The Fake Persona Test
Most of your product’s worst UX failures won’t show up in analytics.
They’ll show up in a support ticket from someone who accidentally backspaced their way out of a signup flow. Or rage-clicked a modal five times on a cracked screen. Or tried to use your beautifully designed pricing table through the lens of Safari Reader Mode on an iPad from 2016.
That’s where the Fake Persona Test comes in.
It’s not real research. It’s not a replacement for user interviews. It’s just a fast, funny, internal tool for breaking out of your bubble — and spotting the friction you’re too close to see.
What It Is #
Fake personas are exaggerated, fictional user types you pretend to be while navigating your own product. Not based on demographics — based on odd habits, misinformed instincts, and cursed device setups.
They’re built to surface the edge-case weirdness that often breaks otherwise “perfect” UX.
This isn’t about mocking users. It’s about seeing your product through entirely different eyes — the kind that scroll too fast, type too slow, or never click anything that looks like a button.
The Crew #
Here’s our cast of test personas. Not comprehensive. Not research-backed. Just extremely effective.
👵 Edith, 69, retired librarian #
– Uses an iPad Mini with 2% battery
– Double-taps everything
– Doesn’t trust autofill, Google, or QR codes
– Thinks Wi-Fi is “a bit aggressive”
Edith is not here to explore. She wants to complete a task, get her info, and go. Your clarity bar has never been higher.
🧔 Dennis, 47, Linux loyalist #
– Navigates exclusively with keyboard shortcuts
– Refuses to use cloud storage
– Hates animations, modals, and dropdowns on principle
– Runs Firefox in safe mode
Dennis is smart — but everything about modern UI conventions makes him bristle. If your product hides essentials behind icons or animation, Dennis won’t find them. He’ll file a bug report.
🧢 Joel, 34, multitasking dad #
– Tapping with one hand while holding a toddler
– On 3G, in a parking lot
– Ignores pop-ups, doesn’t trust modals
– Needs results, fast
Joel has one shot. If your form fails on the first submit, he’s out. If he can’t go back, it’s over. Design like every second counts — because for Joel, it does.
🤳 Reese, 21, hyper-tapper #
– Uses a phone with 67 apps and 0 folders
– Taps everything before reading
– Assumes all interfaces swipe
– Quits mid-flow if something “feels off”
Reese navigates via intuition and dopamine. If your product doesn’t instantly make sense, you won’t see the drop — you’ll just see the uninstall.
Why It Works #
The Fake Persona Test breaks the “it works for me” illusion. You see:
– Assumptions you didn’t know you made
– Dead ends you didn’t mean to design
– Just how brittle your ideal flow really is
It’s not scientific. It’s not scalable. But it’s real.
And when you start roleplaying your product through chaotic energy and old devices, you start to design with more empathy.
How To Run One #
- Pick a live flow (onboarding, pricing, support, etc.)
- Assign a persona
- Narrate the experience out loud as that person
- Ask: where does this person get confused, frustrated, lost, or bored?
- Fix one thing
That’s it. It takes 10 minutes (or, maybe, 20?) and often reveals more than your last five stakeholder comments.
No, It Doesn’t Replace Research #
Of course you need real users. Real edge cases. Real accessibility audits.
But while you’re waiting for the research budget — or before the next sprint review — the Fake Persona Test is a fast, affordable way to break out of your team’s shared blind spot.
Final Thought #
If your product only works for people like you, it doesn’t work.
The Fake Persona Test won’t make your product perfect. But it will make your team laugh, think, and most importantly — ask better questions.
Because the next Edith, Dennis, Reese or Joel who touches your interface isn’t imaginary.
They’re real. They’re tired. They’re busy. They’re about to hit the wrong button.
If they still make it through?
Then maybe you’re doing something right.
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DNSK WORK
Design studio for digital products
https://dnsk.work