Persona: Kwame Asante, 28, Rotterdam, The Netherlands — The Indifferent Non-Audience
Date: 30 May 2026
Interviewer: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today, Kwame. I'm conducting research on behalf of a new interior design service, and I'd love to get your honest perspective. There are no right or wrong answers here — I'm genuinely interested in your reactions, even if they're negative or uncertain. The concept is still in development, so critical feedback is just as valuable as positive feedback. I'll start by asking you a few questions about your current living situation and how you think about your home. Then I'll share some information about this service and ask for your reactions. The whole thing should take about twenty to twenty-five minutes. Does that sound all right?
Kwame: Yeah, sure. I'll be honest though, I don't think I'm your guy for this. I don't really know anything about interiors and stuff. But yeah, go ahead.
Interviewer: That's completely fine — and honestly, the most helpful thing you can do is be completely honest. I'm not the person who created this, so you won't hurt anyone's feelings. Tell me a bit about your current living situation — your home, who you live with, and how you generally feel about the space.
Kwame: So I live in Rotterdam-West, in a shared flat. Me and two other guys — well, one's a student, the other works at a warehouse. I have my own room, and we share the kitchen and bathroom and the living room. It's chill. It works.
Interviewer: When you walk through your front door at the end of the day, what's the first thing you notice?
Kwame: Uh... whether my flatmates are home? laughs I don't know, man. I usually just go to my room, change, and head to the gym. I don't really notice stuff about the flat.
Interviewer: Is there anything about your room or the flat that frustrates you, or that you wish were different?
Kwame: The shower pressure is shit. laughs Nah, I mean — it's fine. My room is small, like fifteen square metres. I've got a bed, a desk, my gaming chair, wardrobe. That's it. It does what I need. I'm not there that much, you know? I'm at work, I'm at the gym, I'm out with friends. The room is basically for sleeping and scrolling TikTok.
Interviewer: How much time and energy do you typically spend thinking about how your room looks or feels?
Kwame: Zero. laughs Like, honestly, zero. I never think about it. It's just a room. I've got a bed, I've got my stuff, the light works. What else is there?
Interviewer: Have you ever considered getting help with your space — from a designer, a service, a friend, even an app?
Kwame: A designer? For my room? laughs No, man. That's — no. That's never crossed my mind. I don't even know anyone who's done that. Maybe my mum, like, she watches those home shows on TV. But for a guy my age renting a room? Nah. That would be a weird flex.
Interviewer: When you hear the words "interior designer," what comes to mind?
Kwame: Someone on TV. A woman, usually, going into a big house and like, picking out curtains and paint colours. Or those shows where they redo a whole room and everyone cries at the end. It's not my world. It's more of a — I don't know — a thing for people who own houses, families, that kind of stage in life.
Interviewer: You mentioned it's more of a stage-in-life thing. Can you say more about that?
Kwame: Yeah, like — maybe when I have my own place, a real flat, not a shared one. Maybe when I'm settled, got a better job, maybe a girlfriend who cares about that stuff. Right now I'm just living, you know? I'm not building a home. I'm renting a room.
Interviewer: That's really clear. Thank you, Kwame. Let me now tell you about a specific service and get your reactions. It's called Everyday Living Interiors. It's run by a woman named Sara de Abreu, based in Amsterdam. Let me walk you through what you'd see if you visited her website.
The first thing you see is a large heading that says: "Your Home Should Support Your Life, Not Compete With It." Below that it says: "Beautiful, functional homes should be accessible, not intimidating, elitist, or expensive."
There's a photo of a warm, lived-in kitchen — wooden cabinets, a table with flowers and books, someone walking through the frame. It feels real rather than staged.
Scrolling down, you see a section called "Real People, Real Homes" with three project examples: a full apartment redesign for a family with children in Amsterdam, a virtual consultation done in under thirty minutes by video call, and a kitchen design for a couple who liked different styles.
