Authors: Joni Salminen1,2, Soon-gyo Jung1, and Bernard J. Jansen1 1 Qatar Computing Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar 2 Turku School of Economics at the University of Turku jsalminen@hbku.edu.qa, sjung@hbku.edu.qa, jjansen@acm.org Abstract Data-driven personas are a significant advancement in the fields of human-centered informatics and human-computer interaction. Data-driven personas enhance user understanding by combining the empathy inherent with personas with the rationality inherent in analytics using computational methods. Via the employment of these computational methods, the data-driven persona method permits the use of large scale user data, which is a novel advancement in persona creation. A common approach for increasing stakeholder engagement about audiences, customers, or users, persona creation remained relatively unchanged for several decades. However, the availability of digital user data, data science algorithms, and easy access to analytics platforms provide avenues and opportunities to enhance personas from often sketchy representations of user segments to precise, actionable, interactive decision-making tools --- data-driven personas! Using the data-driven approach, the persona profile can serve as an interface to a fully functional analytics system that can present user representation at various levels of information granularity for more task aligned user insights. We trace the techniques that have enabled the development of data-driven personas and then conceptually frame how one can leverage data-driven personas as tools for both empathizing with and understanding of users. Presenting a conceptual framework consisting of (a) persona benefits, (b) analytics benefits, and (c) decision-making outcomes, we illustrate applying this framework via practical use cases in areas of system design, digital marketing, and content creation to demonstrate the application of data-driven personas in practical applied situations. We then present an overview of a fully functional data-driven persona system as an example of multi-level information aggregation needed for decision-making about users. We demonstrate that data-driven personas systems can provide critical, empathetic and user understanding functionalities for anyone needing such insights.

1. Data-Driven Personas
– the book
Bernard J. Jansen1, Joni Salminen1, Soon-gyo Jung1, Kathleen Guan2
1Qatar Computer Research Institute (QCRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
2University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom

2. How it began …
In November 2015, a chance meeting between Dr. Jim Jansen and
representatives of AJ+, an Al Jazeera social media channel, led to a
discussion of the difficulties of using the many analytics platforms.
It was at that meeting the concept of Automatic Persona Generation
(APG) emerged.
That impactful meeting led to a set of algorithmic approaches to
improve user understanding by presenting analytics and numbers in
a form that most people can relate to — another person!
Actionable insights in this book are the result of more than 5 years
of persona analytics research!

3. The driver for APG and the related persona research is
inspired by Papa John’s slogan —
Better Personas! Better Decisions! Better Results!

4. What it’s about …
This book is not about personas in the traditional sense of the term “personas.”
• It is also not about data.
• It is also not about analytics.
This book is about data-driven personas, a revolutionary step forward customer-
centric focus during the planning, creation, development, and implementation in
endeavors where actionable decisions about people need to be made, and those
decisions need to be made on actual data about real people.
With their integration of the empathy of personas and the rationality of analytics,
data-driven personas can shift actionable focus to where it should be — people!
By “actionable people focus,” we mean attention that is implementable.

5. Sam, the designer –
This book is an action plan if you or your organization:
(a) has data and wants to use it to make better customer decisions
(b) aims for products better aligned with customer needs
(c) wants better ways of communicating about and with customers
Kristi, the professor –
This is an action plan if you are teaching how to:
(a) use data to make better customer decisions
(b) align products with customer needs better
(c) communicate about and with customers better
Ting, the researcher –
This is an action plan if you are conducting research how to:
(a) use data to make better customer decisions
(b) align products with customer needs better
(c) communicate about and with customers better
Who is it for …

6. What’s in it …
The book is divided into six parts, which are:
Part 1: Setting the Stage
Part 2: Getting Ready
Part 3 Developing Data-Driven Personas
Part 4: Using Data-Driven Personas
Part 5: Evaluating Data-Driven Personas and Appropriate Persona Methods
Part 6: Data-Driven Personas and the Road Ahead.

7. Part 1: Setting the Stage
Contains the Introduction.

8. Part 2: Getting Ready contains two chapters.
Chapter 1 provides the foundational element of
personas and data-driven personas.
Chapter 2 discusses getting your organization ready for
personas, including techniques for stakeholder buy-in.

9. Part 3: Developing Data-Driven Personas contains three
chapters.
Chapter 3 discusses the data underlying data-driven
personas.
Chapter 4 discusses methods for creating data-driven
personas.
Chapter 5 presents a full-stack, data-driven persona system.

10. Part 4: Using Data-Driven Personas contains three
chapters.
Chapter 6 discusses the implementation challenges of data-
driven personas.
Chapter 7 presents the common use cases for data-driven
personas.
Chapter 8 aligns data-driven personas with other methods.

11. Part 5: Evaluating Data-Driven Personas contains two
chapters.
Chapter 9 is evaluating and showing value from data-driven
personas.
Chapter 10 compares and contrasts the three major
approaches for persona creation.

12. Part 6: Data-Driven Personas and the Future contains
the Conclusion chapter that finishes up the book with
trends and the grand challenges for data-driven
personas.

13. Along with specific topical content,
each chapter includes about a half dozen or so questions for further
discussion, assignment, or contemplation concerning the chapter’s content.

14. Along with afterward,
we present a glossary of persona terminology that benefit the amateur or expert alike.

15. The book ends with three appendices
helpful for
the practitioner, the teacher, or the researcher.

16. Appendix A: Survey Questions for Persona Perception Scale
is a data collection instrument for evaluating data-driven personas.

17. Appendix B: User Interview Questions
contains typical questions useful for customer insight and data-driven persona development.

18. Appendix C: Evaluation of Elements in a Variety of Persona Tools
presents the elements that are common or not in a variety of persona development approaches.

19. Order the book from:
Data-Driven Personas from Morgan Claypool
Data-Driven Personas from Amazon

20. Want more?
Visit the APG Website - https://persona.qcri.org Get your free Data-Driven Personas book infographic!

21. Thanks!
Jim Jansen Joni Salminen Soon-gyo Jung Kathleen Guan