Base personas on data

A good persona should be based on user research. Research methods help define behavior patterns that suggest goals and motivations, which eventually help formulate product requirements. Research-based personas are more credible to stakeholders and can be used to support design decisions.

If your business lacks the time or the budget to conduct proper research, you can always start with a persona that is based on assumptions. Use competitor analysis, social media conversations, or stakeholder interviews to determine what type of users your product will appeal to. This persona can only be used to test your ideas and should never become a reference point for developing final design solutions. Otherwise, it can lead to creating a product or service that no one actually needs.^[1]