Avoiding Bullshit Personas

SXSW 2012

Transcript

1. Avoiding Bullshit Personas avoidbspersonas.com #bspersonas Stephanie Carter Jill Christ
2. 1. Ashley – The Relationship Builder The most important of our personas, Ashley was born and raised outside Boise, Idaho, and in 1992 she moved to the Bay Area with her brother. She’s now a full-time mom of 1-year- old Cameron. Her husband Todd works as a union contractor installing sprinkler systems and likes to amuse Ashley with his ability to juggle and do card tricks. Ashley maintains a family blog chock full of photos for her family back in Boise and participates in a discussion board for moms on Yahoo! Groups. Lots of her friends are on Facebook, so she spends a few minutes here and there writing messages throughout the day...
3. 1. Ashley – The Relationship Builder The most important of our personas, Ashley was born and raised outside Boise, Idaho, and in 1992 she moved to the Bay Area with her brother. She’s now a full-time mom of 1-year- old Cameron. Her husband Todd works as a union contractor installing sprinkler systems and likes to amuse Ashley with his ability to juggle and do card tricks. Ashley maintains a family blog chock full of photos for her family back in Boise and participates in a discussion board for moms on Yahoo! Groups. Lots of her friends are on Facebook, so she spends a few minutes here and there writing messages throughout the day...
5. John is "the egg man." He enjoys sitting on cornflakes waiting for traffic and in gardens waiting for the sun. Tends to cry. #badpersonas
6. “the user” = you
7. “the user” = your mom
8. “the user” = a bunch of different people (with stuff in common)
9. “Personas are not real people, but they represent them throughout the design process. They are hypothetical archetypes of actual users. Although they are imaginary, they are defined with significant rigor and precision.” - Alan Cooper, The Inmates Are Running the Asylum, 2004
10. “Personas are not real people, but they represent them throughout the design process. They are hypothetical archetypes of actual users. Although they are imaginary, they are defined with significant rigor and precision.” - Alan Cooper, The Inmates Are Running the Asylum, 2004
11. 1. Ashley – The Relationship Builder The most important of our personas, Ashley was born and raised outside Boise, Idaho, and in 1992 she moved to the Bay Area with her brother. She’s now a full-time mom of 1-year- old Cameron. Her husband Todd works as a union contractor installing sprinkler systems and likes to amuse Ashley with his ability to juggle and do card tricks. Ashley maintains a family blog chock full of photos for her family back in Boise and participates in a discussion board for moms on Yahoo! Groups. Lots of her friends are on Facebook, so she spends a few minutes here and there writing messages throughout the day...
12. Over the wintry forest, winds howl in rage with no leaves to blow. by Soseki
14. “ needs to work for everybody”
15. Who is everybody?
16. Modular Personas
17. personas without the B.S.
18. I am a
19. I am a I want to be a I can do ... if you want me to I’m not a ... but I need to do I really like doing
20. data personas
21. data personas preparation the right synthesis communicated appropriately without the B.S.
22. data personas preparation the right synthesis communicated appropriately without the B.S.
23. surprises over trends
25. ask them to tell a story
29. have them define their words
30. “what do you mean by freedom?”
31. “what do you mean by freedom?” to a new career to travel the world away from the daily grind
32. keep asking why
33. - Aaron, user 12
34. I was in prison for 12 years. When I got out, I didn’t know how to send email.” - Aaron, user 12
35. data personas preparation the right synthesis communicated appropriately without the B.S.
36. 1:3 rule
37. define your dimensions
38. define your dimensions
39. Newbie Educator Student Freelancer Traditionalist
40. Newbie ? Educator Student Freelancer Traditionalist
41. Newbie ? Educator Student Freelancer Traditionalist http://www.whoisbolaji.com/n-is-for/newbie-erkle http://thetechtiger.blogspot.com/2010/12/newbie-spirit.html http://forexmersing.blogspot.com/2011/08/correct-position-sizes.html http://www.politicsforum.org/images/flame_warriors/flame_51.php
42. define your dimensions
43. ? define your dimensions
44. don’t forget about the ‘why’
45. the why is the motivation
46. don’t be afraid to push the language
47. people before personas
48. apply your model to everyone
49. rearrange and group
