Data-Driven Personas in Drone Delivery: Leveraging Generative AI for Enhanced User Insights and Experience Design

This study explores the creation of user personas for drone delivery customers by integrating survey data and generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). The objective is to enhance traditional persona development, which has predominantly relied on qualitative methods, by incorporating quantitative data and advanced AI techniques. The research involved collecting survey data from 500 participants and conducting two focus groups with 19 potential drone delivery users in Finland. The data were analyzed and clustered into distinct user segments based on demographics, behaviors, preferences, and characteristics. These segments were further processed using gen-AI tools to create detailed user personas, each characterized by a name, image, and narrative that reflect the diverse needs of the target user group. This hybrid methodology combines traditional persona creation with AI techniques. The study identified four distinct drone use personas: The Drone-Friendly Urbanite, Eco-Efficient Package Pro, Cautious Health-Focused User, and Safety-Minded Delivery Adopter. These personas comprehensively represent drone delivery users, emphasizing key motivations, pain points, and behavioral patterns. The integration of survey data and gen-AI as a hybrid approach facilitated a nuanced understanding of user needs, enhancing empathy among designers and stakeholders. This research contributes to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) by showcasing the potential of gen-AI in persona creation, bridging the gap between qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The practical application of AI in user experience design provides valuable insights for designers and researchers in the evolving landscape of digital services.