Lifestyle and Psychographic Factors

In UX Research, Don’t Focus Too Much on Demographics In UX and market research - in any research that involves people - I observe a tendency to focus too much or exclusively on demographic variables such as age, gender, income, or location. In my experience, there are two main problems with this approach: 👯 Focusing on demographics often leads to discussions on the representativeness of a sample. This is usually not even about a well-defined user or customer population, but the whole or country population. Watching attempts to connect 10-20 sampled participants to a country's population is like watching a no-win game (I’ve been there!). 💡 By focusing only on demographics, you miss out on invaluable information and insights. For UX, just age or other standard demographic variables are often insufficient to explain differences in the perception of a digital product or interface. Supported by studies (e.g., Rahim et al., 2014), psychographic factors like attitudes, motivational factors, and experience with technology can better explain differences in perception, usage, and behavior than demographic variables alone: 🤑 Income alone doesn’t fully indicate a willingness to spend money. A focus on spending styles (e.g. rather pragmatic or hedonistic spending), akin to personality traits, gives a more precise understanding of purchase behavior. 💻 The perceived usability of an interface often depends less on age and more on familiarity with technology. To integrate psychographics into your research process, consider using validated psychometric scales, such as the “Affinity for Technology Interaction Scale” by Attig et al. (2017). Rahim, H. L., Abidin, Z. Z., & Khairuddin, N. N. (2014). Psychographic characteristics influencing customer behaviour on online purchase intention. Australian Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences, 8(5), 248-253. Attig, C., Wessel, D., & Franke, T. (2017). Assessing personality differences in human-technology interaction: an overview of key self-report scales to predict successful interaction. In HCI International 2017–Posters' Extended Abstracts: 19th International Conference, HCI International 2017, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 9–14, 2017, Proceedings, Part I 19 (pp. 19-29). Springer International Publishing.

Today's smartest and boldest brands are unafraid to niche down their audience — hard — to connect deeply with a focused and very specific ideal customer persona (ICP) that they know intimately. Most ICPs start with demographics — measures such as age, gender, marital and family status, education and income level, and so on. This is how we traditionally categorize people. But demographics only scratch the surface in identifying your ICP. What plays an even more important role are psychographics: How people think and behave. Psychographics include such factors as values and belief systems, personality types, motivations and aspirations, and challenges and pain points. Psychographics also include what I call Ideal States of Being: 😃 Ideal Emotional State: How do people want to feel? 💪 Ideal Self-Expressive State: How do they want to be seen by others? 🪞 Ideal Self-Actualized State: How do they want to see themselves? These truly drive our buying decisions. For example, a 28-year-old soon-to-be bride is likely to have different motivations, aspirations, pain points, and Ideal States of Being than a 28-year-old setting up her own solo apartment in the big city for the first time. Both are going through major life changes — but those life changes may look very different: 👰 The soon-to-be bride is likely thinking about throwing a big party for friends and family; potentially planning a dream honeymoon; merging homes, lifestyles, and/or bank accounts with a new spouse; and maybe even starting to think ahead to buying their first home in the right school district. 🙋♀️ The self-empowered singleton is taking charge of her own life and asserting her independence, outfitting her very first all-hers apartment; juggling work, social life, and the responsibilities of solo living; planning her first international vacation with a friend; and figuring out how to live life large on a budget. Both women are likely brimming with hope and optimism for what comes next. But their motivations, aspirations, pain points, and Ideal States of Being likely look very different — with one grounded in a new level of togetherness and sharing, and the other discovering a whole new level of independence and strength. Simply put, winning at life looks different for each. When you're articulating your ICP go beyond demos and dig deeper, to what really counts: motivations and aspirations, pain points and challenges, and Ideal States of Being. 😃 How does your ICP want to feel? 💪 How do they want to be seen by others? 🪞 How do they want to see themselves? 💡 How can your brand help your ICP to make that happen?   #brandstrategy #customers #branding #leadership #digdeeper

I often say: Focus on psychographics (values, interests) Over demographics (age, gender, income) The tough part? Gathering psychographics (without being creepy or invasive.) It's easier to rely on demographics. They're: - painless to gather - straightforward - easy to analyze - quantifiable But it's a mistake to depend on them. A costly one. They're a weak data point. The role they play in purchase decisions? Smaller than many marketers think. Psychographics are much more useful. And easier to collect than you think. Here's how I do it: 👉 Customer surveys Ask direct questions about values, interests, and the purchase process. 👉 Social listening Analyze what your audience is saying in comments, reviews, and posts. Look for patterns in their language, pain points, and values. 👉 Website behavior Track which pages customers visit, what content they engage with, and how they navigate your site. 👉 Customer interviews Understand the customer buying process — from the first moment a customer noticed a problem in their life through purchasing your product (and ideally your product solving their problem). 👉 Community engagement Host webinars, engage in online groups, read and respond to customer comments. Learn your target market's pain points and how they phrase those pain points. 👉 Analyze reviews and testimonials Look for recurring themes in what people say about your product — or your competitors'. Psychographics give you: - customer behavior insights - voice-of-customer data - value props - pain points It's priceless info. Use it to hone your messaging, offers, marketing, design, and product. #marketing #customerinsights #strategy

Even award-winning packaging fails to convert. Think, Tropicana redesign in 2009 that cost them 30-million in sales in 2 months. 🤯 Why do some 'great' packaging designs fail, while others—often seen as less impressive—become iconic? The key is... 👉 Psychological triggers. This 3-part series breaks down our core approach to packaging design that not only wins awards but delivers actual sales. ---- ⚡️ Part 1: Do you really know your target consumer? 🎯 ---- Whether you're designing for a niche brand or a large-scale enterprise, the first step to creating impactful packaging is truly understanding your audience. It’s more than demographics; it's about tapping into who they are at their core—their lifestyle, values, and purchasing drivers. Many overlook this step or avoid asking the hard questions, but if you want your design to succeed, this is where it all begins. Here’s how to use your target audience as your north star for brand and packaging design: 👉 Demographics: - Age range: Are we designing for Gen Z, Millennials, or Baby Boomers? Different generations respond to different visual cues. - Identity/Gender: How does your consumer identify, and how does that shape their product choices? - Location: Are they based in urban centers, suburban areas, or rural communities? This impacts both design and distribution. - Income level & Education: These factors influence their purchasing power and how they perceive value. 👉 Psychographics: - Values & Beliefs: What are the principles they hold close? Sustainability, inclusivity, luxury—these can drive decision-making. - Hobbies & Interests: What are their passions? Fitness, gaming, wellness, art, etc.? - Media Consumption: Where do they spend time—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, podcasts, Reddit? - Communication Preferences: Do they prefer learning about new products through influencers, direct emails, or social recommendations? 👉 Cultural and Social Trends: - Cultural Movements: Is your audience driven by movements like sustainability, diversity, or mental health awareness? - Community Engagement: What communities or social causes are they passionate about? Does your brand authentically resonate with those values? 🤔 Wait! This post didn't even talk about design!? And that's the reality: ✅ Great design starts with understanding and insight ❌ Not color pallet and form factor. Understanding the “who,” “where,” and “why” of your audience gives what you will design the best chance at successfully converting. 🔥 Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive into how to gain an advantage over your competitors. #PackagingDesign #BrandStrategy #Design #Retail #MarketingTips