Then there are four services. The Room Reset — a sixty-minute online session to help you move forward with clarity. The Thoughtful Edit — elevate your space with what you already have, no waste, no extra spending. The Design Roadmap — a full concept and design package with ideas, colours, layouts, and a shopping list. And The Clutter Edit — help when decluttering and organising feels overwhelming.
There are client testimonials from people in the Netherlands and Belgium. One says Sara helped them create cohesion with minimal effort and expense. Another praises how she found solutions that honoured both partners' different tastes.
In the About section, Sara shares that she trained at the National Design Academy but has been passionate about interiors since childhood. She says she's been helping friends redesign homes, stage spaces, and rethink layouts for years. She emphasises working with what you already own and avoiding unnecessary spending.
There is no pricing information visible anywhere on the website. To get started, you fill in a contact form with your name, email, and a message.
The website's mission statement says: "Good interior design isn't about trends or picture-perfect rooms. It's about creating spaces that feel comfortable, functional, and personal."
That's the overview. Take a moment to let that settle.
Pause.
Kwame: brief silence Yeah. I mean — it sounds nice. It's just not for me.
Interviewer: Tell me more. What makes you say that so quickly?
Kwame: Everything about it. The kitchen with flowers, the family in Amsterdam, the couples, the testimonials. It's for people who have a house, who are thinking about their home. I have a room in a shared flat. There's nothing to redesign. I've got a bed and a desk. What's she gonna do, tell me to move the bed to the other wall? laughs
Interviewer: What stood out to you most — positively or negatively?
Kwame: Positively — I guess the "not expensive" part. That's at least honest. Most design stuff feels like it's for rich people. Negatively — everything else just felt like it was speaking to a different person. The language, the vibe. "Elevate your space." "Move forward with clarity." That's not how I talk. That's not how anyone I know talks.
Interviewer: Did anything surprise you?
Kwame: Not really. It's pretty much what I expected when you said interior design.
Interviewer: How does it compare to what you expected?
Kwame: Actually — it's less fancy than I expected. The lived-in kitchen, working with what you have — that's more down to earth than I thought a designer would be. But it still feels like a world I'm not in. Like, she could be the most chill designer ever. I'm still not her customer.
Interviewer: Based on what you've heard, who do you think this service is designed for?
Kwame: Women. Probably thirties, forties. People with families, or couples. People who own a flat or have a nice rental. People who already care about how their place looks and just need help making it better. Not someone like me who has literally never thought about it.
Interviewer: You said women. Why women specifically?
Kwame: I don't know, it just feels that way. The flowers on the table, the language, the whole feel. My mum would be into it. My sister probably. My boys? No chance. None of them would ever go on that website. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing — it's just how it is.
Interviewer: Do you see yourself as the kind of person this service is for?
Kwame: No. Zero percent.
Interviewer: What specifically makes you feel excluded?
Kwame: It's not that I feel excluded, like I'm being pushed away. It's more that I was never in the room to begin with. It's like asking if I feel excluded from a yoga studio. I don't feel excluded — I just never walk in. The whole concept of paying someone to help with your room is just not in my universe.
Interviewer: If you had to guess the price range, what would you assume?
Kwame: I don't know. A few hundred euros? Like two hundred, three hundred for a session? I have no idea what these things cost. But it's professional advice, so it can't be cheap.
Interviewer: The tagline is "Your Home Should Support Your Life, Not Compete With It." What does that mean to you?
Kwame: I get it. Like, your home shouldn't be stressful, it should be easy. Makes sense. But for me — my room doesn't compete with my life. It's just... there. It doesn't support it or compete with it. It's neutral. Like a locker. I keep my stuff there and I leave.
Interviewer: Can you think of a moment when your room felt like it was getting in the way?
Kwame: thinks Maybe when I have someone over. Like a girl comes by and the room is... yeah, it's basic. The fluorescent light is pretty harsh. One time someone said my room looks like a student dorm. And I've been working for four years. laughs That was a bit — yeah. But I didn't do anything about it. I just thought, well, she's not wrong.
