The CEO of a your company asks you to design a new ATM for their Airport segment, what do you do?

This question is asked by the interviewer to assess your product design skills, your understanding of the user or target market, and your strategic thinking or problem-solving abilities. The interviewer wants to see if you consider all essential factors when creating a product such as customer requirements, market conditions, and implementation issues. The question also tests your creativity in designing a unique product while maintaining the basic functions of an ATM.

The key points to address while answering the question are:

1. Understand the Problem & User Profile: Identify the problems that airport travelers might have with traditional ATMs that your design needs to solve.

2. Submitting a Plan: Discuss how you would plan the project, like discussing with stakeholders, doing market research, etc.

3. Design: Talk about the features you would include in the ATM to stand out in the market and fulfill customer needs, with justifications for the same.

4. Execution: Discuss how you would execute your design, considering budget, team coordination, and timelines.

Firstly, I would spend time understanding the unique needs that airport travelers may have which cannot be addressed by a standard ATM. This could be accomplished through observing current airport ATMs, gathering quantitative data on their usage, and interviewing airport users.

My initial plan would involve setting up a project team, establishing deadlines, and estimating a tentative budget. I would then initiate a market research phase which would include competitor analysis and potential technological advancements that we could leverage.

For the design, understanding the diverse customer base an airport holds, I would aim for a multilingual ATM with a simple-to-use interface. Considering the fact that many passengers are usually in a rush, speed would be another crucial factor to optimize in this design. Moreover, security will be of extreme importance, so features like advanced AI recognition might be worth considering.

Finally, for execution, I would work hand in hand with the development team, making sure the design is being implemented correctly within the allocated timeline and budget. Regular checks and updates would ensure the project is on track.

Understand the distinct requirements of airport users should be my starting point. I would do this by doing a user survey and relying on the data gathered from current airport ATMs.

The key parameters for the design would include simplicity, speed, security, and comfort. With a likely busier and more stressful environment and diverse users, an ATM for an airport segment should have user-friendly interfaces, faster processing speeds, enhanced security, and ergonomic physical design.

After this, market research would be the next step, where I would analyze our competitors' ATMs and the latest technologies that might be utilized to enhance usability.

Once the design details are agreed upon, the project management phase would commence, with the creation of a detailed project plan, establishment of deadlines, budget management, and coordination with the team.

The execution phase involves oversight of the project’s progress while adjusting the plan as needed. This phase also includes collaboration with stakeholders to ensure their needs are met and maintaining open communication to ensure a successful project implementation.