UX Research — User Persona

Gluten-Free Persona

Meet Anna — navigating life with celiac disease, one meal at a time.

UX Research Persona User Analysis Health & Lifestyle
Duration
2 weeks
Year
2023
Role
UX Researcher
Method
Interviews & Diary
USER PERSONA · GLUTEN-FREE APP Anna Wiśniewska Marketing Specialist 28 years old · Kraków, Poland Tech: Medium-High · Daily phone user GOALS Discover safe products quickly & confidently Eat out with friends without anxiety Connect with celiac community PAIN POINTS Confusing and misleading food labels Very limited restaurant options Constant fear of cross-contamination " I just want to eat out without worrying if I'll be sick tomorrow. TECH SAVVINESS HEALTH CONSCIOUSNESS UX Research · Gluten-Free App · 2023 APH BOOK

Who is Anna?

A detailed user persona for the Gluten-Free Lifestyle app. Based on research with celiac disease community members, representing a 28-year-old professional managing celiac disease who needs quick, reliable information in her daily life.

Anna Wiśniewska — Full Profile

👩‍💼
Anna Wiśniewska
Marketing Specialist
Age: 28
Location: Kraków, Poland
Tech Savviness: Medium-High
Usage: Daily phone user

Goals

  • Safe product discovery — fast and reliable
  • Eat out with confidence and without anxiety
  • Connect with the celiac community

Pain Points

  • Confusing and misleading food labels
  • Very limited restaurant options for celiacs
  • Constant fear of accidental cross-contamination

I just want to eat out without worrying if I'll be sick tomorrow.

— Anna Wiśniewska, Marketing Specialist, Kraków
Tech Savviness
Medium-High (72%)
Health Consciousness
Very High (94%)
Social Activity
High (78%)
App Engagement
High (85%)

What we learned from Anna

01

Speed is critical

Anna needs product information within 3 seconds of scanning. Any longer and the app becomes a source of friction rather than help in real-life situations like busy supermarkets.

02

Trust through community

Anna trusts reviews from other celiacs over official labels. Peer verification is a key trust signal — she actively avoids products with no community data.

03

Eating out is social anxiety

Restaurant choice affects social plans. Anna sometimes skips outings because she can't verify restaurant safety in advance. A reliable map feature could directly improve her quality of life.

04

Label confusion is daily stress

"May contain traces of wheat" creates the same anxiety as explicit gluten content. Anna needs clear, color-coded risk levels — not ambiguous legal disclaimers.

Rigorous, empathy-driven research

Anna's persona was built through a combination of qualitative depth and quantitative scale, capturing both the emotional weight and behavioral patterns of living with celiac disease.

8
In-depth interviews
45–60 minute interviews with celiac disease patients from the Kraków area and online communities.
3 wk
Diary study
Participants documented daily food decisions, app usage, and emotional reactions to food-related situations.
60
Survey respondents
Quantitative survey covering shopping habits, dining frequency, current app usage, and pain point severity ratings.

Next Project

Dreambook iOS App →