A Hypothesis-Based User Profile

A proto-persona is a preliminary user profile that helps teams articulate their assumptions about the target audience’s characteristics, goals, and challenges. Proto-personas are often developed quickly by synthesizing input from team members who have direct or indirect knowledge of the users. They are meant to be fluid and adjustable as more user data is collected through research and testing.

Unlike traditional personas, which are data-driven and validated through user research, proto-personas are hypothesis-based and used to kickstart conversations about who the users might be and how the product or service should cater to them.

Key elements of a proto-persona include:

• Name and Picture: A fictional name and image to humanize the proto-persona.
• Demographics: Basic assumptions about the user’s age, occupation, gender, and other relevant demographic information.
• Goals and Needs: Hypothetical goals and needs that the proto-persona is trying to achieve with the product or service.
• Behaviors: Assumed behaviors or habits that the proto-persona exhibits in relation to the product.
• Pain Points: Hypothetical challenges or frustrations that the proto-persona faces.

Benefits of Proto-Personas

1. Fast to Create: Proto-personas can be developed quickly without the need for extensive user research, making them ideal for early-stage projects.
2. Aligns Team Assumptions: Proto-personas help align team members’ assumptions and beliefs about the target audience, creating a shared understanding that can be validated later.
3. Guides Initial Design Decisions: By providing a working model of the user, proto-personas help teams make early design and development decisions that can later be adjusted based on real data.
4. Adaptable and Evolvable: Proto-personas are flexible and can evolve as more information is gathered through user research, allowing teams to refine their understanding of the user.
5. Sparks Discussion: Proto-personas encourage teams to think critically about user needs and identify gaps in their understanding, leading to better-focused research later on.

Real-World Example of a Proto-Persona

A startup developing a meal planning app might create a proto-persona named "Sarah," a busy working mother in her 30s who struggles to find time for meal prep. The team hypothesizes that Sarah's goal is to plan healthy meals efficiently and that her pain point is the time it takes to research recipes and grocery shop. This proto-persona helps the team focus on building features like easy recipe selection and integrated shopping lists. Once user research is conducted, Sarah’s persona may evolve to reflect real user insights.

How to Create a Proto-Persona

To create a proto-persona, gather input from key stakeholders, such as product managers, designers, marketers, and customer service teams. Use their collective knowledge to hypothesize about the target audience’s characteristics, goals, and challenges. Include basic demographic details, behaviors, and pain points. Document these assumptions visually in a simple format and use the proto-persona to guide early design decisions. As the project progresses, refine and validate the proto-persona with actual user research.

Conclusion

Proto-personas are an effective way to align teams around a shared understanding of the user in the early stages of a project. While they are based on assumptions, they provide valuable direction until more concrete, research-based personas can be developed.

Need Help Developing Proto-Personas for Your Project?

Artifact can assist in creating proto-personas to guide your product development process and ensure your design decisions are user-centered from the start. Let’s work together to create meaningful user profiles that evolve with your project.