How Can We Improve Google Photos? - Product Improvement
Google Product Manager Interview: Product Improvement - How would you improve Google Photos ?
How to Answer Product Improvement Questions?
Here is a step-by-step framework, you should follow while answering product improvement interview questions during the interview:
0. Pay close attention to the keywords in the question.
1. Describe the Product. (P)
2. Ask clarifying Questions to trim down the scope of the question. (Q)
3. Define the Goal you want to achieve. (G)
4. List the User Segments and select one segment to focus on. (U)
5. List and prioritize the Pain Points for that segment. (P)
6. List out your Solutions to solve those pain points. (S)
7. Evaluate all the solutions and prioritize them. (E)
8. Define Metrics to measure the performance of the solutions. (M)
9. At the end, Summarize your answer (S)
(PQ-GUP-SEMS) -> Mnemonic to help you remember the steps & their order.
Let’s get started with the solution (remember to follow the framework),
Step 1: Describe the Product
Once you are clear with the question, explain your understanding of the product. Cover the following things about the product,
What does the product do?
Who uses it?
How are they using it?
What pain point is it solving for the users?
Google Photos serves as a centralized hub for storing, organizing, and accessing personal photos and videos. It offers a range of features, including:
Storage: Users can upload high-quality photos (up to a certain resolution) and videos (up to 1080p) to their Google account, freeing up space on their devices.
Organization: The service employs advanced machine learning algorithms to automatically categorize and tag photos based on people, objects, and locations, making it effortless to search and find specific memories.
Editing Tools: Google Photos provides intuitive editing tools, enabling users to enhance their photos with filter adjustments and even create animations and collages.
Sharing: Users can easily share their photos and videos with specific individuals or groups, create collaborative albums, and seamlessly integrate with popular social media platforms.
Assistant: Google Photos features an Assistant that creates animations, movies, and collages automatically, delivering delightful surprises to users.
Google Photos' mission is to empower users to "find, share, and relive" their most precious memories effortlessly. The service aims to provide a seamless experience that enhances how people interact with their photos and videos.
Google Photos is available on multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, and the web, making it accessible across smartphones, tablets, and desktop devices.
One of Google Photos' major competitors is Apple's iCloud Photos, which offers similar cloud storage and photo management capabilities across Apple devices. Other competitor includes Amazon Photos, Dropbox, Flickr, and Microsoft OneDrive.
User Base:
Google Photos boasts an extensive user base, comprising millions of individuals worldwide. It appeals to a diverse audience, including casual users looking for a convenient way to manage their personal photos, as well as photography enthusiasts seeking advanced organization and editing features.
How They Are Using It:
Users leverage Google Photos for various purposes, such as:
Backup and Storage: Google Photos serves as a secure backup solution, preserving users' photos and videos in the cloud, safeguarding against device loss or damage.
Organization and Search: Users rely on the platform's intelligent organization and search features to quickly locate specific photos or memories by leveraging automatic tagging, facial recognition, and geolocation data.
Sharing and Collaboration: Google Photos simplifies the process of sharing photos and videos with family, friends, and colleagues, enabling users to create shared albums and collaborate on visual projects.
Editing and Enhancement: Users take advantage of the built-in editing tools to enhance their photos, apply filters, crop, adjust lighting, and perform other modifications to achieve the desired aesthetic.
Nostalgic Exploration: Google Photos encourages users to revisit past memories through its "Rediscover this day" feature, which showcases photos from the same date in previous years, fostering nostalgia and reflection.
With these features, Google Photos simplifies photo management, offers peace of mind, and enhances the overall user experience, making it a valuable tool for individuals seeking a convenient and efficient way to organize, store, and relive their personal photo collections.
Step 2. Ask clarifying questions to narrow the scope. (Q)
Q) What is the goal of improvement here? Improve user engagement? Increase user retention? Increase revenue? Acquire more users and content? Improve the user experience on the App?
A) It’s up to you. You are free to choose.
Q) What is the target audience for these improvements?
A) It’s up to you to choose.
Q) Are we focussing on any particular platform like desktop web/app or mobile web/app?
A) All Platforms.
Q) For the improvement, are we focusing on a Global audience or a specific region?
