Tell me about a time when the users advocated and worked on changing the UI against the engineers design.
Question Analysis
This question is asking you to reflect on a past experience where there was a disagreement or conflict between users and engineers regarding the design of a user interface (UI). It aims to assess your ability to manage conflicts, understand user needs, and collaborate effectively with different stakeholders. The interviewer is interested in how you balance technical considerations with user advocacy, and how you can navigate and resolve such situations.
Answer
Situation: In my previous role as a Product Manager at XYZ Company, we launched a new application update with a redesigned user interface. Shortly after the launch, we received feedback from our users that they found the new design less intuitive and harder to navigate compared to the previous version.
Task: My responsibility was to address the users' concerns while also considering the engineers' rationale behind the design changes. The goal was to find a solution that satisfied both user needs and engineering constraints.
Action: I organized a meeting with key user representatives and our engineering team to discuss the feedback. I facilitated a discussion where users could express their concerns and engineers could explain the technical benefits of the new design. After understanding both perspectives, I proposed a compromise: we would implement certain user-suggested changes that didn’t conflict with the core engineering objectives. I also worked with the UX team to create a guide that helped users adapt to the new interface.
Result: By involving both users and engineers in the decision-making process, we were able to implement changes that improved user satisfaction without compromising the technical integrity of the design. The updated UI was more favorably received, and our user retention rate improved by 15% in the following quarter. This experience taught me the importance of open communication and collaborative problem-solving in product development.