Structured challenges. Measurable thinking. Real-world problems that test analytical rigor and creative range, not memorization.
Uber drivers consistently report frustration with earnings visibility. The current interface buries important data like surge multipliers, peak hours, and weekly trends behind multiple taps.
The average user receives 80+ notifications/day across apps. This leads to notification fatigue, app uninstalls, and reduced engagement. Design a system-level or app-level solution.
YouTube's recommendation engine optimizes for watch time, not user satisfaction. Design an alternative discovery mechanism that helps users find genuinely valuable content without the addictive loop.
Airport security is universally dreaded. Long lines, inconsistent rules, and stressful interactions create a terrible experience for 4.5 billion passengers annually. Design a fundamentally better security experience that maintains safety while reducing passenger stress and wait times.
You run a B2B SaaS company doing $3M ARR, growing 40% YoY, with 75% margins. A top-tier VC offers $15M at a $60M valuation. Should you take it? What changes if you do?
Courts worldwide are split on whether AI art deserves copyright protection. If yes, who owns it — the user, the AI company, or nobody? Design a copyright framework for the AI era that's fair to all parties.
If AI can write, code, analyze data, and pass bar exams, what should humans learn? Design a K-12 curriculum for the class of 2040 that focuses on capabilities AI can't replicate.
Cookie banners, privacy popups, and consent dialogs have made the web worse. Users click 'accept all' without reading because the alternative is painful. Design a consent system that actually works for both users and regulations.
Deepfakes and AI-generated text can now create convincing fake news at scale. Design a system to protect election integrity without censoring legitimate speech.
You have 50 square miles of undeveloped land and $10 billion. Design a new city from scratch for 100,000 residents. What do you optimize for? What do you sacrifice?
Public transit is objectively more efficient but feels worse than Uber/Lyft. The gap is mostly UX: unpredictable waits, confusing transfers, no door-to-door experience. Close the perception gap without massive infrastructure spending.
Fiverr and Upwork drove prices to the bottom. Talented freelancers earn less than they're worth. Design a marketplace that rewards quality over price competition while remaining attractive to buyers.
Your collaborative document app needs to work offline on planes, in subways, and in rural areas — then sync seamlessly when connectivity returns. Multiple users may edit the same document offline.
The New York Times succeeded digitally. Most newspapers didn't. You're the editor of a mid-size city newspaper (200K circulation, 50K digital subscribers). Advertising revenue dropped 70% in 15 years. What's your 10-year plan?