The document outlines a 1.5 hour bootcamp on personas. It will cover what personas are, why they are used, how to create them, analyzing research data, and using personas effectively. Attendees will learn about creating personas through field research interviews and exercises in affinity mapping, persona creation, and scenario illustration. The goal is to help participants develop empathy for target users by representing them as personas in order to design with the user's needs and goals in mind.

1. PERSONAS
BOOTCAMP
Mauricio Perez
UX / CX Consultant

2. What we will learn in 1.5 hours
AGENDA
‣ What are Personas?
‣ Why use Personas?
‣ How to create Personas
‣ Field research methods
‣ Interview + Task Model exercises
‣ Analysing the data
‣ Analysis + scenario exercises
‣ Using Personas effectively
2

3. WHAT ARE
PERSONAS?
PERSONAS BOOTCAMP

4. What are Personas?
A persona is not an actual
user, but a “hypothetical
archetype” or character who
represents a group of users
to understand their needs
and problems
4

5. What are Personas?
Personas can come in a variety of presentations
5
Foxtel iQ3 : Discover phase findings May 2013 | Commercial in Confidence 212 Massive Interactive Pty Ltd.5
Viewing
By myself With others
Open to new experiences
Timid Adventurous
Information Seeking
Sit back Hunt it out
Organisation
Too much work Will spend time
Learning
By accident Play until get it
Technology I own
The basics All the latest
Tech Ability
Luddite Wired
Social Networks
Not for me Awesome
Wealth
Struggling Affluent
Challenges
Is often distracted, concentration
is low, wont read or seek out
information
Is capable and will play around
until she figures it out if the
perceived value is high enough.
Stumbles on new content
through friends and ads.
Discovering & Learning
Decision Making
Technology
Will wait, not in a rush for the
newest technology as it out-
dates quickly.
Waits for contracts to run out
before upgrading
Uses skype to talk to her parents.
I record too much
I’ll often record so much that I
don’t have time to watch it all, I
think when am I going to catch
up on all of this.
I’m not sure when my
episodes are on.
Sometimes I miss the start of my
favourite shows as I don’t know
when they are on. I’ll be chatting
with a girlfriend and they start
talking about the new episodes
and I’m thinking how did I miss
this.
It’s all about the kids at the moment!
I’m busy looking after the kids.
I don’t want to spend a lot of time
and effort finding something to
watch. I’ll record a show, to watch
later when the kids are in bed, that
way I can skip the ads .
It’s cheaper at the DVD store
When my husbands home we will
go to the DVD store and rent a film
as its $2 rather than pay $6 with
Foxtel. We had the movie channel
and let it go as it was too expensive
and not enough choice.
Kellie: Help me make the right choice
“Sometimes I’ll record a show and
forget to press +20 and it doesn’t
record the end, it’s another thing
to remember”
Doesn’t have time to think about
what to watch.
Recording shows that won’t get
watched.
Missing the start of new season
episodes.
Resistance to paying more
Has to think carefully about her
spending as money is tight, likes a
bargain or special offer.
Makes all the day to day household
decisions.
Wants to avoid effort will use the
EPG for laziness.
Kellie is married to Pete, they have two children Chloe 5 and Josh 3. They are
currently renting but are hoping to buy something within the next year as Kellie
really likes the area, it has a good school and plenty of parks for the kids.
Pete travels away for work so Kellie spends a lot of time at home with just the
kids. She likes to have the TV on as background company when Pete is away, it
keeps her from feeling lonely.
Kellie has been with Foxtel for 4 years, she expects Foxtel to offer her more
choice for her money especially as money is tight at the moment and they have
after all spent lots of money with Foxtel.
Age: 28
Occupation: Home maker
Location: Maitland, NSW
Needs:
Reduce her channels to what is in her package.
Make free content more obvious.
Reminders notifications - start dates for new seasons.
Being rewarded for loyalty as a long term subscriber.
Favourite Channels Favourite Brands & Apps

6. What are Personas?
What goes into the
creation of a persona
is what we deem to
be important to the
success of a product
or service
6

7. 7
User Experience:
It’s about knowing
your users &
customers
What are Personas?
Business
Goals
User
Needs
Technological
Constraints
UX

8. 8What are Personas?
Business
Goals
User
Needs
Technological
Constraints
UX
User context
EmotionalPhysical
Cognitive

