GETTING PERSONAL
Do personas help or hinder content design?
Kelly Robinson, Content & UX Strategist
amUX ATL
11.1.17

WHAT DOES CONTENT DESIGN EXAMINE?
How content is visually presented
in web or print
Content prioritization and
information architecture
The tone and voice in which
information is conveyed
What information to include and
exclude
How content is dynamically or
manually maintained over time
How content is personalized for
varied audiences

TOPICS
What are some
different ways of
defining personas, and
what is their purpose?
1 What are some
different approaches
out where for persona-
building?
2 What are the benefits
to personas?
3
How do personas fall
short
of their goal?
4 Real life examples of
challenges assessing
audiences
5 Tips on approaching
effective persona-
building
6

WHAT ARE PERSONAS?
A persona is typically a concrete, detailed depiction of someone
who uses your product, platform, or service — and how they use it.
The depiction could take the form of a presentation, report, poster,
demo, etc.
Personas explore factors like a person’s goals and motivations,
their struggles, how they interact with technology, and how their
background shapes their decision-making.

HOW PERSONAS ARE USED
Shaping design
decisions
Understanding and
relating to audiences
Improving how to
speak to our
audiences, from a
marketing or UX point
of view
Improving processes
and policies
Integrating into user
journey mapping
Improving accessibility

EXAMPLES
Joe was injured on the job and
is eager to get back to work.
This persona from the
Rehabilitation Institute of
Washington profiles his
background, needs and goals.

EXAMPLES
As Kerrie and her husband
reach a later stage in life,
home tasks are becoming
more difficult—they could use
some help while retaining their
independence. This persona
examines her perceptions of
home care services, including
how they may align with her
goals and why she might
potentially avoid the services.

EXAMPLES
Edward is one of many
people interviewed about
how he consumes political
information. In addition to
documenting his behavior
and preferences, this
persona specifies a
particular goal of Edward’s,
and what type of design
would make that goal most
achievable for him.

METHODS FOR FORMING PERSONAS
In a data-based approach, a large collection of user
information gets analyzed for patterns. Then, based on
patterns pulled from that data, a fictitious person is born
who represents an audience’s most common features.

METHODS FOR FORMING PERSONAS
A a real scenario approach can:
● Profile a person who completes a task within the context of
the interview
● Represent someone who reflects back on a task, project or
scenario during an interview
● Convey a person’s current struggles or frame of mind in
relation to a scenario

METHODS FOR FORMING PERSONAS
An audience profile takes a sampling of diverse users
within a particular audience. Those users are interviewed
about their motivations, preferences, lifestyle, etc. This is
more general than a scenario approach, though it can
encompass a theme.

METHODS FOR FORMING PERSONAS
A two-ends-of-the-spectrum approach creates a
scenario or profile of two hypothetical people based on two
ends of a spectrum within an audience.
For instance, a team may want to contemplate how their
product would be viewed and understood by someone who
rarely uses computers vs a programmer; a couple with no
children vs a couple with 6; a health nut vs a Dorito
connoisseur.

THE GOOD SIDE OF PERSONAS
They help make
abstract ideas feel
more concrete. They can give insights
into—and solve the
needs of—real
people.
They help us solve for
design problems we
may not have
considered.
They help us see
through the lens of
another person,
creating empathy.
They challenge our
assumptions.

WHERE PERSONAS FALL SHORT
Because there’s no exact formula or approach, personas
can be sloppily done and poorly researched (or not
researched at all!).
Issue: This undermines the credibility of personas and can
actually lead us astray when interpreting how to use them.

WHERE PERSONAS FALL SHORT
People are complex. Their needs, wants, reactions, and
struggles can’t be summarized in a tidy little box.
How someone behaves in one scenario isn’t always going to
reflect how they behave and experience the next.
Issue: Personas don’t always tell the whole story. They’re
at risk of misleading us.

WHERE PERSONAS FALL SHORT
With personas, it’s nearly impossible to account for
learning curves, technology advancements, and
general change.
People learn and adapt quickly. What someone struggles
with one day could be a breeze for them the next. But your
design doesn’t change that quickly.
Issue: You don’t want to build an experience around
something that quickly becomes irrelevant.

WHERE PERSONAS FALL SHORT
They can suffer from both observation bias and the
observer effect.
Observation bias means we see what we want to see.
With the observer effect (or Hawthorne effect), people
may behave differently when they’re aware they’re being
observed or analyzed.
Issue: This can give us inaccurate representations that we
end up interpreting literally.

