Comments on: Personas http://www.ethnography.com/2009/03/personas/ A group blog on a wide variety of topics realted to anthropology Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:34:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Rabi http://www.ethnography.com/2009/03/personas/comment-page-1/#comment-5226 Rabi Fri, 21 May 2010 10:31:57 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/?p=254#comment-5226 Great thanks for this,Aaralyn Great thanks for this,Aaralyn

]]> By: John http://www.ethnography.com/2009/03/personas/comment-page-1/#comment-1571 John Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:35:14 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/?p=254#comment-1571 Any discussion of Personas that fails to mention their role in design misses the mark entirely. Personas do encapsulate research and communicate it effectively, they transform data into information. But their role thereafter is not to stand as a proxy for the data, or even as a principle means of communicating about market demographics, they are a simplified model intended to serve as the target user for a design team. That's all they were ever intended to be. To read about the origins of personas in UxD, go to the source - Alan Cooper - who introduced the technique to most people through his book "The Inmates are Running the Asylum". In this article, he recalls how he developed the technique: http://www.cooper.com/journal/2003/08/the_origin_of_personas.html Any discussion of Personas that fails to mention their role in design misses the mark entirely. Personas do encapsulate research and communicate it effectively, they transform data into information. But their role thereafter is not to stand as a proxy for the data, or even as a principle means of communicating about market demographics, they are a simplified model intended to serve as the target user for a design team. That’s all they were ever intended to be.

To read about the origins of personas in UxD, go to the source – Alan Cooper – who introduced the technique to most people through his book “The Inmates are Running the Asylum”. In this article, he recalls how he developed the technique: http://www.cooper.com/journal/2003/08/the_origin_of_personas.html

]]> By: Steve Portigal http://www.ethnography.com/2009/03/personas/comment-page-1/#comment-657 Steve Portigal Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:59:56 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/?p=254#comment-657 It was just over a year ago that I wrote a controversial column (my first!) for interactions magazine about personas. It generated a lot of discussion and I'd be happy to share the PDF with anyone who's interested http://www.portigal.com/blog/ask-for-our-latest-article-persona-non-grata/ It was just over a year ago that I wrote a controversial column (my first!) for interactions magazine about personas. It generated a lot of discussion and I’d be happy to share the PDF with anyone who’s interested
http://www.portigal.com/blog/ask-for-our-latest-article-persona-non-grata/

]]> By: Markus http://www.ethnography.com/2009/03/personas/comment-page-1/#comment-654 Markus Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:16:28 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/?p=254#comment-654 Most clients form a strategic direction for their business based on classic economic models (PESTE, SWOT, Boston Matrix, 4 Ps) but these don't provide any insight into the realities of human behaviour. The persona, when combined with observed artifacts such as photos, video and user journeys, provokes insights because clients can witness the accumulated behaviours of irrational, emotional human beings. Clients become the "perceiver" as they leverage their own knowledge to solve problems that their customers didn't even realise they had... hence you inspire thinking that accomodates human shaped behaviours, rather than a flat rational logic. Personas are a great tool to focus clients on the behavioural economics helping gather human emotion, social and cognitive patterns. Clients may know where to find the customers, its behavioural economics that uncovers the insights into what inspires customers to consume... Behavioural economics needs a very specific target - that target is the persona. Most clients form a strategic direction for their business based on classic economic models (PESTE, SWOT, Boston Matrix, 4 Ps) but these don’t provide any insight into the realities of human behaviour.

The persona, when combined with observed artifacts such as photos, video and user journeys, provokes insights because clients can witness the accumulated behaviours of irrational, emotional human beings.

Clients become the “perceiver” as they leverage their own knowledge to solve problems that their customers didn’t even realise they had… hence you inspire thinking that accomodates human shaped behaviours, rather than a flat rational logic.

Personas are a great tool to focus clients on the behavioural economics helping gather human emotion, social and cognitive patterns.

Clients may know where to find the customers, its behavioural economics that uncovers the insights into what inspires customers to consume… Behavioural economics needs a very specific target – that target is the persona.

]]> By: Jennifer Jones http://www.ethnography.com/2009/03/personas/comment-page-1/#comment-652 Jennifer Jones Sat, 21 Mar 2009 13:41:57 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/?p=254#comment-652 Just an added note to clarify -- many of the companies did go into the field with the researchers. However, it was not a requirement and of course, some did not. I do agree with your point regarding innovation in larger organizations. Just an added note to clarify — many of the companies did go into the field with the researchers. However, it was not a requirement and of course, some did not. I do agree with your point regarding innovation in larger organizations.

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