My UX Toolkit: Personas

My UX Toolkit  is a series of posts exploring different tools and techniques used in the user experience design and research process, my understanding of them, and when they can be applied. UX is a broad and varied space that can range from quantitative statistical analysis to graphic design, from branding and content strategy to storyboarding. Here I am trying to scratch the surface of how UXers UX, share my knowledge and further my own understanding of this vast career field. 

Personas

Oftentimes products can get lost in trying to cater to all users, trying to cast a wide net. This is oftentimes a mistake, as watering down a product to suit all users can alienate the target user. Creating a user persona, a fictional user of your product that is specific, not generic, is a way to avoid this pitfall. 

Personas are a popular UX tool that inspire empathy and encourage a team to always keep the user in mind when working on a project. When working on a UX project it is possible to have a lot of different players giving their input into the final product. CEOs, managers, researchers, designers, developers. One person that may not get a voice at the table is the user. Creating a persona is a way to humanize the user, understand their goals and pain points, and see their point of view. It is also a way to communicate with the team and advocate for user centered design decisions. 

Personas are best made during the research synthesis phase, after research on the real life users has been gathered. You can then take the demographics of your target user, and insights you have made into their habits and behavior with the product, and build your persona from there. Generally a single persona will be sufficient to inspire designer empathy, but certain projects call for 2 or more.

Generally a persona will have a few key elements. It is a good idea to include a photo of this fictional person, to make them feel more real. You will also want to include some stats like age, location, profession, and household members. To give context to their problem, you also will want to create a persona specific problem statement, and a scenario giving context for their experience with the product. 

Also important to include are

Goals: What does the user want to accomplish with the product?

Needs: What does the user need to accomplish said goal?

Pain Points: What is frustrating or getting in the way of the user accomplishing their goal?

You can also include things like habits, quotes, and any product specific information necessary.

As a UX Designer I genuinely enjoy creating user personas. It is a chance to zero in on a target user, build their story and understand their journey with the product. It is also one of the ultimate empathy tools. Personas usually come in the form of a stylized infographic, where they are easy to digest and a great communication tool for other stakeholders on the team.