Personas are detailed descriptions of characters that represent different segments of users, customers, or employees. They help in understanding the behaviours, needs, and goals of a target audience, ensuring that design decisions are user-focused.
Personas are created based on real user research. We draw together the key characteristics, pain points, and motivations of our users, and combine these to create a representative of an “ideal” or typical user.
It is critical that personas are created from research that represents real users, and not invented out of our assumptions.
Personas are iterative – they must be updated as new knowledge becomes available.
Use it to
To build empathy with users and help focus the design process.
Guide the design process with a clear understanding of user needs.
Ensure consistency and focus across design and development teams.
Communicate complex and detailed user research to multiple stakeholders through a visual tool.
Top Tips
Always Base on Research: Create personas using real data to avoid stereotypes and ensure accuracy.
Limit Number: Develop 3-7 core personas to represent your main user segments effectively.
Include Details: Enrich personas with contextual details and quotes to make them more relatable.
Iterate and Validate: Continuously update personas with new data and feedback to keep them relevant.
Use in Context: Apply personas throughout the design process, from ideation to testing, to maintain a user-centered focus.
Personas
Personas are detailed descriptions of characters that represent different segments of users, customers, or employees. They help in understanding the behaviours, needs, and goals of a target audience, ensuring that design decisions are user-focused.
Personas are created based on real user research. We draw together the key characteristics, pain points, and motivations of our users, and combine these to create a representative of an “ideal” or typical user.
It is critical that personas are created from research that represents real users, and not invented out of our assumptions.
Personas are iterative – they must be updated as new knowledge becomes available.
Use it to
Top Tips
Resources
Persona Template
Related Methods
Problem Statements
Walkthroughs
Focus Groups