Google · Product sense · Entry · 45 to 60 minutes

What should Google build for air travelers?

Google is a technology company whose products help people find information, plan tasks, and use online tools every day. Answer this product management case and get it graded line by line against a weighted rubric.

User segmentation
Product sense
Prioritization
Customer empathy
Written communication

The situation

You are an associate PM on a Google team that helps people plan trips online. Your director asks you to recommend one focused product improvement for people who travel by air. The request is intentionally broad, but the team cannot take on a full travel platform redesign, so you need to narrow the problem well. Why now? More people use Google products to research flights, compare options, and manage plans, but air travel remains stressful and fragmented. People care about speed, choice, and price, yet different travelers value those needs differently. A business traveler who flies often may want something very different from a family taking one vacation a year. The hardest part is not brainstorming features, it is choosing which traveler to serve first and which need matters most. Your director wants a short written recommendation that shows clear segmentation, a sharp problem statement, and one defensible feature idea for a Google surface that already exists.

What to produce

Write a 1 to 2 page product brief.

Your answer must

Identify at least 3 air traveler segments and briefly describe how they differ.
Choose 1 primary target segment and explain why it is the best place to start for Google.
Summarize the primary segment's top needs in 3 concise points, such as convenience, travel options, and value, or a well argued alternative.
Propose 1 focused feature or product improvement for an existing Google travel related surface, and explain how it meets the chosen needs.
Define 2 to 4 success metrics and explain the main tradeoff or risk in your proposal.

Constraints

Use an existing Google consumer product or surface, do not propose a brand new standalone company or hardware device.
Do not assume exclusive airline partnerships or complete access to airline operational systems.
Keep the scope to one clear problem and one launchable feature, not an end to end trip management suite.
Respect user privacy, your idea should not require unusually sensitive personal data beyond normal Google product use.

Format

Use headings: target user, needs, proposal, why this first, success metrics, risks.

How Google actually played it

A practice product design question about designing a product for air travelers, with a walkthrough of user needs such as convenience, travel options and value. It shows how to segment frequent travelers and list their needs.

Pause and try the question before reading the answer
Segment users and name needs
Summarize needs in a few points

Built from Day 3 - Product Design Question 1 by PM Quest.