Running an FDE Design Round

Twelve minutes have passed, and the candidate is still asking questions. There are several constraints on the table but no design the interviewer can inspect. The recovery is to summarize what matters, declare the assumptions that make progress possible, and trace one useful workflow far enough to test its feasibility. A strong design conversation makes connected decisions visible and revises them when the evidence changes.

Moving from discovery to a design before time runs out

Discovery should establish an agreed scope, implementable components, and the smallest viable solution. Document working assumptions and identify what needs validation rather than waiting for a complete specification.

Use the following 45-minute practice schedule as a guide. Adjust the timing based on the interview format and the interviewer's priorities:

• 0–8 minutes: Define the desired outcome, constraints, and initial scope.

• 8–13 minutes: Identify the initial workflow and assign responsibilities.

• 13–27 minutes: Trace one end-to-end operation and calculate feasibility against the key constraints.

• 27–38 minutes: Evaluate failure scenarios and address interviewer follow-up questions.

• 38–45 minutes: Explain key trade-offs and present the final design recommendation.

Organize the round with the CLIENT checklist from the previous lesson. This schedule, the CLIENT checklist, and the self-review rubric below are practice aids for this course, not official employer requirements or scoring rubrics.

Keep three categories in your notes: confirmed facts, declared assumptions, and unresolved questions. At minute twelve, a candidate might say:

That gives the interviewer a concrete assumption to challenge while preserving time for design.

A first version Alder would actually use

Suppose Alder Appliances’ coordinators spend a median of 25 minutes from ...