Don’t pick the easy pain point - Product Design Interview Tips

When it comes to product design interviews, one of the most common challenges candidates face is coming up with multiple interesting solutions. Often, they can identify one or two solutions, but hitting that third or fourth creative idea can feel like a real struggle.

I recently had a conversation with a client who was facing this exact challenge. What I shared with her is a perspective that can really shift how you approach identifying pain points and, consequently, solutions.

The key insight is this: your ability to generate a range of solutions is directly tied to the quality of the pain point you choose. A high-quality pain point is one that is broadly defined and opens up a large solution space. On the other hand, if you pick a very narrowly defined, specific pain point, it might seem easier to identify a solution, but you’ll likely end up with just one or two obvious answers, making it harder to stand out.

Let’s take an example: imagine you’re designing an app to help people learn musical instruments. If you choose a narrowly defined pain point like “I need to find a music teacher,” you might come up with solutions that look like a tutor marketplace. While that’s valid, it’s also pretty straightforward and doesn’t leave much room for creative exploration.

Instead, consider a broader pain point: “What do I do when I lose inspiration to practice or learn music?” This opens the door to a wide range of potential solutions—maybe it’s a community feature, gamification, inspirational content, or new learning challenges. This ambiguity might seem challenging at first, but it actually gives you a richer ground for innovative and unique ideas.

So, the next time you’re preparing for a product design interview, remember to choose pain points that are broader and more open-ended. These will not only showcase your ability to think creatively but also demonstrate your capacity to explore a wide solution space.