The concept of working with personas is getting more and more popular, a lot of companies have embraced the tool or method and use it in many different ways. However I get a lot of reactions from people that struggle with developing and using personas. Here are a few tips to make them better. From time to time I am organizing an open workshop, somewhere between Düsseldorf and Amsterdam: Deutsch / German www.creative-companion.com/Data-Storytelling-with-personas/persona-workshop-deutsch.html Nederlands/Dutch www.creative-companion.com/Data-Storytelling-with-personas/persona-workshop-nederlands.html

1. HOW TO MAKE AND
USE PERSONAS
5 Tips to make better personas for design

2. INTRO
The concept of working with personas is getting
more and more popular, a lot of companies have
embraced the tool or method and use it in many
different ways.
However I get a lot of reactions from people that
struggle with developing and using personas.
Here are a few tips to make them better.
Christof Zürn
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 2

3. WHY USE PERSONAS?
Important part of a briefing for different agencies or
departments
short visual summary instead of long reports
reusable for different projects, like design, programming, SEM, etc.
Decision making instrument to guide and direct
discussions, meetings and presentations
A ‘tool’ against ‘groupthink’ or taste, or too corporate information
Better product quality
better match with the user
It is used world wide by a growing number of
companies
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 3

4. ‘PER SONARE’ MEANING ‘TO SOUND THROUGH’
Source: Wikipedia.
In ancient Latin, persona meant "mask." Today it does not usually refer
to a literal mask but to the "social masks" all humans supposedly wear.
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 4

5. PERSONAS ARE ...
... a vivid, story based, trusted description
with pictures
... exemplarily goals, tasks, attitude,
behaviour
... based on facts, observations,
interviews
with ‘real people’
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 5

6. 1. HAVE EVERYONE OPERATING OFF THE SAME
DEFINITION OF PERSONA
PERSONA ARCHETYPE
STEREOTYPE
TARGET GROUP
AVERAGE CUSTOMER
PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPES
CUSTOMER PROFILE
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 6

7. 2. MAKE A CHOICE AND FOCUS
There should always be a persona that is a little bit
more important than the others: primary persona
The next most important are secondary personas
The one we would wish to have in the near future:
aspirational persona
For who you are not designing: anti persona
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 7

8. 3. MAKE THE PERSONAS FOR THE AUDIENCE THAT
HAS TO WORK WITH IT
business
sales
marketing designers
textual visual
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 8

9. 4. THE CORE POSTER
NAME | DESPRIPTOR | PERSONA TYPE
DATE | VERSION NUMBER
KEYVISUAL | BEHAVIOUR | MEDIA
CENTRAL QUOTE
TEXT DESCRIPTION
WHO | WORK | LIFE | BEHAVIOUR
FOCUS AREA | REFERENCE | SOURCES | CONTACT | PERSONA WEBSITE
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 9

10. 5. USE ANALOG AND DIGITAL MEDIA
+
Use the media that works best in your company.
Use digital (social) media tools to keep up.
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 10

11. KEEP IN MIND
“Personas are not real people ... they are
hypothetical archetypes of actual users ...
defined with significant rigor and precision“
Alan Cooper, the inmates are running the asylum
“It’s not about how you sell something,
it’s about how people buy!”
Michel Miller, Persuasion architect – Futurenow
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 11

12. MORE INFORMATION?
READ CONTACT
Christof Zürn
christof@creative-companion.com
CREATIVE COMPANION 2010 october 04 How to make and use personas 12