A) It’s up to you to choose. We would be focusing on the global audience.
Q) Why are we thinking about improvements now?
A) Considering potential improvements for Google Photos at this point is essential for several reasons:
User Feedback: This feedback serves as a valuable resource for understanding user needs and expectations and guides the improvement process.
Evolving Technology: Staying up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations ensures that Google Photos remains competitive and can provide users with cutting-edge features and functionalities.
Competitive Landscape: By regularly evaluating and improving Google Photos, it can maintain its position as a leading product in the market and better compete with rival services.
Changing User Demands: Users may expect new features or functionalities from Google Photos that cater to their changing habits, workflows, and creative aspirations.
Industry Trends and Standards: Regularly reviewing and improving Google Photos ensures compliance with these standards and enables the service to adopt industry trends, providing users with a secure and up-to-date experience.
Continuous Innovation: By investing in the ongoing improvement of Google Photos, the company can demonstrate its commitment to delivering the best possible user experience and maintaining its position as a leader in the market.
Considering these factors, it is important to think about improvements for Google Photos to meet the evolving needs and expectations of users, leverage technological advancements, stay competitive, and deliver a seamless and delightful photo management solution.
Step 3. Define the Goal you want to achieve. (G)
Google Photos' goal is to provide users with a comprehensive and intuitive photo management solution that enables them to easily store, organize, search, and share their personal photos and videos. The overarching aim is to enhance the way people interact with their visual memories, making it effortless for users to find, relive, and share their most cherished moments.
Step 4. List the User Segments and choose one segment to focus on. (U)
Google Photos caters to a diverse range of user segments, including:
Casual Users: These users primarily utilize Google Photos for basic photo storage and organization needs. They may not have extensive photography skills or specific requirements beyond a convenient way to manage their personal photos and videos.
Photography Enthusiasts: This segment comprises users with a keen interest in photography and seeking more advanced features and editing tools. They may have higher expectations for image quality, customization options, and the ability to fine-tune their photos.
Content Creators: This segment includes bloggers, influencers, and other content creators who rely on Google Photos for their visual content needs. They appreciate the service's editing tools, cloud storage, and ease of sharing to enhance their creative output.
Professionals: Professional photographers or individuals in creative industries may use Google Photos as a portfolio tool or a means to showcase their work to clients. They may utilize specific features like album organization and selective sharing to present their photos in a professional and curated manner.
These user segments demonstrate the broad appeal and versatility of Google Photos, catering to a wide range of individuals with different needs, interests, and levels of photography expertise. For the scope of this question, we will be focusing on the Casual Users segment.
Casual Users form a significant segment of Google Photos' user base. These users primarily seek a simple and convenient solution for managing their personal photos and videos without requiring extensive photography skills or specialized editing capabilities. Here are some key characteristics and behaviours of Casual Users:
Photo Storage and Organization: They appreciate the cloud-based storage feature, which allows them to free up space on their devices while ensuring their memories are safely preserved.
Ease of Use: They prefer a hassle-free experience that allows them to upload, view, and manage their photos with minimal effort.
Limited Editing Needs: They appreciate the basic editing tools offered by Google Photos, such as filters, cropping, and simple adjustments, to enhance the appearance of their photos without delving into advanced editing techniques.
Sharing with Family and Friends: They value Google Photos' seamless sharing capabilities, allowing them to easily send photos to specific individuals or create shared albums for collaborative viewing.
Nostalgic Exploration: A nostalgic journey allows them to reflect on past moments and experience the joy of rediscovery, fostering a sense of sentimental attachment to the platform.
Accessibility across Devices: Multi-device accessibility ensures that they can access their photos and videos seamlessly, regardless of the device they are using at any given time.
Simplifying Photo Management: By automating organization, providing effortless backup, and offering straightforward sharing options, the platform allows them to enjoy their photos without being burdened by the complexities of manual management.
By understanding the needs and preferences of Casual Users, Google Photos can continue to provide a user-friendly and convenient experience that meets their photo storage, organization, and sharing requirements.
Step 5. List and prioritize the Pain Points. (P)
While Google Photos offers a user-friendly and convenient solution for photo management, there are still some pain points that may apply to the Casual Users segment. These pain points include: