Build the perspectives
you want around your work.

Someone, not a setting.

A name, a role and a way of reading things. They look at your work the way that person would, and they keep their view unless the work changes it.

• SarahCustomer

  In her thirties, works in operations at a mid-sized company. Practical and busy: open to new things, but wants to understand quickly what something is and whether it’s for her.

  From a brief

• AlexSkeptic

  Cancelled two coffee subscriptions last year. Doesn’t believe a claim without proof.

  From a brief

• TomPower user

  No company context and no brief: a true first impression from someone who tries everything.

  Fresh perspective

How to write a good POV.

A sentence or two is enough, and POVS works out the rest. What makes the difference is saying who they are, where they’re coming from, and what would make them say no.

Who they are, where they are

A parent comparing tutoring sites on their phone at 10pm tells a POV more than an age range does.

What they want, and what they doubt

Give them a reason to care and a reason to hesitate: the price, the time it takes, something that let them down before.

What they already know

New to the category, or switching from something they use today? It changes what they need explained.

One person each

Someone who reads it differently is another POV.

Sentences to start from.

• For a pricing page

  “Founder of a 10-person startup comparing three tools on a Friday afternoon. Hates sales calls, and wants to know what it costs before booking anything.”

• For a landing page

  “A UK parent with a child in secondary school. Cares about education, but is skeptical of subscriptions.”

• For an ad

  “Scrolling on the train home. Gives an ad two seconds, and skips anything that looks like every other ad in the feed.”

• For a new product

  “Product designer trying a new tool between meetings. Gives it ten minutes, and leaves if the first screen asks for too much.”

Questions.

Are POVs AI personas?

They start the same way: you describe someone and they respond as that person. The difference is that a POV stays. The same name, role and view in every Test, with what they said before kept as theirs. And there’s no form to fill in: a sentence is enough.

Are POVs real people?

No. A POV is someone you describe, or a fresh perspective. They’re useful before you have users, and they don’t replace talking to real ones.

How many POVs should I use?

Two or three for most Tests. Different people notice different things, and where they disagree is worth reading.

What’s a fresh perspective?

A POV with no company context: someone seeing your work for the first time. The quickest way to find out whether it makes sense on its own.

Do POVs know my customers?

Not yet. Today a POV is someone you describe. Grounding a POV in your own interviews, reviews and support conversations is coming next.