Interviewer: I noticed you laughed, but that sounds like it landed a bit.
Kwame: Yeah, maybe. A little. But not enough to go and buy like, cushions or whatever. It was just a moment.
Interviewer: Let me ask about the services. The four were The Room Reset, The Thoughtful Edit, The Design Roadmap, and The Clutter Edit. Can you tell me in your own words what each one is?
Kwame: Uh, the Room Reset is like... a one-hour call about your room. The Thoughtful Edit is — rearranging what you have? The Design Roadmap is the full package, like she plans everything. And the Clutter Edit is for people with too much stuff. That last one's not me — I have like five things. laughs
Interviewer: Which would be most relevant to your situation?
Kwame: If I had to pick? The Room Reset, I guess. Because my room is the simplest case. But honestly, none of them feel relevant. It's like asking which yoga class I'd take. The beginner one, I guess, but I'm not going to yoga.
Interviewer: The Thoughtful Edit says "Elevate your space with what you already have — no waste, no extra spending." How does that land?
Kwame: I mean, sounds good in theory. But what do I already have? A bed, a desk, and a chair. There's not much to work with. You can't elevate an IKEA MALM bed. It is what it is.
Interviewer: There's no pricing on the website. How does that affect your experience?
Kwame: I wouldn't even get that far. I'd leave the website way before the contact form. But yeah, no prices is annoying. If you're selling something, tell me what it costs. That's just basic.
Interviewer: If I told you the sixty-minute online session costs approximately fifty euros, how would that change your perception?
Kwame: pause Fifty euros? That's — I mean, that's not crazy money. But fifty euros for someone to tell me where to put my bed? I'd rather buy new trainers. Or go out on a Friday. Like, I get that it's cheap for a designer, but I don't have a problem that needs solving. If my sink was broken, I'd pay fifty euros to fix it. My room isn't broken. It's just boring. And I'm fine with boring.
Interviewer: You said "just boring." Is boring a problem for you, or is it genuinely fine?
Kwame: It's fine. I think. I mean — I don't compare my room to anything. My friends' rooms all look the same. IKEA bed, desk, maybe some football posters. Nobody has a nice room. So boring is normal.
Interviewer: Let me try something. Imagine Sara showed you a before-and-after of a room exactly like yours — same size, fifteen square metres, same IKEA furniture, bare walls, fluorescent light. And in the after, it looks completely different — warm lighting, a few things on the walls, the layout rearranged, and it cost under a hundred euros total. Would that be interesting to you?
Kwame: pause Okay. That — yeah, I'd probably watch that if it was a TikTok. If it was like a thirty-second transformation video of a room that looks like mine. That would be kind of cool. I wouldn't go to a website for it. But if it popped up on my feed, I'd watch it. And if the before picture looked exactly like my room, I'd probably save it. Maybe.
Interviewer: What specifically would make you save it?
Kwame: If it didn't feel like a big project. Like, if it was just — swap the light, add this one thing, move the desk there, done. Five steps or less. No "elevate your space" language, just: here's what your room looks like now, here's what it could look like, here's how, it costs eighty euros. Boom. That I could do on a Saturday afternoon.
Interviewer: That's really interesting. Let me shift to Sara herself. She shares that she grew up making beautiful spaces even with very little money — making her childhood room look nice with whatever she had. She's been helping friends for years. How do you respond to that?
Kwame: It's cool. Respect. She's turned her thing into a business. But it doesn't make me want to hire her. It's like — my cousin is a great cook and started a catering business. Good for her. Doesn't mean I'm gonna hire a caterer. I'll just make noodles.
Interviewer: Does it matter to you that she's experienced financial constraints herself?
Kwame: A little, I guess. It means she's not some posh designer who only works with expensive stuff. But it still doesn't connect to my situation because I don't see my room as a problem she can solve.
