Personas

Personas are user profiles based on research; they provide a synthetic, schematic description of users as the potential recipients of new design concepts. Personas are based on raw data collected from research, but it is not a description of an actual real user. Instead it is the construction of an “ideal typical” profile that clusters meaningful characteristics of people as described by the raw data. To inspire designers, personas must contain subtle information about people’s behaviour and attitudes. More than just a list of functional characteristics of a person (his or her abilities or disabilities), personas should describe people’s value and attitudes, their psychological profile, their domestic environment, their lifestyle, and so on. The profile may also contain description of relations with others, such as a family, colleagues and friends. Often, several personas are created for the development team to consider.