Personas LIVE! Interview with persona book authors Pruitt & Adlin With: John Pruitt, PhD and Tamara Adlin, MS Moderated by: Frank Spillers, MS Experience Dynamics Web Seminar Series

Agenda 1. The Persona Lifecycle: What is it?; What is the book about? Why is this book a milestone for the user experience community? 2. Persona case studies: The most interesting case studies and why. What can practitioners learn from the book? What information does the book offer for those new to personas? 3. Persona best practices: Are personas hype or helpful? What are some results of personas? How should they be used? What do personas look like? How are they used, under-used or misused in organizations? 4. Open Q&A with the authors

The book!

The structure of the book Intro & overview of the persona lifecycle Chapters 3-7: the 5-phase persona lifecycle Chapters 8-12: invited chapters: Larry Constantine on Users, Roles, & Personas Whitney Quesenberry on Storytelling & Narrative Tamara Adlin & Holly Jamesen on Reality & Design Maps Bob Barlow-Busch on Marketing v. Design Personas Jonathan Grudin on the Psychology behind Personas.

Intro & overview of the persona lifecycle

Chapters 3-7: the 5-phase persona lifecycle

Chapters 8-12: invited chapters:

Larry Constantine on Users, Roles, & Personas

Whitney Quesenberry on Storytelling & Narrative

Tamara Adlin & Holly Jamesen on Reality & Design Maps

Bob Barlow-Busch on Marketing v. Design Personas

Jonathan Grudin on the Psychology behind Personas.

1. The Persona Lifecycle: What is it?; What is the book about? Why is this book a milestone for the user experience community?

The persona lifecycle Family Planning Conception & Gestation Birth & Maturation Adulthood Retirement & Lifetime Achievement

Family Planning

Conception

& Gestation

The persona lifecycle is a framework for user-centered product planning & development Family Planning Organizational introspection, user research and data collection Conception & Gestation Turn data into information and information into personas Birth and Maturation Create a persona campaign and introduce the personas to your product team Adulthood Help your personas do their jobs Lifetime Achievement & Retirement Measure the success of the persona effort and create a plan to reuse or retire the personas

Family Planning Organizational introspection, user research and data collection

Conception & Gestation Turn data into information and information into personas

Birth and Maturation Create a persona campaign and introduce the personas to your product team

Adulthood Help your personas do their jobs

Lifetime Achievement & Retirement Measure the success of the persona effort and create a plan to reuse or retire the personas

What are personas? Alan Cooper’s Definition: “ personas are not real people … they are hypothetical archetypes of actual users… defined with significant rigor and precision .” 1999, p.124

Alan Cooper’s Definition:

“ personas are not real people … they are hypothetical archetypes of actual users…

defined with significant rigor and precision .” 1999, p.124

One great idea, many names “ Heros” of design Dreyfuss, Designing for People 1955 Market Segments Sissors, What is a Market 1966 Target Customer Characterizations Moore, Crossing the Chasm 1991 Actors & Agents in scenarios Carroll, Scenario-based design 1995 Indivisualization Upshaw, Building Brand Identity 1995 User Profiles Hackos & Redish, User and task analysis for interface design 1998 Use Cases and User roles Constantine and Lockwood, Software for use 1999 Personas Cooper, The inmate are running the asylum 1999 User Archetypes Mikkelson & Lee, Incorporating user archetypes into scenario-based design 2000 Customer Image Statements Mello, Customer-Centered Design 2002 from Marketing

“ Heros” of design

Dreyfuss, Designing for People 1955

Market Segments

Sissors, What is a Market 1966

Target Customer Characterizations

Moore, Crossing the Chasm 1991

Actors & Agents in scenarios

Carroll, Scenario-based design 1995

Indivisualization

Upshaw, Building Brand Identity 1995

User Profiles

Hackos & Redish, User and task analysis for interface design 1998

Use Cases and User roles

Constantine and Lockwood, Software for use 1999

Personas

Cooper, The inmate are running the asylum 1999

User Archetypes

Mikkelson & Lee, Incorporating user archetypes into scenario-based design 2000

Customer Image Statements

Mello, Customer-Centered Design 2002

Personas are… Fake people (concrete representations) based on real data which provide context and motivation regarding goals, behaviors, and beliefs A practical tool to help prioritize features & maintain focus on target customers A vehicle for bringing customer data alive

Fake people (concrete representations) based on real data

which provide context and motivation regarding goals, behaviors, and beliefs

A practical tool to help prioritize features & maintain focus on target customers

A vehicle for bringing customer data alive

Personas are not… Every possible customer (a taxonomy or a customer segmentation) A replacement for existing design & development processes

Every possible customer (a taxonomy or a customer segmentation)

A replacement for existing design & development processes

What’s the big idea? “To create a product that must satisfy a broad audience of users … you will have far greater success by designing for one single person. ” Alan Cooper, 1999 p.124

“To create a product that must satisfy a broad audience of users … you will have far greater success by designing for one single person. ”

