Know exactly what users need

AI-powered user requirements and UX research support

No user research, no good product

Anyone who follows our projects knows that we place great emphasis on thorough user research. After all, if you develop a product without understanding the needs of the actual end users, you run the risk of missing the mark with your target audience. User research is therefore indispensable, but unfortunately also demanding: it requires time, trained staff, and logistical resources.

LeanScope GmbH

UX Research

UI Design

Software Engineering

Less effort, more insights: User research with AI

What if there were software that allowed you to generate comprehensive proto-personas for different user groups at the click of a button? What if you could incorporate real user feedback from the field anytime, anywhere to make the proto-personas more valid step by step? And what if there were a product that then summarized the resulting user requirements in a way that’s easy to understand and even entertaining, to efficiently engage project stakeholders?‍

For LeanScope, we’ve developed exactly this kind of software, drawing on our many years of experience in human-centered development. We’re proud to introduce an AI-based management tool that revolutionizes user research in every way.

Human-centered Kickstart: AI-powered proto-persona generation.

At the heart of LeanScope is persona generation and its unique features. Using OpenAI's GPT and DALL-E 2, lifelike profiles of diverse users can be created. In addition to socio-demographic information, initial motivations and frustrations are also generated. Different roles can be assigned to the personas and they can even be related to each other. DALL-E 2 rounds out the profile with a unique photo of the person, without any copyright stumbling blocks. From here, the user research team can take over to sharpen the proto-persona step by step.

Work across platforms. Without a third-party plugin.

Our goal, in collaboration with LeanScope, was to centralize this process while keeping it simple and flexible. The ongoing advancement of AI allows us to get more out of these tools than we could have imagined at the outset, without losing sight of the value that people bring to this process. LeanScope has tasked us with quickly and continuously implementing new features based on user feedback, even in the long term. We are proud to have played a key role in designing and shaping such a unique tool and look forward to its continued development!

What motivates my target group? – Gamification & Player Types for Personas

Based on an article in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studieson the topic of gamification design, we have developed a test that can be used to quickly and easily determine a player type for the personas. This makes it possible to find out whether a persona is, for example, more of a communicative team player or has a competitive disposition. The playertype test improves the understanding of the target group's usage behavior, from which adjustments for the product can in turn be derived. In addition, it is also simply fun and provides surprising self-knowledge!

Data Privacy is not just a nice-to-have

Data protection is often neglected, especially given the rapid development of AI tools, which bring new security risks. There have already been cases at large companies where confidential data became accessible worldwide via chatbots. When developing LeanScope, it was therefore important to us that users could precisely define which data the AI is allowed to access. This is not only sensible but also required by law. Nevertheless, the GDPR is often treated more as an add-on than as a binding guideline.

This approach distinguishes LeanScope from many other AI tools, which are frequently granted unnecessarily broad data access. To avoid risks, applications like ChatGPT should be treated according to the principle of least privilege—that is, like employees with clearly limited rights. Additionally, we retain control over data storage: LeanScope’s servers are located in Germany, allowing us to precisely control which data is transferred to external providers such as OpenAI. This enhances the security of sensitive information.

Next-Level User Research with Smart Automation

Organizing user requirements is a complex and detailed process. Together with LeanScope, we have centralized this process while making it simple and flexible. Thanks to the continuous advancement of AI, we are now getting significantly more out of the tools than we originally anticipated—without losing sight of the human element. LeanScope has also tasked us with rapidly and continuously developing new features based on user feedback.

The latest version of LeanScope takes your software experience to the next level: AI co-pilots make the interface more intuitive and automate repetitive tasks. AI support bots provide instant, expert assistance right within the application, boosting efficiency and satisfaction. With AI persona agents, you can also create personalized virtual assistants tailored specifically to your needs.

We are proud to have played a key role in developing this unique tool and look forward to the future.

Next-Level User Research with Smart Automation

Unsure about a feature? Just ask! 🤷 Interactive chatting with personas in real time

A common problem: When developing a new feature, the question arises whether it is even needed by the desired target group. But time is short and it is difficult to quickly arrange an appointment with testers or real users. To be able to ask relevant human-centric questions at any time and from any place, we made it possible to chat with the personas. Thanks to AI, this feature enables a natural and quick exchange with the target group, be it for feedback, queries or even just a short poem about what annoys existing users the most *wink*.

Our AI Philosophy: Human-in-the-loop

When it comes to AI, we take neither an overly enthusiastic nor a dismissive stance. However, we are always open to new ideas and technologies that are fun and help us achieve our goals in a playful way, while making our work more flexible and creative. For this reason, AI is already firmly integrated into our workflow at Centigrade. We are deeply engaged with the subject and are very aware of both its possibilities and its limitations and risks.

In line with our philosophy, we believe that humans must retain a validating and controlling role when working with AI. This position is confirmed above all by the fact that AI is currently still prone to errors. Unfortunately, chatbots like ChatGPT tend to present false statements with confidence—also known as “confidently wrong.” So, skepticism is certainly warranted!

To work around this issue, we have configured the personas’ AI to exercise a certain degree of caution. Questionable or incorrect statements are not simply made in a blunt and confident manner. Instead, when faced with a question to which it does not have a definitive answer, the persona indicates that it does not know the exact answer and accordingly recommends further manual user research. In addition, user researchers can cross-check the personas’ characteristics, scenarios, and needs and flag any information they consider risky or worth verifying.

Technologies

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As a full-service institute, mindline conducts representative segmentation studies (need-based segmentations) for national and international companies and provides the basis for a deeper understanding of customer needs. Translating customer segments into virtual personas is a key step to making insights tangible and relevant in everyday work. Because these personas are grounded in segmentation studies, their responses are robust and goal-oriented. They give stakeholders in marketing, sales, product development, and corporate communications confidence in everyday decisions and help avoid drifting away from customer needs. For mindline, LeanScope virtual personas are therefore an important component of segmentation projects and elevate customer centricity to a new level.

Michael Briem mindline energy GmbH