Proto-persona
The persona below represents a college student who uses large language models primarily to support academic writing, not to replace it. She values independent thinking and typically attempts assignments on her own before turning to an LLM. Her AI use is driven by moments of friction like time pressure or difficulty articulating ideas rather than a lack of understanding. While LLMs help her clarify thoughts and regain momentum, they also introduce feelings of guilt and self-doubt. This persona reflects a student who wants guidance on how to use AI responsibly rather than pressure to avoid it altogether for our project.
Journey Map
This journey map illustrates one complete academic writing session involving an LLM, from working independently to final submission. The x-axis captures key moments where the student’s behavior, emotions, and decision-making shift, while the y-axis surfaces what she feels, does, and thinks at each stage. By visualizing these moments, I was able to reveal opportunities to support more intentional, reflective use of LLMs during writing, particularly before and after prompting.
