Functional Personas With AI: A Lean, Practical Workflow
I’m breathing new life into personas by focusing on function, not demographics. AI helps synthesize your existing data, saving hours of work and revealing what users actually need.
This article was written for and published on Smashing Magazine
About me
I’m a UX consultant and conversion optimization specialist with 32 years in digital. I help teams create user experiences that work; winning support, improving results, and making change stick.
Contact me
Email: paul@boagworld.com
UK Based – Clients in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia.
how I help
- UX Strategy – Spot what’s blocking a great experience and get a clear plan to fix it.
- Improving Conversion – Simple, evidence-based changes that make every click count.
- Coaching & Leadership – A sounding board to help you lead with clarity and confidence.
- Training & Workshops – Hands-on sessions, playbooks, and self-learning so your team keeps improving.
Actionable Insights
Paul has the ability to see what is hiding in plain sight. He validated ideas under consideration and provided new, actionable recommendations. The most valuable insight was illustrating how our issues were symptoms of an inefficient UX project team structure.
Genuinely brilliant
Paul is genuinely brilliant to work with. He’s funny, thoughtful, and really good at meeting you where you are. He matches my energy, communicates clearly, and always seems to know how to say the right thing. Working with him feels easy, constructive, and properly enjoyable.
Demonstrates his prowess
As we talk, a pronounced pattern in Boag’s patter becomes apparent: he enthuses about a topic, demonstrates his prowess and then knocks himself down with a swipe of self-deprecation.
Smart & Generous
Paul is one of the smartest, most passionate, most generous people I know in the web / online industry. He is truly committed to helping organizations become simpler and more customer-centric.
An inspiration
Paul is an inspiration, I only wish I’d worked with him earlier in my career. His ability to understand and break down problems and offer advice, drawing on his many years of experience is unrivalled. He genuinely wants to get the best out of you and your organisation and you can’t ask for more than that.
Invaluable
Medecins San Frontieres, being a decentralised international association, faces challenges in meeting the needs of a diverse global audience. Paul and the team at Headscape have been invaluable in helping us see the potential of digital for doing this. They have helped us recognize the changes needed to engage with our connected audiences, bringing clarity and innovation to our digital strategy.
Supportive and Challenging
It’s been a pleasure working with Paul. He manages to be both supportive and challenging at the same time and has a very accessible approach. It’s been a really inspiring process and I would love the opportunity to work with him again.
Entertainingly Informative
We can count on Paul to be entertainingly informative. When we bring him to speak at our workshops, people walk out of the session energized and with a better understanding of how a multichannel journey should be assessed and optimized. Thanks Paul!
Best investment
You’re the best investment I’ve made thus far in my business, and that includes a previous coach, paid mentors and many courses! Your expertise is absolutely invaluable. Thank you!
Moves the Needle
It’s not a question of whether I’d work with Paul again, but what we’re doing next. He takes the time to deeply understand your business and goals, then moves the needle across the growth levers that matter most.