Personas

Empathise

What are Personas in UX?

In user experience (UX) design, personas are fictional characters that represent the different types of users of a product or service. Personas are used to help designers and developers understand and empathise with the users, and to make design decisions that are based on user needs and goals.

Archetypes, on the other hand, are broader categories of user behaviour and motivation that can be used to inform the design of products and services. Archetypes are based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung, who identified common patterns of behaviour and personality across cultures and history. Archetypes are often used in marketing and branding to help companies create a consistent and compelling brand message.

In user experience design, archetypes can be used to inform the design of products and services by providing insight into the needs, motivations, and behaviours of the target audience. For example, a product designed for caregivers might be informed by the archetype of the caregiver, which includes characteristics such as nurturing, empathy, and self-sacrificing.

A persona is typically created by conducting user research, such as interviews and surveys, and synthesising the findings into a composite character that represents a specific segment of the users. Each persona typically includes information about the user's demographics, such as age, gender, and occupation, as well as their goals, pain points, and behaviour. Personas also often include a name and a picture, to make them more relatable.

Personas are used throughout the design process, to help guide decisions about the layout, navigation, and functionality of the product or service. By considering the needs and goals of the personas, designers and developers can ensure that the product or service is easy to use and meets the needs of the users.

Personas are not limited to a single project or product, they can be reused for future developments. They are an important tool for creating a user-centred design, by providing a clear and actionable representation of the target users that can be used to guide design decisions and ensure that the product or service meets the needs of the users.

Why do we create Personas in UX?

Personas are an important tool in user experience (UX) design because they help designers and developers to understand and empathise with the users, and to make design decisions that are based on user needs and goals. Here are some of the key reasons why we create personas in UX:

  1. To provide a common understanding of the target users: Personas help to create a shared understanding of the target users among the design team, which is essential for creating a user-centred design. Personas provide a clear and actionable representation of the users, which can be used to guide design decisions and ensure that the product or service meets the needs of the users.
  2. To help identify usability issues: By testing the product or service with different personas, designers and developers can identify areas of the product or service that are confusing or difficult to use and make changes to improve the user experience.
  3. To help make design decisions: Personas are used throughout the design process, to help guide decisions about the layout, navigation, and functionality of the product or service. By considering the needs and goals of the personas, designers and developers can ensure that the product or service is easy to use and meets the needs of the users.
  4. To create empathy: By creating personas, designers and developers can put themselves in the shoes of the users, which can help them to understand their needs, goals and pain points. Personas are also useful for aligning stakeholders and team members around a shared understanding of the users.
  5. To allow users to be at the centre of the project: Personas help to ensure that the users are at the centre of the project, by providing a clear and actionable representation of the users that can be used to guide design decisions and ensure that the product or service meets the needs of the users.
  6. To Reuse: Personas are not limited to a single project or product, they can be reused for future developments. They help to save time by providing a foundation of user research that can be built upon as a project progresses.

Overall, creating personas is an essential step in creating a user-centred design, as it allows design teams to understand the users, empathise with them, and make design decisions that are based on their needs and goals. Personas help us to create a product that meets the user's needs, this will lead to higher customer satisfaction, better user retention and increased conversion rates.

What types of Personas do we create in UX?

In user experience (UX) design, there are several types of personas that can be created, depending on the specific needs of the organisation and the product or service. Here are some of the most common types of personas:

  1. Behavioural personas: These personas are based on the users' behaviour and actions, and are often used to understand how the users interact with the product or service. Behavioural personas are useful for identifying usability issues and for making design decisions related to navigation, layout, and functionality.
  2. Demographic personas: These personas are based on the users' demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, occupation, and income. Demographic personas are useful for understanding the users' characteristics, and for making design decisions related to the visual design, branding, and marketing of the product or service.
  3. Goal-directed personas: These personas are based on the users' goals and objectives, and are often used to understand the users' motivation and the reasons why they use the product or service. Goal-directed personas are useful for understanding the users' needs and for making design decisions related to the value proposition and the features of the product or service.
  4. Job-related personas: These personas are based on the Job-to-be-done theory, which means that they represent the user as they fulfil a job they want to accomplish. They're used to identify the pain points, motivations, and desires that drive users to use the product or service and to make design decisions to help them get their job done.
  5. Hybrid personas: Sometimes, creating a single persona might not be enough to represent all the user types, in that case, creating a combination of more than one of the above types would be useful. For example, a behavioural-demographic persona combines the characteristics of a user's behaviour with their demographic data to create a more complete picture of the user.

Overall, creating personas can be tailored to suit the needs of an organisation and a product or service. Different types of personas can be created and used in different stages of the design process, depending on the specific needs and objectives of the project. It's important to note that creating multiple personas allows us to cover the user base more effectively and make better design decisions.

What are the benefits of creating Personas in UX?

Creating personas in user experience (UX) design has several benefits, here are a few:

  1. Improved user-centred design: Personas help to create a shared understanding of the target users among the design team, which is essential for creating a user-centred design. By considering the needs and goals of the personas, designers and developers can ensure that the product or service is easy to use and meets the needs of the users.
  2. Increased empathy and understanding of the users: Personas help designers and developers to understand and empathise with the users, by providing a clear and actionable representation of the users. This leads to better design decisions and ultimately a better user experience.
  3. Better usability: Personas help to identify usability issues, by testing the product or service with different personas, designers and developers can identify areas of the product or service that are confusing or difficult to use and make changes to improve the user experience.
  4. Better alignment of stakeholders and team members: Personas provide a shared understanding of the users among stakeholders and team members. This helps to align stakeholders and team members around a shared understanding of the users, which can improve communication and collaboration on the project.
  5. Identify and prioritise user needs: Personas are used to identify user needs and pain points that might be overlooked during the design process and to prioritise features that need to be implemented to meet users’ needs.
  6. Reuse: Personas are not limited to a single project or product, they can be reused for future developments. This helps to save time by providing a foundation of user research that can be built upon as a project progresses.
  7. Data-driven design: Personas are often built on data collected through user research, they provide a way to make design decisions based on data, not assumptions or guesses.
  8. Improved customer satisfaction: By creating personas and aligning the product or service to the needs and goals of the personas, the product or service is more likely to meet the needs of the users. This leads to higher customer satisfaction, better user retention and increased conversion rates.

Creating personas is a key step in creating a user-centred design, and it's an effective way to ensure that the product or service meets the needs of the users and provides a satisfying experience for them. Personas allow designers and developers to identify usability issues, create a user-centred design, prioritise features and increase the empathy and understanding of the users.

What deliverables will Personas produce?

Creating personas can produce several deliverables, depending on the scope and objectives of the project. Here are a few examples of deliverables that personas can produce:

  1. Persona profiles: Persona profiles are detailed descriptions of the personas, which include information such as demographics, behaviour, goals, pain points, and more. They are a great way to provide a detailed representation of the users, which can be used to guide design decisions and ensure that the product or service meets the needs of the users.
  2. Persona scenarios: Persona scenarios are short stories or scenarios that describe how the personas might use the product or service in a specific context. They help to provide a deeper understanding of the users' needs and goals and can be used to identify usability issues and make design decisions.
  3. User stories: Personas can be used to generate user stories, which are short descriptions of how a persona might use the product or service. User stories are a useful way to define the requirements for the product or service and can be used to test the design and evaluate the user experience.
  4. User Journey Maps: These deliverables map out the steps and experiences that personas go through to achieve their goal. They help to identify the pain points, the bottlenecks, the moments of delight and the overall user experience.
  5. Design guidelines and principles: Personas can be used to create design guidelines and principles, which are used to guide the design of the product or service. They can include information about the user interface, layout, navigation, and functionality, and can be used to ensure consistency across different platforms and devices.
  6. Workshops: Creating personas can also involve conducting workshops with stakeholders or design teams, where they will learn how to use the personas, understand the user's needs, and work on a shared understanding of the users.
  7. Reports: Depending on the scope of the project, a detailed report of the persona research process, findings, and design recommendations can be delivered.

Overall, the deliverables of creating personas can vary depending on the project, but they all help to provide a detailed understanding of the users' needs and goals. The deliverables are used to guide design decisions, prioritise features, identify usability issues, and create a shared understanding of the users among stakeholders and team members. They help ensure that the product or service is designed to meet the needs of the users and provide a satisfying experience for them.