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Activity A3: User Discovery

  • The instructors will choose 1 startup for the remainder of this lecture (not your team's project).
  • Sit with your project team.

For 5 Minutes

  • First, decide what this startup's app is about.
  • Identify the problems you think the app is trying to solve for its users.
  • Decide on the top features of the startup’s application that solve those problems.

For 10 Minutes

  • Create a list of 10 questions that help you learn about problems that your persona/LLMs have in your product's area.
  • Develop these questions into a script for a semi-structured interview.
  • Be sure to introduce yourselves and the big idea of the product you’re trying to "sell".
  • If you don't get a response you want, try altering the questions on the fly.

Round 1: Interview a Persona

As a team, interview the persona at this link:

Answer these questions regarding your experiences interacting with the persona:

  • What problems did your persona have?
  • How did it solve them?
  • What wasn't a problem?
  • Summarize what you learned from your discovery conversations.
  • What might this mean for your product/focus area/problem of choice?
  • Describe one mistake you made during your discovery conversations and one exchange that went well (and why).

Round 2: Interview a Different Persona

Each team interviews one of these personas:

Answer these questions regarding your experiences interacting with the persona:

  • How was this persona different than the first?
  • Was this easier or harder to get good responses from?
  • What did you have to change in your questions?