User Characteristics

Who are our core end-users we would like to start research with?

Overview

To design better public services, we need to understand the people who use them—but not all users are the same. This tool helps your team take a step back and think carefully about which users you want to focus on during your research.

By listing different characteristics (e.g. age, income, digital skills, location), you can build a simple user profile to guide your discovery work. This encourages inclusion from the start—making sure you’re not just hearing from the “easy to reach”.

Open in Google Slides

⏱️ Time: 30–45 minutes

👫 Participants: Core team members, ideally with service delivery insights

🛠️ Materials: User Characteristics template (printed or digital), sticky notes or whiteboard

Input

Before completing this canvas, ensure you have completed the following steps:

Service ChallengeStakeholder Map

Context

Use this tool after you’ve identified the service you want to improve, and before you begin planning interviews or fieldwork. It helps you prioritise which kinds of users you want to engage with first.

Recipe

1

Name your user group

Use service challenge canvas and stakeholder map to identify who the core, central users are. Start with a general group (e.g. residents applying for permits, parents using childcare services).

2

List key characteristics

List a few key characteristics that make this user group distinct. Consider the types of diversity that may affect their experience. You can use contrasts such as:

• Rural / Urban

• Low income / High income

• Older / Younger

• Low / High digital literacy

• Small / Large businesses

• Decision-makers / Non-decision-makers

• Native speakers / Non-native speakers

• Public transport users / Car users

3

Select priority profiles

Discuss which types of users you most need to hear from. These might be:

• People who experience the most barriers

• First-time or infrequent users

• Users whose experience is often overlooked

4

Use this to guide research planning

Later, you can refer back to this list when recruiting for interviews or planning site visits.

Results

A list of concrete user characteristics and profiles that will guide your discovery research and help ensure a range of perspectives are included.

Tips

• Don’t try to cover everyone—start with 2–3 user types that matter most.

• Think about differences that shape experience, not just demographics.

• Be intentional about inclusion: who’s usually excluded from consultations?

• Keep this sheet visible during recruitment—it will help you check for balance and gaps.

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Share Your Experience

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