brugfiguren

Brugfiguren is a Danish term used in design, planning and public administration to denote a representative user or user group that is used to illustrate how a system, service, or space is expected to be used. The idea is to make assumptions about user needs explicit so that proposals can be evaluated from the viewpoint of actual users.

While similar to the concept of personas in user-centered design, brugfiguren is often embedded in municipal or policy documents and may describe multiple archetypes to cover different use scenarios instead of focusing on a single target profile.

Creation typically draws on data from surveys, usage statistics, and observations. Analysts define key traits such as age, mobility, digital literacy, language, and accessibility needs, then articulate concrete profiles. The profiles are used in scenario-building, impact assessments, and decision-making documentation to test proposals against realistic usage patterns.

Applications include transport planning, public services, healthcare access, and digital government portals. Using brugfigurer is intended to improve inclusivity and accessibility by ensuring proposals accommodate a range of behaviours and constraints.

Criticism notes that brugfigurer can become stereotypes if not updated with current data, and that focusing on a small number of archetypes may overlook diversity. Best practice emphasizes iterative data collection and validation with actual users.

See also: persona, user-centered design, stakeholder analysis, service design.