What is a Persona?

Mike Cohn Definition (3, page 38)

User roles = collection of defining attributes that characterise a population of users and their intended interactions

Persona = imaginary representation of a user role. Describe sufficiently so the team feel like they know the person (e.g. job, family, likes, comfort with technology). Include a description and a picture.

Extreme characters = over-the-top characters like a drug dealer or the pope

Good Persona Guidance

What Info should a good persona provide (1, pg 31)

Name
Representative photograph
Quote that conveys what they most care about
Job title
Demographics
Needs/goals
Relevant motivations and attitudes
Related tasks and behaviours
Frustrations/ pain points with current solution
Level of expertise/ knowledge (in the relevant domain, e.g. level computer savvy)
Product usage context/ environment (e.g. laptop in a loud, bust office or tablet on the couch at home)
Technology adoption life cycle segment (for your product category) – according to Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm

Creating Personas

Proto-personas (2)

Keeping personas as a living document, rather than a one time activity
Create proto-personas at the start and then validate that the persona is correct, rather than upfront research by a third party. Team are disconnected from the personas
Then validate 3 things
- Does the customer exist?
- Do they have the needs and obstacles you think they do?
- Would they value a solution to this problem?