UXLX - 1: Know thy users

The first workshop I attended at the UXLX was the workshop "Know thy users: Persona-Centered Design" by Steve Mulder. I already read his book about personas so most of the information I already know but I was very interested in the topic of discussing obstacles.

First a short of the main facts:

Steps to convince a CEO - the heart of user-centered design
- Business results depend on satisfying users
- You are not your user
- Learning about users requires direct contact
- Knowledge about users must be actionable
- Decisions should be based on users

A persona is defined by
- Goals
- Behaviours
- Attitude

Why can personas help?
- Bring focus
- Build empathy
- Encourage consensus: Shared vision
- Create efficiency: Everybody agrees early on the same direction
- Lead to better decisions

The Breath of Life - The elements of realism
Make personas real:
- They are much more memorable

Personas
- Name: Real name, allitaration can be used (Alice, Assurance Seeker)
- Key differentiators: Goals, behaviours and attitudes what is making this persona unique
- User Goals: Primary reasons why they are using this
- Pick Photos: Make them real, no models - http://www.scx.hu/, http://www.morguefile.com/, http://www.istockphoto.com/
- Personal data: Age, Family status, ... Data that mathers for the application
- Profile: Mini-Biography, first person version, why she is here, what she loves, etc.
- Quotes: Captures what the persona might say?
- Business value: If data is available
- Priorization of the persona: primary persona or 2nd level persona (primary, secondary, unimportant, excluded)

And in the discussion about the obstacles I captured the following notes:
- Time: Convince customer, that they can use the personas through the whole process - usability testing & marketing

- Personas as part of the project: Present them in the kick-off
- Not convinced project team/company: Start with high level personas and refine them, or start with a small project and communicate improvements
- Customer is not the user: You could create 2 sets of personas
- Personas dying in long projects: Impersonate personas with actors
- Difference between stable characteristics & characteristics in specific situations: Persona is a habit, but they can change behaviors. You should cover both or what is related to the product you are designed.

Now I looking forward to participate in the workshop about Usability testing by David Travis...
Br, Claudia