I suggest drawing a simple version of a customer journey map,1 which is a tool widely used by user researchers. The goal is to be able to draw out the different steps a customer goes through, and then for each step, identify the functional/social/emotional elements. It can also be helpful to diagram the different tools and constraints that might

Through talking with and observing users, you can gather a list of goals, attitudes, and behaviors that can become potential ways of segmenting your audience and thus defining personas.

understand their current workflows, identify what they know about their customer needs, and brainstorm how we could potentially help their users achieve their goals.