When I interview candidates using coding problems, I ask them to focus on finding the solution first before improving the code design, if it appears they are sp

When I interview candidates using coding problems, I ask them to focus on finding the solution first before improving the code design, if it appears they are spending too much time up front in that area - in which case what I'm looking for is a candidate that takes the advice on board and completes the solution first and then talks about improvements; it's a red flag if they ignore my instruction and keep fiddling with the appearance of the code over solving the problem. Of course, basic type definitions are a good sign, unless it starts taking up too much time