How Should Designers Approach Synthetic Users?

Patricia recommends a hybrid approach: use synthetic users for fast exploration, but always validate with real humans.

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Curious to hear your thoughts .Please share them here: Linkedin

In this episode of Future of UX, we dive into one of the most controversial topics in design right now: synthetic users.

These AI-generated “users” promise fast, cheap, scalable insights — but can they really replace talking to real people? I’ll walk you through:

What synthetic users actually are and how they’re created
The tools and platforms already being used in UX research
A real-world example comparing synthetic vs. real user interviews
Benefits like speed, inclusivity, and early idea testing
The risks: shallow answers, bias, lack of emotional depth, and ethical concerns
What the future holds for synthetic users and how designers should approach them

Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or somewhere in between, this episode will give you the full picture. Spoiler: empathy can’t be simulated.

Interesting resources:

🔗 Linkedin from Julian Della Mattia

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