← Microsoft Interview Insights
My first instinct was to ask why a blind person would even want a photo app, which I think actually helped frame the whole thing.
Start by clarifying the user segment and core needs of blind users, then frame the problem around accessibility and inclusion. Structure your answer by walking through user research, defining key use cases, and proposing features that leverage multimodal feedback (audio, haptics, voice). Emphasize iterative testing with actual blind users and alignment with Microsoft's accessibility mission.
Pro tip: Show awareness of existing assistive technologies and standards (e.g., screen readers, WCAG) and how your design complements them rather than reinventing. Also, highlight the importance of co-designing with the blind community to avoid biases.
Ask clarifying questions to understand the target users (e.g., completely blind vs. low vision), their contexts, and pain points with current photo apps. Emphasize the need for empathy and direct user research.
Identify key scenarios where blind users would interact with photos, such as capturing moments, organizing albums, sharing with friends, or consuming photo content via descriptions. Prioritize based on frequency and impact.
Brainstorm features that address these use cases using non-visual modalities: voice-guided camera framing, AI-generated audio descriptions, haptic feedback for composition, and voice-controlled organization. Consider integration with existing assistive tech.
Evaluate features by impact vs. feasibility, and propose an MVP. Outline a prototyping and testing plan with blind users to validate assumptions and iterate.
Define success metrics (e.g., task completion rate, user satisfaction) and a roadmap for continuous improvement, including accessibility compliance and community feedback.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.