DOING
environment, physical
activity, habits,
disabilities, preferences,
sensory stimuli
FEELING
psychological state,
stress level, needs,
desires
LEARNING
cognitive assumptions,
learning ability,
education
User Experience:
It’s about knowing
your users &
customers

9. Q&A
What are Personas?

10. WHY USE PERSONAS?
PERSONAS BOOTCAMP

11. 11Why use Personas?
To gain perspective
When we look at a persona, we look through a lens
with which they see the world. With those glasses
on, when we make decisions, we do so having
internalised the persona’s goals, needs and wants.
“We do not see things as they are.
We see things as WE are”
Anais Nin

12. 12Why use Personas?
Narrative practice
They tell a story. This is very effective because they
leverage and stimulate one of the most innate
human abilities to remember details because it is a
connection of cause and effect. A listener turns the story into their own
idea and experience… and remembers it

13. 13Why use Personas?
Predicting outcomes
Theory of Mind (Folk Psychology): the ability to
predict another person’s behaviour by
understanding their mental state.

14. 14Why use Personas?
Personas help to answer
very specific questions
1. What demographic do they fall into?
2. What are their frustrations?
3. What factors influence their behaviours?
4. What do they tend to say?
5. What technology are they comfortable with?
6. What are their needs?
Illustration by UX Lady

15. Q&A
Why use Personas?

16. HOW TO CREATE
PERSONAS
PERSONAS BOOTCAMP

17. 17How to create Personas
Demographics sample of quantitative data

18. 18
Where do we get
quantitative data?
How to create Personas
‣ Online Traffic Analytics
‣ Marketing demographics
‣ Australian Bureau of Statistics
‣ Survey respondents
‣ Customer service forums
‣ Social media followers
‣ Market Research recruitment providers
(be wary of “professional” users)

19. 19
How can we get qualitative
data for personas?
How to create Personas
‣ Face-to-face interviews (x30)
‣ Task modelling
‣ Contextual research
‣ Shadowing
‣ Diary studies
User context
EmotionalPhysical
Cognitive
!
FEELING
psychological state,
stress level, needs,
desires
DOING
environment, physical
activity, habits,
disabilities, preferences,
sensory stimuli
LEARNING
cognitive assumptions,
learning ability,
education

20. 20
User Interviews
Field Research Methods
30+ in-depth conversations with structured
questions starting a little about their lives
but allow flexible discussion to guide
insights on topics relating to their
experience and behaviour around a product /
service. Best conducted in context when we
ask to observe them in action.

21. 21Field Research Methods
Shadowing (Observing)
Observation (usually with their
consent) of a customer’s experience
with a service /product. Oſten we can
learn things that they might never tell
us. It can entail watching someone
over a course of time or many people
to find patterns. Useful when followed
up with a contextual interview.

22. 22Field Research Methods
Diary studies Diary studies capture data from participants as
they live through certain experiences in context
from their own perspective. They are great when
used with interviews to draw insights from.
However, they are subject to inaccurate recall,
low control and participation and incompleteness
without incentives.

23. 23Field Research Methods
Focus Groups
Facilitation with a group of customers.
Useful in focussing on a group
behaviour and capture their experiences
and needs. They need a good facilitator
to allow all participants to contribute
and not let the group be led by a strong
personality however

24. 24Field Research Methods
Task Modelling
A Task Model diagram can be created to
list tasks around a person’s needs and
behaviours to dive deeper and discover
what they are trying to accomplish, and
then create solutions that match.
Illustration by Brad Colbow

25. 25
No access to users? Go guerrilla research!
Field Research Methods
‣ Customer Feedback Channels:
‣ Social media
‣ Telephone
‣ Email
‣ Create a feedback channel (eg. Ethnio)
‣ Get out of the building and find them
“Leaving the user behind
is not an option.”
Chekob Nielsen

26. 26
Typical incentives for recruiting users
How to create Personas
‣ Money ($50-$100 hour)
‣ $100 Giſt cards
‣ Membership to your product / service
‣ Competition entries (State laws apply)
‣ Social kudos for inviting friends to partake
‣ Beg, bribe and buy them another coffee

27. 27
KEY OBJECTIVES
Face to face interview
PERSONA CREATION EXERCISE
AGENDA
10 minutes
DELIVERABLE
Interview notes
RESOURCES
• Interview template
• Product / Service idea e.g. Smart Phone, Public service
1. Choose [product / service]
2. Find out as much as you can about your
designated person onto the interview sheet

28. 28PERSONA CREATION EXERCISE
Interview Template
Sketch and
name
1
Behaviours and
demographic
Needs and
pain-points
Potential
solutions
2
3 4
Start by folding a sheet of paper into four boxes
Next we will be interviewing and getting as much detail
as possible very quickly.
The primary goal here is to develop empathy for the
people you want to use your product.