Alan Cooper, 1999 p.124

Personas work because: 1) People references are powerful and rich Data is complex; hard to memorize, internalize, and recall We’re wired to remember things about people 2) Personas are generative Personas can ‘come to life’ and participate in design Personas use the power of empathy, personal experience, & relationships through narrative & storytelling Personas are more powerful than scenarios alone 3) Personas help focus a team on the important aspects of their target users Personas simplify the world and don’t have distracting idiosyncrasies

1) People references are powerful and rich

Data is complex; hard to memorize, internalize, and recall

We’re wired to remember things about people

2) Personas are generative

Personas can ‘come to life’ and participate in design

Personas use the power of empathy, personal experience, & relationships through narrative & storytelling

Personas are more powerful than scenarios alone

3) Personas help focus a team on the important aspects of their target users

Personas simplify the world and don’t have distracting idiosyncrasies

2. Persona case studies: The most interesting case studies and why. What can practitioners learn from the book? What information does the book offer for those new to personas?

Persona Lifetime Achievement (aka, ROI) Personas are not free Costs? Other efforts? ROI comes in two main places: Improvements to the bottom line Your product is better (happier customers, less support costs, more sales) Improvements to your process, team, & company Your development process is less costly or faster Your team is more in-tune, bought-in Your company is more user-centered (eager to invest in other UCD approaches)

Personas are not free

Costs? Other efforts?

ROI comes in two main places:

Improvements to the bottom line

Your product is better (happier customers, less support costs, more sales)

Improvements to your process, team, & company

Your development process is less costly or faster

Your team is more in-tune, bought-in

Your company is more user-centered (eager to invest in other UCD approaches)

Reduced Dev Costs at Medco Health Medco Health Solutions redesigned Medcohealth.com using personas. "We wanted the developers and workgroups to have empathy for the individuals they were building the software systems for, having them rally around somebody tangible as opposed to just building a website in a vacuum, which is the more conventional way of doing it." “ When the site went live in December 2002. Medco Health has seen a 33 percent increase in the number of transactions and a 26 percent increase in the number of prescriptions ordered online. The number of abandoned shopping carts has decreased by 13 percent.” “ Based on the entire number of logins, the number of e-mails from users to the help desk with questions about the site has decreased by 18 percent.” "How to Play to Your Audience“, http://www.cio.com (Nov 15, 2003) http://www.cio.com/archive/111503/play.html http://www.cio.com/archive/111503/play_sidebar_1.html

Medco Health Solutions redesigned Medcohealth.com using personas.

"We wanted the developers and workgroups to have empathy for the individuals they were building the software systems for, having them rally around somebody tangible as opposed to just building a website in a vacuum, which is the more conventional way of doing it."

“ When the site went live in December 2002. Medco Health has seen a 33 percent increase in the number of transactions and a 26 percent increase in the number of prescriptions ordered online. The number of abandoned shopping carts has decreased by 13 percent.”

Market dominance at Best Buy ''Jill,'' a busy suburban mom; ''Buzz,'' a focused, active younger male; ''Ray,'' a family man who likes his technology practical; ''BB4B'' (short for Best Buy for Business), a small employer, and ''Barry,'' an affluent professional male who's likely to drop tens of thousands of dollars on a home theater system. Over the next few years, each of Best Buy's 608 stores will focus on one or two of the five segments, with 110 stores scheduled to make the switch by February. Stores that focus on the ''Jill'' segment have play areas for kids. Instead of a booming bass beat, the soundtrack at ''Jill'' stores is instrumental, or children's music. Same-store sales at the 32 test stores were an average of 7 percentage points higher than at other Best Buy stores. Joshua Freed, Associated Press http://www.chicagosuntimes.com/output/business/cst-fin-best19.html http://www.projo.com/business/content/projo_20040520_best20x.201cc9.html

''Jill,'' a busy suburban mom;

''Buzz,'' a focused, active younger male;

''Ray,'' a family man who likes his technology practical;

''BB4B'' (short for Best Buy for Business), a small employer, and

''Barry,'' an affluent professional male who's likely to drop tens of thousands of dollars on a home theater system.

Over the next few years, each of Best Buy's 608 stores will focus on one or two of the five segments, with 110 stores scheduled to make the switch by February.

Stores that focus on the ''Jill'' segment have play areas for kids. Instead of a booming bass beat, the soundtrack at ''Jill'' stores is instrumental, or children's music.

Same-store sales at the 32 test stores were an average of 7 percentage points higher than at other Best Buy stores.

