An introduction to using personas to identify and understand your users or audience. Presented at the Korea Technical Communication Association symposium in Seoul on October 24, 2008.

1. Eddie Hollon User Personas: “Tools for Understanding” Presented at the 2 nd annual Korea Technical Communication Association Symposium - October 24, 2008, Seoul

2. Making the Connection: Personas as a ‘Tool of Understanding’ for Designers and Information Developers

3. Defining the problem Designers know too much and they know too little. Designers who know enough to incorporate a technology into a product know too much to understand how the users will perceive it. At the same time, designers know too little about the users’ lives to understand how the product will mesh with their work practices. - Thomas Erickson

4. “ The users are just like us”

5. “ We need something for every type of user”

6. … the solution A persona is a user archetype you can use to help guide decisions about product features, navigation, interactions, and even visual design. By designing for the archetype—whose goals and behavior patterns are well understood—you can satisfy the broader group of people represented by that archetype. - Kim Goodwin

7. “ These are the people we are designing for”

9. 2. A “recipe” of data

12. 5. Put a Face on the persona Generic, but representative photo Name Descriptive slogan Demographics Motivators Usage environment Scenarios Scenarios Characteristics & activities

13. Design for your persona

14. Tell stories about your personas Personas work because they tell stories. Stories are part of every community. They communicate culture, organize, and transmit information. Most importantly, they spark the imagination as you explore new ideas. They can ignite action. - Whitney Quesenbery

15. Avoid common pitfalls There is no ideal number of personas, however try to keep the set small. Four or five personas work as effective design tools, whilst over ten personas may introduce the same confusion as a large user requirements document. - Tina Calabria

17. Photo credits 1. “Sculpting Tourists” by jennaphoenix (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennaphoenix/2838409621/) 2. “Paper Clip on White Card” by prashant_zi (http://www.flickr.com/photos/prashant_zi/2544103768/) 3. “I Do Work Hard!” by julyyu (http://www.flickr.com/photos/julyyu/311846814/) 4. “Be Different” by vermin inc http://www.flickr.com/photos/vermininc/2335148856/) 5. “I…Just Want to Switch the Damn Channel!” by pascal-p (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11149039@N04/2431326865/) 6. “Lego People” by joe shiabotnik (http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/305410323/) 8. “Ingredients for Dinner” by pingu1963 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingu1963/2953412167/) 10. “Damiano’s Pizza, Dissected” by chotda (http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/193265230/ 11. “Impromptu Cakeness” by r.b. boyer (http://www.flickr.com/photos/naelyn/6565603/) 14. “Princess Theater” by bubblestar (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bubblestar/187607392/) 15. “Which Do You Look Like?” by creativity+ timothy k hamilton (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/163493249/) All photos in this presentation are used in accordance with the Creative Commons license (creativecommons.org).