I went straight to listing features and the interviewer kind of just waited for me to finish before asking 'but who are you designing this for?' which, yeah, fair point.
Start by clarifying the goal: to increase engagement with hashtags on Instagram. Then, segment users and identify pain points with current hashtag usage. Brainstorm features that address these pain points, prioritize based on impact and feasibility, and define success metrics.
Pro tip: Anchor your answer in Instagram's core value of connecting people through shared interests. Show how your feature increases meaningful interactions, not just vanity metrics.
Define what 'more engaging' means: more usage, more discovery, or more meaningful interactions? Align with Instagram's mission.
Identify key user segments (creators, consumers, businesses) and their current frustrations with hashtags, such as spam, irrelevant content, or difficulty finding niche communities.
Generate ideas that address pain points, e.g., AI-powered hashtag suggestions, community-curated hashtag groups, or interactive hashtag challenges.
Use a framework like RICE to prioritize ideas. Consider technical feasibility, user impact, and alignment with business goals.
Propose metrics like hashtag usage per post, engagement rate on hashtag pages, or retention of users who use hashtags.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.