Designers should select research strategies based on the desired user experiences in the context of the product, service or system. The purpose of user research is to identify needs that reveal the complexities of personae. Real-life scenarios that simulate “actual” user experiences can generate new

• User population

• Classification of users

• The use of personae, secondary personae and anti-personae in user research

• Scenarios provide physical and social context for different personae

• Use case

• Users can be classified by age, gender and physical condition.

• Scenarios are based on best, worst and average case.

The various strategies for user research can be used by the designer to explore the true nature of a problem. Through the use of personae and use cases, the designer can build a range of possible scenarios with which to explore the problem in detail.