Saskia Pallentin

Why this persona fits the audience

Part of a 4-person research function in Berlin. She runs moderated interviews, stores recordings in Dovetail, and uses Otter-generated transcripts to pull quotes for reports. Her notes get reused by PMs and designers across the team.

• Age: 31
• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Occupation: UX researcher
• Income: €78k gross
• Education: Master's degree in human-computer interaction
• Company size: mid-sized (approx. 500 employees)
• Years in role: 4

“The most rewarding part of my job is uncovering those 'aha!' moments that truly illuminate a user's experience, turning abstract data into a tangible path forward for our product.”

Saskia Pallentin, 31, is a dedicated UX researcher based in the vibrant city of Berlin. Her journey into user experience began during her Master's program in Human-Computer Interaction, where she developed a deep fascination with understanding user behavior and translating those insights into intuitive digital products. This academic foundation, coupled with a natural inclination towards empathy and structured thinking, led her to her current role at a mid-sized marketplace company, where she's been for four years. She is an integral part of a lean, four-person research function, a setup that demands both autonomy and strong collaboration. Saskia's daily work is characterized by a rigorous qualitative approach. She expertly conducts moderated user interviews, meticulously documenting each session. Her workflow is highly organized: recordings are systematically stored in Dovetail, a platform she relies on for efficient retrieval and analysis. Otter.ai plays a crucial role in generating transcripts, which Saskia then carefully reviews and annotates to extract salient quotes and themes for her comprehensive reports. This commitment to detailed documentation ensures that her findings are not siloed but are actively reused by product managers and designers across the company, a fact that she finds highly motivating. Financially, Saskia is prudent, earning a gross income of €78k, which allows for comfortable living in Berlin and consistent savings towards future goals like travel and property. She values structure and evidence, but her core driver is user empathy, believing that a deep understanding of user needs is paramount to creating successful products. Her openness to new ideas and methods, combined with her conscientious approach to her work, makes her a valuable asset to her team and the company.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Saskia's typical weekday begins around 7:30 AM with a quick breakfast and checking industry news. She commutes to the office by bike, arriving by 9:00 AM. Her mornings are often dedicated to analysis – reviewing Otter transcripts, tagging key quotes in Dovetail, or synthesizing findings from recent interviews. After a team lunch, her afternoons might involve conducting a moderated user interview, followed by a stakeholder meeting to present research insights. She aims to leave the office by 6:00 PM, often spending her evenings cooking, attending a yoga class, or catching up with her partner. She might do some light reading or planning for the next day before bed around 11:00 PM.

Lifestyle

Saskia lives in a bright, airy Altbau apartment in Prenzlauer Berg with her partner, a software engineer. They enjoy cooking together, exploring Berlin's diverse food scene, and weekend trips to nearby lakes or forests. She prioritizes her well-being, incorporating yoga into her weekly routine and aiming for a balanced diet. Financially, she's responsible, saving consistently for future travel and potential property investment, but isn't overly frugal, enjoying occasional splurges on experiences or well-crafted items. Her social life is active but curated, focusing on deep connections with a close-knit group of friends from university and work.

Work life

Saskia thrives in her role as a UX researcher, deeply valuing the direct impact her work has on product development. The collaborative environment within her 4-person research team in Berlin is a significant positive, fostering shared learning and support. She meticulously runs moderated interviews, relying on Dovetail for organized storage of session recordings. Otter.ai is indispensable for generating transcripts, which she then carefully annotates to extract impactful quotes for her reports. The knowledge that her insights are actively reused by PMs and designers across the company fuels her dedication to thoroughness and clarity in her documentation.

Relationships

Saskia is in a committed long-term relationship with her partner, who understands and supports her demanding career. Her closest friends are a mix of former university colleagues and people she's met through work, valuing their intellectual discussions and shared interests in technology and design. Her immediate family lives in a smaller town in Bavaria, and they maintain regular contact via video calls and occasional visits.

How they decide

Saskia is a highly research-driven decision-maker. She meticulously gathers information, weighs different options based on evidence and user impact, and seeks consensus among relevant stakeholders. She is not impulsive and prefers to deliberate thoroughly before committing to a course of action, often creating pros and cons lists or frameworks to structure her thinking.

How they sound

Saskia speaks with a clear, measured cadence, her German accent subtly present. She uses precise language, avoiding jargon where possible unless discussing technical UX concepts. Her tone is generally calm and thoughtful, reflecting her analytical nature. She tends to be articulate and well-reasoned, often pausing to formulate her thoughts. She avoids overly casual slang or overly emotional expressions in professional contexts, preferring a tone of informed objectivity.