All projects

UX research

Using AI to Scale Research Synthesis and Persona Development

Overview

Prospective students have diverse motivations, concerns, and decision-making journeys. As the organisation's understanding of its audiences matured, there was a need to evolve the existing personas into a broader, evidence-based audience framework that could better support journey mapping and strategic decision-making.

I worked with a large volume of different research spread across admissions data, surveys, market research, and user interviews. To accelerate synthesis and uncover connections across sources, I used Microsoft Copilot as an AI-assisted research partner. This helped identify recurring themes, challenge assumptions, and surface behavioural patterns that might otherwise have remained hidden.

The result was a more evidence-based audience framework that expanded the existing personas and provided a robust foundation for journey mapping and UX strategy.

What I have done

Led the research programme, including interviews, survey design, and data collection across admissions, analytics, and marketing.
Analysed qualitative and quantitative data to uncover student motivations, behaviours, and decision-making patterns.
Used Microsoft Copilot to synthesise insights across surveys, admissions data, market research, and interviews.
Mapped the student journey across Explore, Discover, Shortlist, Apply, and Accept stages.
Expanded existing personas into a broader evidence-based audience framework.
Validated audience segments using behavioural, attitudinal, and admissions data.
Combined research, market insight, and stakeholder knowledge to build a holistic view of the student journey.
Presented strategic recommendations to marketing, admissions, and digital leadership teams.

Discovery

Understanding the motivations, pain points, and behaviours of UG Home prospective students was essential to creating personas that could truly inform decision-making. This phase focused on gathering insights through multiple research methods to build a strong foundation for the project.

Activities

Conducted 14 in-person interviews with first-year students to understand their decision-making journey
Designed and distributed a survey, collecting 112 responses to identify broader patterns
Mapped key emotional states and behaviours across the four macro stages of the decision-making process (Explore, Shortlist, Apply, Accept)
Cross-referenced findings with internal and external data sources for a well-rounded perspective

Highlights

Creating research-driven, actionable personas for diverse UG Home prospective students

Challenges

Capturing the diversity of UG Home prospective students – Students have varied motivations, decision-making processes, and career certainty levels
Avoiding overly generic personas – Too broad, and they wouldn’t be actionable; too specific, and they wouldn’t represent enough students
Ensuring insights were research-driven, not assumption-based – Needed robust qualitative and quantitative data to validate findings
Translating research into practical personas – Personas had to be useful for teams making real decisions about student engagement
Addressing gaps in resource awareness – Many students were unaware of existing support systems during their application journey

Solutions

Segmented personas by mindset rather than demographics – This ensured personas reflected decision-making styles rather than superficial traits
Used real student interviews and survey data – Ensured findings were based on actual experiences, not assumptions
Mapped emotional states across decision stages – Helped identify key pain points and motivations at each step of the journey
Designed personas to be actionable for different teams – Tailored insights so Marketing, Admissions, and Student Support could apply them effectively
Highlighted resource awareness as a key area for improvement – Recommended clearer communication and signposting of available support

Insights

Through qualitative and quantitative research, we identified key themes in the decision-making process of UG Home prospective students. These insights shaped the development of personas and helped refine our understanding of student motivations.

Key findings

Decision-Making Mindsets
Students approached university selection with varying levels of clarity and purpose. We identified five distinct personas that reflect different motivations and behaviours
Emotional Stages of the Journey
We mapped the prospective student journey into four macro stages—Explore, Shortlist, Apply, and Accept—each with unique emotional states and pain points.
Awareness and Information Gaps
Some students planned their applications far in advance, while others applied last minute with minimal research, highlighting the need for targeted communication strategies
Key Influences on Choice
Career aspirations, financial considerations, and external influence (family, teachers, and peers) played a significant role in shaping decisions.
Variation in Confidence Levels
Some students had a clear career path in mind, while others needed more guidance to navigate their options

These insights provided a foundation for creating actionable personas that teams across the university could use for decision-making.