Personas are fictional characters based on real user data and characteristics that help develop a better understanding of the customers and target groups of a product or service. They help companies design user-centric solutions by focusing on the needs, goals, and behaviors of users.
The creation of personas usually involves the following steps:
Research and data collection: In order to create meaningful personas, it is important to collect relevant data about the potential target group. For this purpose, interviews, surveys and observations are common methods, for example. The goal is to gain information about demographic characteristics, behaviors, needs, goals, and motivations of the users.
Data analysis and segmentation: Once the data has been collected, it is analyzed and segmented according to similarities and differences. Patterns and trends are then identified to help define different user types or user groups.
Character creation: The analyzed data serves as the basis for the personas. Each character represents a specific user group and is given a fictitious name, photo and description that includes their characteristics, needs, goals, behaviors and background information. In the process, the personas should be designed to be as realistic and tangible as possible.
Using personas in marketing and product development: They are used throughout the design process to inform design decisions and serve as a reference for developing user-centric solutions. They help to put oneself in the user's perspective and better understand their needs and expectations. The use of personas thus ensures that products and marketing strategies meet customers' needs and expectations.
The specifics of persona creation are:
Relevance: Fictional characters should be based on the data and insights collected to provide a realistic and representative representation of the target audience.
Focus on user needs: Personas focus on user needs, goals, and behaviors to assist in the development of user-centric solutions.
Continuous updating: The descriptions should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they still reflect current user needs and characteristics.
The advantages and benefits of persona creation are:
Audience understanding: Personas enable companies and their marketing teams to better understand customers and their needs, goals, and behaviors.
Decision support: They serve as a reference in design decisions and help to take the user perspective and develop user-centric solutions.
Communication and empathy: Personas facilitate communication within the team and also foster an empathetic understanding of users.
Cooper, A., Reimann, R., Cronin, D. (2007). About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design. Wiley.
Pruitt, J., Adlin, T. (2006). The Persona Lifecycle: Keeping People in Mind Throughout Product Design. Morgan Kaufmann.