Interviewer: The testimonials mention the process felt collaborative — that Sara listened to what clients wanted. How important is that to you?
Kwame: If I was gonna do it — which I'm not — yeah, I'd want someone chill. Not someone who comes in and judges your room. But honestly, I don't have preferences to listen to. I wouldn't know what to tell her. "I like... having a bed"? laughs
Interviewer: Let me ask you directly. Imagine you've just finished looking at this website. What do you do next?
Kwame: Close the tab. Hundred percent. Not because it's bad. It's just not my thing. I'd close it the same way I'd close a website about gardening or — I don't know — candle making. It's a whole world that I'm not in.
Interviewer: What's going through your mind as you close it?
Kwame: Nothing, really. "Okay, that wasn't for me." And then I open TikTok or check the football scores. It wouldn't stay with me.
Interviewer: Is there anything the website could say or show that would change your mind?
Kwame: thinks Probably not the website itself. But if I saw content somewhere else — like a TikTok or a Reel — of someone my age, a guy, in a room like mine, and the transformation was real and cheap and quick... maybe that would plant something. But I'd never go looking for it on a website. It would have to find me.
Interviewer: Is there anything about your life or your relationship with your space that this website doesn't acknowledge — something that, if it did, would make you feel more seen?
Kwame: I mean — people like me just aren't on their radar. Young guys renting rooms, not thinking about interiors at all. And I get it — we're not the target. But if you're asking what's missing: someone who doesn't care. Someone who's fine with their room being boring but maybe, secretly, wouldn't mind if it looked a bit less like a prison cell. laughs But you'd have to catch us where we are, not on an interior design website.
Interviewer: You said "prison cell." That's a strong image.
Kwame: laughs Yeah, that was a bit much. But the fluorescent light doesn't help. And the bare walls. My mum came to visit once and she was like, Kwame, there's nothing in here, this is sad. And I said, it's fine, Ma. But she brought me the Ghanaian flag the next time. That's literally the only thing on my walls. My mum's attempt at interior design.
Interviewer: How did the room feel after she put the flag up?
Kwame: pauses Better. A tiny bit. It's small but it made the room feel like mine instead of just... any room. I don't know. It's one flag. But yeah.
Interviewer: If Sara could add one thing to her website tomorrow that would make a difference for someone like you, what would it be?
Kwame: Don't put it on the website. Put it on TikTok. Make a video series of the worst rooms you've ever seen — shared flats, student rooms, bare walls, fluorescent lights — and transform them in under two minutes for under a hundred euros. No fancy language. Just show the difference. If she did that, she might accidentally reach people like me.
Interviewer: If a friend asked you, "What is Everyday Living Interiors?", how would you describe it?
Kwame: It's a service where a designer helps you fix up your house. Like a cheap version of those TV shows.
Interviewer: On a scale of one to ten, how likely would you be to recommend this website to someone you know who is struggling with their home?
Kwame: For someone struggling with their home — like my mum, or my sister if she ever gets her own place? Maybe a six. It sounds decent for them. For someone like me? A two. Because nobody in my circle is struggling with their home. We're struggling with rent and career stuff, not with how the room looks.
Interviewer: What would move that number up?
Kwame: If I saw proof it worked for someone like me. And if it came to me, not the other way around. I'm not going to go find it. But if it found me and it was impressive, I might share it with someone.
Interviewer: Is there anything we haven't talked about that you'd like to add?
Kwame: Not really. I think the service is probably good for the right people. I'm just not the right people. Maybe one day, when I've got my own place and I'm trying to make it nice for — I don't know — someone I'm building a life with. But right now, I'm twenty-eight, I'm renting a room, I'm focused on other stuff. The room is the last thing on my list. It's not even on the list.
Interviewer: Thank you so much for your time and your honesty, Kwame. Your feedback is genuinely valuable and will help shape how this service evolves. I really appreciate you sharing your perspective.