Joshua Freed, Associated Press

http://www.chicagosuntimes.com/output/business/cst-fin-best19.html

http://www.projo.com/business/content/projo_20040520_best20x.201cc9.html

How is the Lifecycle different? Utilizes any and all kinds of data Not just interviews Embraces iterative design Don’t just design once and build Embraces the full development cycle Not just a consultant approach Defines specific uses for personas for a broader group of team members Not just “using them in design discussions” Enhances (not replaces) other UCD methods personas work with and enhance user testing, participatory design, etc

Utilizes any and all kinds of data

Not just interviews

Embraces iterative design

Don’t just design once and build

Embraces the full development cycle

Not just a consultant approach

Defines specific uses for personas for a broader group of team members

Not just “using them in design discussions”

Enhances (not replaces) other UCD methods

personas work with and enhance user testing, participatory design, etc

The persona lifecycle forces user-focus before the waterfall ‘starts’ System Requirements Software Requirements Analysis Program Design Coding Testing Operations

The persona lifecycle works in concert with existing UCD methods

3. Persona best practices: Are personas hype or helpful? What are some results of personas? How should they be used? What do personas look like? How are they used, under-used or misused in organizations?

Personas are powerful, but why do some persona efforts fail? In many early persona case studies, the personas were perceived as not useful by the team and basically not used. What happened? No support from above (VPs, GMs, team leaders) Characters not believable, designed by committee, not based on data (or the relation to data was not clear) Not communicated well No real understanding about how to use them (no process, feels silly, not used in specs, no user scenarios)

In many early persona case studies, the personas were perceived as not useful by the team and basically not used.

What happened?

No support from above (VPs, GMs, team leaders)

Characters not believable, designed by committee, not based on data (or the relation to data was not clear)

Not communicated well

No real understanding about how to use them (no process, feels silly, not used in specs, no user scenarios)

At issue: Effective use “Though increasingly popular, personas remain widely misunderstood. Successful efforts key off of actual user behaviors , read like a story about a real person, and get used by everyone”. The Power of Design Personas, Forrester 12/03

“Though increasingly popular, personas remain widely misunderstood. Successful efforts key off of actual user behaviors , read like a story about a real person, and get used by everyone”.

The Power of Design Personas, Forrester 12/03

Assumption Personas are okay… Susan Lee Marketing Manager Tektronix Susan is the Product Marketing Manager for the Tektronix 2000, which is the hot new Tektronix printer. Tektronix wants to achieve an image of a cutting-edge company given the new exciting Internet technology. It’s part of Susan’s job to create and foster this image. Her primary function is to develop a good story about her company and product that is well known. So she needs to educate people about her products, and to build relationships between people and Tektronix. She represents the company. Susan gives PowerPoint presentations to live audience around 4 times a month. About once a month she has the need to communicate to a larger dispersed audience, which she currently does by sending her audience members a PowerPoint presentation and scheduling a conference call. On the call, she tells everyone when to flip to the next slide. The tools she uses most in her everyday job are:

Use data if at all possible.

Another Good Example Experience Dynamics: Sample Persona

Things to consider regarding the lifecycle framework The lifecycle is not a one-size-fits-all process; it’s a menu. No one has time to do it all There’s still tremendous benefit even if you have to radically shorten the process and cut steps The lifecycle framework will help you be strategic and systematic in your approach

The lifecycle is not a one-size-fits-all process; it’s a menu. No one has time to do it all

There’s still tremendous benefit even if you have to radically shorten the process and cut steps

The lifecycle framework will help you be strategic and systematic in your approach

4. Open Q&A with the authors

What if your team is not ready for Personas? Goal: Get your team to be more rigorous and explicit about defining their target audience In reality, “personas” aren’t required You can still get a lot mileage from Taxonomies & segmentations (user classes, clusters) User profiles & face-less archetypes User roles, Use Cases, and Scenarios Push towards the persona methodology in little, substantive ways Progressive definition of profiles over time

Goal: Get your team to be more rigorous and explicit about defining their target audience

In reality, “personas” aren’t required

You can still get a lot mileage from

Taxonomies & segmentations (user classes, clusters)

User profiles & face-less archetypes

User roles, Use Cases, and Scenarios

Push towards the persona methodology in little, substantive ways

Progressive definition of profiles over time

Common questions… What makes up a persona? How much detail is needed? relevant vs. irrelevant “facts”; role of stereotypes How many personas are needed? How do you decide? What is the best process for creating a persona? How many people should be involved? Do personas incorporate and reflect user data? How? What types of data are used? Can a real user serve as a better exemplar or prototype? How do you communicate personas to the other members of a development team? What materials do you need? How do you use personas? Do you incorporate personas in development activities and other user-centered research, for example, scenario development? Do designers as well as developers utilize them?

What makes up a persona?

How much detail is needed?

relevant vs. irrelevant “facts”; role of stereotypes

How many personas are needed?

How do you decide?

What is the best process for creating a persona?

How many people should be involved?

Do personas incorporate and reflect user data?

How? What types of data are used?

Can a real user serve as a better exemplar or prototype?

How do you communicate personas to the other members of a development team?

What materials do you need?

How do you use personas?

Do you incorporate personas in development activities and other user-centered research, for example, scenario development?

Do designers as well as developers utilize them?

Thank You! John Pruitt [email_address] Tamara Adlin [email_address] Frank Spillers [email_address]