WHERE PERSONAS FALL SHORT
The paradox of personas: While they’re intended help us
break outside our assumptions, they often, in return,
create NEW assumptions and gross generalizations.
Issue: We end up designing based on misinterpretations,
under-serving our audience in return.

WHERE PERSONAS FALL SHORT
People often get so caught up in the presentation
component of personas that they lose sight of the true
intent, ignoring truths and complexities of the real-life
scenario.
Issue: Time, effort and resources are put into a pretty
picture that that’s ultimately lacking in meaning or
usefulness.

WHERE PERSONAS FALL SHORT
We can’t truly “think” like someone else just by seeing
a summary of them represented on a page or in a
prototype. Yet sometimes personas have a way of giving
us the confidence that we can.
Issue: Overconfidence breeds unfair conclusions, false
empathy, or generally missing the point.

REAL PERSONA CHALLENGES
Home Depot: Understanding “Pros”
Would an isolated “pro” persona—or small set
of personas—speak to the entire pro base?
Probably not.
Potential solution: Segment research into 4-8
“pro” categories like painters, general
contractors, remodelers, and landscapers.
The challenge: “Pros” (i.e., people who shop at Home Depot for their job) make up
a huge percentage of the company’s customer base. But “pro” can mean many
things.

REAL PERSONA CHALLENGES
Protravel: Understanding “Distinctive Honeymoon”
Clients
The challenge: A luxury travel company created a honeymoon division with its
very own honeymoon registry platform. But misconceptions about the platform
and brand prevented clients from signing up.
Could 3-4 personas help Protravel better
understand and connect with their audience,
getting to the root of misconceptions? Very
likely!
Topics to include in persona: Phase of
honeymoon planning, spending habits, tech-
savviness, quotes about platform and brand
perception.

REAL PERSONA CHALLENGES
Flexdrive: Understanding Potential Drivers
The challenge: A vehicle subscription service is trying to understand why so many
people initially show interest in the program but don’t follow through and
subscribe.
Could a set of personas help Flexdrive unveil
who their potential customers truly are, gaining
insight into those customers’ needs and
struggles? Maybe. (But it would take more
than 3-4, plus follow-through!)
Topics to include in persona: Current vs
desired car behavior, reactions to website and
app, budget behavior

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
Avoid interpreting a single user persona as “people.”
Common ways this plays out:
“People don’t read text.” (Reality: They’re in the experience to
gather information, but large chunks of text can feel daunting.
Instead, think: How can we present this text in a friendlier way?”)
“People don’t like change.” (Reality: People don’t like it when
changes take away or provide obstacles to the features and
design they like the most. Instead, think: How can we introduce
change in a thoughtful way?)

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
Have a “brain-clearing” session in which you honestly
assess your personal (or company’s) agendas and your
preconceived notions—then tuck them away for a little
while.
● Am I trying to prove something with this persona?
● What assumptions do I have about people who use
this product or service?
● Is there some sort of recognition I’m trying to gain?

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
Don’t take personas too literally.
Use them as a guide, or as a nugget/artifact—not
gospel (e.g., “One person wants easier navigation, so
we have to simplify all our navigation right away”).
Allow them to open your eyes to something you may
not have considered.

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
Always consider people with barriers.
Even if the persona is not focused on the person with the barrier,
ask questions like:
● How would a visually-impaired or hearing-impaired person
handle this?
● How would someone who struggles with reading handle this?
● Would someone with mobility issues be able to work through
this?
● Would this resonate with an ESL audience?

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
Consider the opposites.
Example: This persona was from a city dweller. Would a
country dweller likely have the same experience? Why or
why not?
Example: This persona was from someone who loves to
cook. Would someone who hates to cook have the same
experience? Why or why not?

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
When creating a presentation, include actual quotes from
people—don’t rely too heavily on your interpretation of what
they said. And keep the quotes in context.

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
When interacting with someone you’re building a persona
around, create a safe, non-judgemental space.
● “Please feel like you can be as honest as possible.”
● “It’s okay to change your mind or give information that feels
conflicting. That’s normal!”
● “If you share something and decide you’d prefer for it to be
confidential, no problem. Just let me know.”
● “If you don’t like the product, you won’t hurt my feelings. I’m
here to learn!”

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
Create personas that are specific to your industry or point
of focus, rather than using a generic template.

ADVICE FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL PERSONAS
If it comes too easy, you might not be approaching it
“right.”
Meaningful personas require careful effort to prepare and
internalize. They provoke honest reflection. They sometimes
reveal things that you don’t want to hear.

LET’S CONNECT!
Kelly Robinson
linkedin.com/in/kellf
twitter.com/kellyreverie