User Personas
Guide 1
Do your research.
Personas are how designers turn research findings into relatable characters. They ensure everyone—stakeholders, designers, developers—knows who the product is for. Personas are rooted in data from serious user research, especially ethnographic studies and quantitative data. Follow Kim Goodwin’s rule of thumb: you’ve got enough data when you can predict user behavior accurately.
Guide 2
Look for consistency.
Good design requires a mountain of data. Start by identifying variables, like whether users access your site from mobile or desktop. Recognize patterns—maybe desktop users show more frustration. These insights help you identify shared goals and behaviors for your team.
Guide 3
Host collaborative workshops.
Personas are best created with people, for people. User Persona Workshops involving stakeholders, designers, researchers, and product managers offer diverse perspectives. Aim for 2-4 personas, and cover:
- Role: Demographics, occupation, personality type, and reasons for using the product.
- Goals: Specific priorities for each persona.
- Tasks: Activities they undertake to meet their goals.
- Pain Points: Frustrations and obstacles.
Guide 4
Refine, Refine, Refine.
Building personas is cyclical. Start with proto-personas, update with data, and refine continuously. Use new insights to keep updating until your product is shipped. New user interviews, behaviors, and usability test results should all inform updates.
Guide 5
Put Personas to work.
Use refined personas to guide ideation and prioritization workshops, journey and workflow mapping, and software development. Displaying user personas in workspaces keeps real user needs front and center for the team.