrating technology (e.g., app for ordering) and human touch.

5. Validate and Measure

Propose a validation plan: prototype testing with elderly users, pilot in one store, and iterate. Define metrics like time spent shopping, error rates, and customer satisfaction to measure success.

Key Points to Mention

  • Accessibility: wide aisles, ramps, seating, large print, good lighting, and clear signage.
  • Service design: personal shoppers, checkout assistance, home delivery, and pharmacy integration.
  • Social connection: community areas, cafes, and events to reduce isolation.
  • Technology: simple mobile app for ordering, digital assistants, and fall detection sensors.
  • Business viability: cost-benefit analysis, partnerships with healthcare providers, and subscription models.
  • Validation: user testing with elderly, A/B testing in pilot stores, and iterative design.

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