How do you know when a product is well designed for the market it is intended for?
Determining if a product is well-designed and will succeed in the market for which it is intended requires years of experience as a product specialist. Sometimes, even products that seem to be a perfect fit for their targeted market fail for various reasons. Even though you can conduct a great deal of research, apply market analytics, and use other means to forecast the success of a product development project, in the end, it requires a great deal of experience to refine your predictions and increase their accuracy. The best way to answer this question is to provide the interviewer with a summary of the methodology you would use to forecast a product's chances for success, and then mention the contributions your experience and expertise would add to this process.
"I've been involved with a great many product development projects, most of which were successful, however, some failed due to unforeseen circumstances. When forecasting the success of a product in the market for which it is intended, I use techniques such as market research, customer feedback, data analytics, and other tools which help predict the success of a new product. I even consider the 'what ifs,' which are events that could jeopardize a new product's success. Finally, I rely on my experience in this profession and what it has taught me. These last two steps in the process help me to refine my recommendations and have led to greater success of the products I have helped develop."
