How to Use Synthetic Users in Research and Design

Hosted by John Whalen, PhD

Wed, Mar 5, 2025

4:00 PM UTC (30 minutes)

Virtual (Zoom)

Free to join

Invite your network

Go deeper with a course

AI Skills for Research: Create an AI-Powered Insights System
John Whalen, PhD

What you'll learn

Bring Your Data to Life

Create synthetic users to animate your data and make it more compelling to stakeholders than a slide deck could ever do.

Integrate Synthetic Users into Your Workflow

Learn how synthetic users can be useful throughout your research: From kickoff to creating interview guides to analysis.

Have an Always-On Research Partner

Anticipate user needs by asking synthetic users. Test concepts, marketing messages and more in a low-risk environment.

Why this topic matters

Understanding and implementing synthetic users can significantly broaden your thinking about what users need, how they might respond to a new product or service, and what you should ask real users. They can be "users" or, synthetic researchers, brand strategists, or any number of experts for inspiration. Know how they can be useful, and how to avoid over reliance on them.

You'll learn from

John Whalen, PhD

AI for UX Expert, Fortune 100 clientele, CEO, author & speaker

I lead Insights & Innovation at Brilliant Experience, where I help global brands understand the psychology behind their customers' behaviors and bring successful products to market.


Initially skeptical about AI, my team and I conducted “AI vs. Humans” studies to pinpoint precisely where AI-enhanced research excels—and where human judgment remains irreplaceable. I became convinced that AI will transform how research will be done.


Now I've reviewed >100 AI-enhanced tools and regularly interview pioneering founders in the AI-for-UX space and (thoughtfully) leverage the latest AI tools to deliver Accelerated Insights: rapid, scaled, global insights for top brands.


With a PhD from Johns Hopkins, and author of Design for How People Think, I combine academic rigor with real-world pragmatism to help you harness the new realities of AI-powered research.

Clients include

Google
Capital One
Bloomberg
Mars Wrigley
Blue Cross Blue Shield

Learn directly from John Whalen, PhD

By continuing, you agree to Maven's Terms and Privacy Policy.

© 2025 Maven Learning, Inc.