29. 29PERSONA CREATION EXERCISE
Interview Template
Focus on the kinds of things that might be important to
the way this person uses the product or service
‣ Ask open-ended questions and avoid leading people to
the answers you want.
‣ Ask what people feel, not just what they think.
‣ Get them to tell you what they might do in a typical
day from morning to night
Emily, 38
Chatswood
"Working mum"
DEMOGRAPHICS
• Married
• 2 kids, age 5 & 9
• Works 4 days per week
as a Marketing director
• Husband works long hours
• Values family time
NEEDS & PAINS
• Doesn't know what kids
do at school
• Too tired to help with
Homework
• Little communication
with teacher
SOLUTIONS
• Enable conversation
with kids
• Make it easy to reach
teacher

30. Q&A
How to create Personas

31. ANALYSING
THE DATA
PERSONAS BOOTCAMP

32. 32PERSONA CREATION EXERCISE
What have we found?

33. KEY OBJECTIVES
Affinity Mapping
PERSONA CREATION EXERCISE
AGENDA
10 minutes 1. Write down any patterns you have noticed
in your interviews (one label for each sticky
note)
2. Put them onto the wall in groupings
DELIVERABLE
Affinity Map
RESOURCES
‣ Sticky notes
‣ Sharpies
33

34. KEY OBJECTIVES
Persona creation
PERSONA CREATION EXERCISE
AGENDA
15 minutes 1. Discuss as a group how many types of
personas there could be and name them
2. Vote for the primary and secondary ones
DELIVERABLE
Primary and secondary
personas
RESOURCES
1. Stickies on the wall
34

35. Q&A
How to create Personas

36. USING PERSONAS
EFFECTIVELY
PERSONAS BOOTCAMP

37. 37Using Personas effectively
Personas: good or evil?
Personas are a tool and powerful in
the right time and place. Any tool can
be used for good or evil, and personas
are no different.

38. 38Using Personas effectively
Problem personas If used improperly, as when personas
are not based on first-hand research,
or based solely on market research
(as opposed to ethnographic
research), then personas will impart
an inaccurate understanding of users
and provide a false sense of security
and solidify assumptions.

39. 39Using Personas effectively
Empty Personas
The truly fictional persona can be on
based only on marketing data or the
opinions of company stakeholders,
whether they’d ever met a real user
or not, fictional personas poisoned
the pool.

40. 40Using Personas effectively
Goal-directed
Design
1. Defining the persona
2. Describe the scenario
3. Fulfill their goals

41. KEY OBJECTIVES
Illustrating scenarios
PERSONA CREATION EXERCISE
AGENDA
15 minutes 1. From the persona created, illustrate some
typical scenarios arising in the life of the
persona when experiencing this product /
service
DELIVERABLE
Scenario storyboards
RESOURCES
1. Persona templates
2. Storyboard templates
41

42. 42Using Personas effectively
Get grounded Good, solid first-person research is at the heart of all
useful personas. This includes careful preparation and
participant recruiting across a wide variety of potential
users. The resulting observations require thoughtful,
creative analysis and synthesis that not only boils down
what the users are doing and expressing but finds out
why: why is this observation true?

43. 43Using Personas effectively
Round Out with Real Voices
Allow actual users to tell their own stories.
Use real quotes photos, audio, or video of people
in their environment. Instead of inventing stories
to bring imaginary people to life, lean on
journalistic or documentary techniques to let
users have their say in their own words.

44. 44Using Personas effectively
Evangelize Your Personas
Personas can be kept alive within an
organisation by laying some groundwork.
‣ Assign a champion to keep personas alive
‣ Present personas to key departments
‣ Pair personas with visual scenarios
‣ Use role-playing and Q&A with personas
to answer questions the team has.
Illustration by Brad Colbow

45. Q&A
How to create Personas

46. EL
FIN
15Personas Bootcamp
bit.ly/personabootcamp