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User personas can be controversial and problematic. Lots of us have had bad experiences with them. Here are a few reasons why your personas may be failing, and some fixes to turn them into a useful resource.
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![User personas can be controversial and problematic. Lots of us have had bad experiences with them. Here are a few reasons why your personas may be failing, and some fixes to turn them into a useful resource.[thread ]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eq9292dXAAAR651.png "User personas can be controversial and problematic. Lots of us have had bad experiences with them. Here are a few reasons why your personas may be failing, and some fixes to turn them into a useful resource.[thread ]")
The main cause of the problems is that design personas get mixed up with marketing personas.
Sales departments were using personas long before we were, and the two types got jumbled together.
Sales departments were using personas long before we were, and the two types got jumbled together.
Take this example:
âJill is a Wisconsin soccer mom with three kids in an upper-middle-class income bracket who is the PTA president.â
That persona might help the sales team know how to target Jill, but it doesn't help the design team make a good product for her.
âJill is a Wisconsin soccer mom with three kids in an upper-middle-class income bracket who is the PTA president.â
That persona might help the sales team know how to target Jill, but it doesn't help the design team make a good product for her.
We need to untangle marketing persona practices from UX personas, and help product teams use them correctly.
Here are a few principles that will help you steer your personas in the right direction.
Here are a few principles that will help you steer your personas in the right direction.
1/ Discover from research
Too often, personas are based on whims and guesses instead of research. Actionable, accurate, useful personas are discovered, not created. They are a result of research.
Too often, personas are based on whims and guesses instead of research. Actionable, accurate, useful personas are discovered, not created. They are a result of research.
2/ Add only relevant data
Personas should be short and focused. Every piece of information should have a purpose for being included. Personality spectrums and favorite hobbies have no bearing on the design process.
Personas should be short and focused. Every piece of information should have a purpose for being included. Personality spectrums and favorite hobbies have no bearing on the design process.
3/ Involved everyone
You may run into problems if you create your personas in a silo. Everyone who is going to use the personas should be involved in making them. This builds a feeling of ownership and approval.
You may run into problems if you create your personas in a silo. Everyone who is going to use the personas should be involved in making them. This builds a feeling of ownership and approval.
4/ Avoid demographics
What weâre really after in UX is psychographics. Demographics are distracting and trigger our brain to think in stereotypes and assumptions. Looking for the underlying reasoning.
What weâre really after in UX is psychographics. Demographics are distracting and trigger our brain to think in stereotypes and assumptions. Looking for the underlying reasoning.
5/ Limit how many you own
Aim for a ballpark of 3 to 5 personas. The goal is to focus on the major needs of the largest and most important users, not account for every edge case.
Aim for a ballpark of 3 to 5 personas. The goal is to focus on the major needs of the largest and most important users, not account for every edge case.
6/ Use them properly
As designers, we need to lead by example and teach others how to use personas. Also, know the limits of personas. Theyâre just one tool and they donât have all the answers.
As designers, we need to lead by example and teach others how to use personas. Also, know the limits of personas. Theyâre just one tool and they donât have all the answers.
7/ Update them over time
Personas should be living, breathing representations, not stagnant, stale PDFs. Proactively revisit and reprocess them every once in a while, especially as new research comes in.
Personas should be living, breathing representations, not stagnant, stale PDFs. Proactively revisit and reprocess them every once in a while, especially as new research comes in.
