User attribute grid 2.0

Updated on Monday, July 20, 2026

For a group of users, this method captures all useful data points and allows comparison, synthesis, and identification of unique, similar, primary, and secondary user models.

Overview

The user attribute grid allows teams to collect all data points about a set of users, so you can compare, contrast, and synthesize a set of user models or personas. The completed user attribute grid provides a visual map of how your personas are similar and different. The attribute grid helps teams capture insights and observations, make sense of the data, and identify primary and secondary user groups.

Objective	Understand
Model	Users & personas
Difficulty	Experience needed
Participants	Up to 6
Time	45m
Materials	A user attribute grid

Expected outcomes

• A list of attributes applicable to users in a system
• For each user, their score for each attribute

Prerequisites

• A list of all users in a system
• Optional: A list of common system and user attributes

When to Use / When to Substitute

Best used when

• Kicking off any new project or initiative. Makes the persona creation process.
• Anytime The attribute grid is a living document, so it can be created at any time during your product development process and updated every time you learn more about your users.

Not recommended when

• The team already has established personas. User attribute grid helps you define personas, so if you already have them, there's no use defining them again.

Substitute activities

• User profile canvas — Use when you don't have a good list of attributes and want to start by focusing on individual users tasks and context.
• Empathy map — Use when you need to explore each user's psychological context to understand how they approach the system.

Variations

• No variations

What to Do Next

Share outputs with participants and confirm findings

Within 24 hours, share the grid with participants. Ask for their inout and feedback on any findings that seemed interesting or counter-intuitive. This helps the group fully align around the final analysis.

Use the grid as input into persona one-sheets

Convert the data into a one sheet summary for each persona that you can share with the team and use to support product and design decisions.

Learn more

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