Empathize
User persona
A research-based profile of a target user segment - goals, behaviors, and constraints - used to keep teams aligned on who they serve.
Also called: persona
Personas synthesize empathy research into memorable archetypes. They are not demographic stereotypes - they reflect patterns from real interviews and data.
Personas help teams ask "would this user care?" during Ideate and Develop. They work best when grounded in recent research, not workshop fiction.
Related terms
- User journey - A map of the steps, touchpoints, and emotions a user goes through while trying to accomplish a goal.
- Empathy interview - A structured conversation focused on understanding a user's experiences, pain points, and context - not validating a solution.