User Persona Development
A Product Strategy Case Study for PrepNaija – How Understanding Users Drives Product Decisions
The Challenge
When we began developing PrepNaija, an online education platform for Nigerian students preparing for WAEC and JAMB exams, we faced a critical product question:
Without clear answers, we risked building features that looked good on paper but didn’t solve real user problems. This case study documents my process of uncovering our core users through user research and persona development to inform our product strategy.
- Identify and understand our primary user segments
- Create actionable personas to guide product decisions
- Develop targeted solutions for each user Persona
- Prioritize which personas to focus on first
Research Methodology
Initial Hypothesis Generation
We began by developing initial hypotheses about potential user types through market analysis of education platforms in Nigeria, interviews with 5 local teachers and tutors, and reviewing competitor user feedback. This foundational work helped us identify 6 distinct user types that might interact with PrepNaija in different ways, setting the stage for more targeted research.
User Interviews & Surveys
Our research included 15 in-depth interviews with students aged 15-19, 8 parent interviews, and a survey of 120 students across 3 states. We focused our questions on understanding study habits, pain points with current educational tools, technology usage patterns, and decision-making processes. This qualitative and quantitative approach gave us rich insights into user behaviors and needs.
Behavioral Analysis
For users of our existing MVP, we conducted detailed behavioral analysis examining feature usage patterns, session duration and frequency, drop-off points during onboarding, and common themes in support tickets. This real-world usage data helped validate our interview findings and revealed unexpected usage patterns we hadn’t anticipated.
We discovered that while we had identified 6 potential personas through initial research, 80% of our value was being delivered to just 3 core user types. This became our focus for the first phase of product development.
PrepNaija App Preview
Experience the MVP
After extensive research and persona development, we built a minimum viable product tailored to our core users’ needs. The MVP incorporates all the insights gathered from our user research.
You can explore the live version of PrepNaija to see how our persona-driven approach translated into actual product features and user experience.
View Live MVPAvailable on all devices with responsive design
Identified Personas
Through our research, we identified these key user types that interact with PrepNaija differently:
Highly motivated but struggles with certain subjects. Tech-savvy with heavy social media use. Needs structured but flexible study tools that fit into their busy schedule.
Didn’t pass exams the first time. Needs personalized guidance and confidence-building features. Often balancing studies with work or family responsibilities.
Primary purchaser of educational tools. Needs clear ROI demonstration and ways to monitor their child’s progress. Less tech-savvy than student users.
While all personas are important, we prioritized The Determined Student because:
- They represented 68% of our early adopters
- Their needs aligned perfectly with our core value proposition
- Serving them well would create strong word-of-mouth referrals
- Product decisions for this persona often benefited others as well
Primary Persona Deep Dive
“Education is my ladder to greatness.”
Goals & Motivations
- Ace WAEC and JAMB exams with top scores
- Gain admission to prestigious university
- Make family proud of her achievements
- Become financially independent through education
- Pursue her dream career in law
Pain Points
- Struggles with math and science concepts
- Limited access to quality study resources
- Frequent distractions at home while studying
- Pressure to succeed causes anxiety
- Time management between school and exam prep
Behavioral Insights
- Spends 2-3 hours daily on social media (Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp)
- Uses smartphone for 90% of online activities
- Prefers visual explanations over text-heavy materials
- Responds well to gamification and social proof
- Most productive study times are early morning and late evening
A Day in Amaka’s Life
Checks phone for messages and scrolls through social media
Listens to music and reviews flashcards on phone
Attends extra lessons, then spends time with friends
Focuses on weak subjects but gets frustrated with difficult topics
Lessons Learned
What Worked Well
- Focusing on one primary persona first created clarity
- Day-in-the-life mapping revealed unexpected opportunities
- Balancing quantitative and qualitative research
- Creating persona posters for the team to reference daily
What I’d Improve Next Time
- Involve engineering earlier in persona discussions
- Conduct more frequent persona validation checks
- Create lightweight versions for secondary personas sooner
- Track persona-specific metrics from launch
Next Steps
Expand to Secondary Personas
With our primary persona well-served, we’re now expanding to address the needs of other important user groups. For resitting students, we’re developing specialized study tracks that identify and target knowledge gaps from previous attempts. We’re creating a comprehensive parent dashboard that provides meaningful progress tracking without overwhelming less tech-savvy users. Additionally, we’re testing different pricing models to find options that work for each segment while maintaining sustainable revenue for the platform.
Continuous Validation
To ensure our personas remain accurate as our user base grows and evolves, we’re implementing several validation mechanisms. We’ll conduct quarterly user interviews with representatives from each persona group to check for shifting needs and behaviors. Our analytics system will track persona-specific usage patterns to identify emerging trends. We’re also setting up A/B testing frameworks to evaluate different messaging and feature presentations for each segment, allowing the product to adapt as we learn more about our users.
This persona development process taught me that great products aren’t built for everyone – they’re built for someone. By deeply understanding Amaka’s needs, behaviors, and motivations, we were able to create a product that truly resonates with our core users while establishing a strong foundation to serve additional segments.