User-Centered Design
Customer Role Play
Customer role play involves team members adopting the personas of different types of customers to simulate interactions with the product or service. This immersive exercise helps uncover insights into customer experiences, expectations, and potential friction points.
EFFORT
Medium
This activity requires preparation in terms of persona and scenario creation but does not demand extensive resources or time once initial setups are complete.
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
Customer role play is accessible as it mainly relies on the team’s ability to empathize and creatively simulate realistic interactions. It becomes easier as team members grow more accustomed to thinking from a customer’s perspective.
IMPLEMENTATION
Develop Personas: Use existing customer data to create detailed personas representing different user segments.
Script Scenarios: Craft scenarios that these personas might realistically encounter while using the product.
Assign Roles: Team members assume the roles of both the customer and other roles interacting with the customer, such as support agents.
Simulate Interactions: Act out the scenarios, focusing on the customer's journey, decisions, and emotional reactions.
Debrief and Analyze: After role-playing, discuss the experiences, identify pain points, and gather suggestions for improvement.
Iterate on Feedback: Apply the insights gained to enhance product design and customer service protocols.
BENEFITS
Increases empathy and understanding of the customer’s perspective.
Helps identify unforeseen issues and areas for product or service enhancement.
Facilitates the development of more effective solutions by experiencing real user frustrations and needs.
CHALLENGES
Can be time-consuming to prepare and execute effectively.
Requires participants to fully engage and accurately represent customer behaviors, which can be challenging without proper training.
Insights gathered are subjective and need to be validated with broader user research.
RECOMMENDED TEAM MEMBERS
UI/UX Designer, Customer Support, Product Manager, Marketing, Sales
DELIVERABLES
Detailed feedback and analysis report from the role-play sessions, including customer reactions and decisions.
A list of identified pain points and suggested enhancements.
Actionable recommendations for product or service improvements.
Recorded sessions (if conducted) for reference and further analysis.
Stay tuned for an upcoming template.