Kwame: No worries. Good luck with it. I hope it works out for her. Seems like a cool thing for people who are into that.
Post-interview notes
The belonging verdict: Kwame does not feel excluded — he feels irrelevant, which is a fundamentally different barrier. Exclusion implies a door that is closed; irrelevance implies there is no door because the building is on a different street. He does not perceive any gap between his current living situation and a desirable one, which means ELI's entire value proposition — bridging that gap — has no surface to land on. This is not fixable through website copy, imagery, or pricing. It is a category-awareness problem: Kwame does not know that his room could be different, and nothing in his environment has ever suggested it.
The pricing reaction: He assumed €200–300, consistent with other personas. When told €50, his reaction was the most distinctive of the cohort: not surprise at affordability but a category comparison — "I'd rather buy new trainers." For Kwame, the barrier is not cost but value perception. Fifty euros to solve a problem he does not have is fifty euros wasted. The price is meaningless without a preceding awareness that improvement is possible and desirable.
The emotional gap: The website does not acknowledge people who have never thought about their space — it assumes all visitors arrive with some degree of design intent. Kwame has none. The closest the interview came to an emotional thread was the "prison cell" comment and his mother's flag — brief, almost accidental admissions that his room is bleak and that even a small personal touch improved it. These moments suggest a latent awareness buried under socialised indifference, but the website offers no entry point for someone at that stage.
The clarity test: Kwame grasped the four services in rough terms but could not connect any of them to his own situation. The language — "elevate your space," "move forward with clarity" — registered as foreign. He does not lack intelligence; he lacks vocabulary and context for this domain. The services are named for people who already speak the language of interior aspiration. Kwame does not.
The trust assessment: Sara's backstory earned mild respect ("she's turned her thing into a business") but no personal connection. The collaborative framing was irrelevant because Kwame has no preferences to collaborate on. Trust is not the barrier here — relevance is.
The action barrier: Kwame would never visit the website under any current circumstance. The barrier is not anything on the site — it is the entire funnel leading to the site. He consumes content on TikTok and Instagram. He follows fitness, football, and music. Interior content does not exist in his media ecosystem. The only path to reaching him is through content that enters his existing channels and presents room transformation as quick, cheap, visual entertainment rather than a professional service.
The referral test: Six for others (his mother, his sister); two for himself and his peers. This gap confirms that Kwame recognises quality and relevance for other demographics but sees zero application to his own life. He could become a passive referral channel if he encountered ELI content in his social feeds, but he would never actively seek it.
The seed of curiosity: The most revealing moment was his response to the hypothetical before-and-after of a room identical to his. His energy shifted. He said he would watch a TikTok of it. He said he might save it. He described exactly what the content would need to look like: thirty seconds, five steps, under a hundred euros, no aspirational language. This is the narrowest possible opening — but it is an opening. The flag his mother hung is evidence that personalisation of space already carries meaning for him, even if he cannot articulate it. He does not need a consultation. He needs a piece of content that makes him realise his room does not have to look the way it looks.
The gender dimension: Kwame explicitly coded the service as feminine without any defensiveness or hostility — it was simply a statement of perceived reality. "My boys? No chance." This is not a barrier ELI can or should attempt to overcome through the website alone. It requires cultural disruption at the content level: male-presenting rooms, male narrators, language stripped of any gendered softness. Sara's brand voice would need a parallel content stream, not a rebranding — a TikTok series that feels like a completely different entity while linking back to the same service.
The content format insight: Kwame spontaneously designed ELI's ideal outreach strategy for his demographic: short-form video of real, terrible rooms being transformed fast and cheaply, distributed on TikTok and Instagram Reels. He did not use marketing language, but he described a content funnel with remarkable precision — awareness through entertainment, curiosity through recognition ("that looks like my room"), and conversion through simplicity ("five steps or less"). This is the clearest product recommendation to emerge from the interview, even though it came from the persona least likely to become a client.