"When non-researchers approach a user researcher for a research request, they may hear, 'Please define your target audience (TA) more clearly!' You might think you understand the TA perfectly well and have a clear picture in your head. So why doesn't your researcher understand?

One reason for this common miscommunication is that there are multiple meanings of the word 'definition'! (I know, I know... the researcher is going to define 'definition'. But bear with me.)

Common definitions we use in our daily lives include (but are not limited to):"

<aside> 💡 Intentional definition: This is a process of stating the attributes and necessary requirements of a word in order to minimize ambiguity. For example, the definition of aunt is the sister of one's parent.

This is a completely acceptable way to define a TA, and it is perfectly fine to keep it broad!

</aside>

<aside> 💡 Ostensive definition: Define by examples. This is also how children learn languages. For example, chair like many common objects are defined this way — we learn by example — “this is a chair”, “this is also a chair”, “this is stool, not a chair”

This is how a lot of us create an mental image and empathize with the TA.

</aside>

There are various ways to define a concept, but the above two are arguably how we usually understand most concepts, including our TA.

However, if we would like to conduct a study with the TA, the researcher needs to recruit the right people for the study. While they may ask for a clearer definition of the TA, what they secretly need is an operational definition.

<aside> 💡 Operational definition is a specification of how to measure a construct. It is designed so that other investigators can replicate the research. For example, an intelligent person could be operationally defined as someone who scored 130 or above on the WPPSI-IV test.

This is what a user study requires: clear and measurable criteria that all parties can agree upon before the study takes place.

</aside>

Imagine the following scenario:

The PM states, "Our target audience (TA) is someone who likes technology and has a budget of $1,000." The designer responds, "The TA is like Iron Man, the YouTuber Dave2D, and my tech-savvy friend John!"

The first definition is essentially circular and not helpful, as it defines the TA as someone who likes the product without actually describing the product. The second definition is also insufficient because each person may interpret Iron Man, Dave2D, or John differently. Both descriptions are not suitable for a user study.

The researcher needs something more like this: "The TA purchases the product for productivity and work, and is willing to spend 50% more than the average selling price for better quality. They purchase more than 5 new tech items each year, and both the look and function are top priorities." This can be easily turned into survey questions for recruitment:

1. What do you primarily use your laptop for?
2. What are the specifications you look for in a laptop? What is the highest price you are willing to pay for a device with those specifications?
3. List all the electronics and new tech items you have purchased in the past 12 months.
4. What are the top three factors you consider when making a decision to purchase a laptop?

<aside> ⛔ Circular Definition is a term used to describe a definition that uses the term(s) being defined as part of the description or assumes that the term(s) being described are already known. A classic example is defining "chicken" as "the thing that comes from an egg" and "egg" as "the thing that comes from a chicken". This type of definition should be avoided.

</aside>