Product design question
Design a better water bottle.
- Meta
- Product design
- Easy
Practice this question out loud. An AI interviewer asks it, follows up like a real interviewer would, and scores your answer. Type or speak.
Start a mock interview on this question · Mock interview from a job description
What this question tests
Basic product design fundamentals on a simple physical object, checking you can find real, specific problems rather than generic 'make it eco-friendly' answers.
How to approach it
- Clarify the target user and context, for example athletes, commuters, or everyday hydration users, since needs differ.
- List pain points with existing water bottles: condensation and sweating, difficulty tracking daily water intake, and bottles that are hard to clean thoroughly.
- Segment by use case, for example gym users needing insulation and leak-proof design versus desk users wanting hydration tracking and reminders.
- Propose the design: a double-wall insulated bottle with a built-in intake tracker and a wide mouth for easy cleaning, targeted at the desk-bound segment first.
- Prioritize the hydration tracking feature as the differentiator, since insulation and leak-proofing are largely solved problems in the existing market.
- Define success as daily usage frequency and self-reported hydration goal achievement, confirming target price point is in scope.
What a strong answer includes
- Picks a specific underserved segment, desk-bound users who forget to hydrate, rather than a generic 'better bottle for everyone' answer.
- Names a concrete differentiator, built-in intake tracking, as the wedge feature rather than just improving material or insulation, which are largely commoditized.
- Addresses a real, specific pain point, condensation or difficulty cleaning, showing attention to actual user friction.
- Sets a measurable goal, daily usage or hydration goal completion, tied to the specific feature proposed.
Common mistakes
- Proposing only cosmetic or material changes with no clear differentiator from existing bottles.
- Not identifying a specific target segment or use case.
- Skipping a success metric entirely for a seemingly simple product.
Likely follow-up questions
- How would you price this against commodity water bottles already on the market?
- What would make someone choose this over a bottle they already own?
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Learn the skill behind it
Chapters of the AI PM course that teach what this question tests.
- Chapter 4: Discovery and strategy for AI products
- Chapter 7: AI UX and human oversight: design for a system that is wrong sometimes
- Chapter 14: Get the job: the AI PM interview loop