50. avoidbspersonas.com #bspersonas
51. data personas preparation the right synthesis communicated appropriately without the B.S.
52. Over the wintry forest, winds howl in rage with no leaves to blow. by Soseki
54. Fluff is dangerous
55. “What did the persona research say?”
56. “What did the persona research say?”
57. establishes a culture of asking
60. Synthesize... one more time!
63. to be vs. to do
64. make it digestible
65. and easy to share
66. “what does this mean for my work?”
67. discuss personally, small groups
68. lunchtime is a neutral space
69. data personas preparation the right synthesis communicated appropriately and used ^ without the B.S.
70. First Names Angela Dan Peter Kim Rob Rhymes Sam I am a Maria I wanna be a Clyde on the Side Behavior I want to be a I am I can do I like to do I’m not a but I need to do Numbered 1 2 3 Relevant Labels Hunter Chameleon Underdog Extra Jack Situation Aspirational- Career Switcher Jack of all trades Hobbyist Hash Tag #iwan2b #iama
71. http://creatingclassics.blogspot.com/2009/10/personas.html
73. “Who was Emily again?”
74. don’t allow others to make stuff up
75. First Names Angela Dan Peter Kim Rob Rhymes Sam I am a Maria I wanna be a Clyde on the Side Behavior I want to be a I am I can do I like to do I’m not a but I need to do Numbered 1 2 3 Relevant Labels Hunter Chameleon Underdog Extra Jack Situation Aspirational- Career Switcher Jack of all trades Hobbyist Hash Tag #iwan2b #iama
76. First Names Angela Dan Peter Kim Rob Rhymes Sam I am a Maria I wanna be a Clyde on the Side Behavior I want to be a I am I can do I like to do I’m not a but I need to do Numbered 1 2 3 Relevant Labels Hunter Chameleon Underdog Extra Jack Situation Aspirational- Career Switcher Jack of all trades Hobbyist Hash Tag #iwan2b #iama
77. First Names Angela Dan Peter Kim Rob Rhymes Sam I am a Maria I wanna be a Clyde on the Side Behavior I want to be a I am I can do I like to do I’m not a but I need to do Numbered 1 2 3 Relevant Labels Hunter Chameleon Underdog Extra Jack Situation Aspirational- Career Switcher Jack of all trades Hobbyist Hash Tag #iwan2b #iama “Wait, that’s not Hunter..?”
78. First Names Angela Dan Peter Kim Rob Rhymes Sam I am a Maria I wanna be a Clyde on the Side Behavior I want to be a I am I can do I like to do I’m not a but I need to do Numbered 1 2 3 Relevant Labels Hunter Chameleon Underdog Extra Jack Situation Aspirational- Career Switcher Jack of all trades Hobbyist Hash Tag #iwan2b #iama
79. First Names Angela Dan Peter Kim Rob Rhymes Sam I am a Maria I wanna be a Clyde on the Side Behavior I want to be a I am I can do I like to do I’m not a but I need to do Numbered 1 2 3 Relevant Labels Hunter Chameleon Underdog Extra Jack Situation Aspirational- Career Switcher Jack of all trades Hobbyist Hash Tag #iwan2b #iama winner!
80. active naming
81. I am a I want to be a I can do ... if you want me to I’m not a ... but I need to do I really like doing
82. share direct research
83. subtle details are important
84. subtle details are important
85. make it engaging
86. I can do ... if you want me to
88. evangelize the personas
89. “I’ve totally talked to people like that...” - Customer Service
90. inform product directions establish a culture of asking communicated appropriately and used ^
91. tactical and strategic
92. queue the
93. “the queue needs to work for everybody”
94. “the queue needs to work for everybody” “everybody” = ME Photo Credit: Albert Watson
95. so we tested it with our actual users
98. “Hey, that’s just what I was asking for...” “I’d just use ‘my course history’... I just want to log in and finish what I’ve been working on.. Get in and get out.” “Is the queue new?”
99. “Hey, that’s just what I was asking for...” YAY! “I’d just use ‘my course history’... I just want to log in and finish what I’ve been working on.. Get in and get out.” “Is the queue new?”
100. “I’d just use ‘my course history’... I just want to log in and finish what I’ve been working on.. Get in and get out.” “Is the queue new?” “Hey, that’s just what I was asking for...” YAY! HUH?
101. “I’d just use ‘my course history’... I just want to log in and finish what I’ve been working on.. Get in and get out.” “Is the queue new?” “Hey, that’s just what I was asking for...” YAY! HUH? NAY!
106. Is this a design flaw?
107. ... all the NAYs are “I can do if you want me to...”
108. tactical and strategic
109. use the personas to prioritize
110. “it would be cool if...” “I think our users would want...” “it would be cool if...” “I think our users would want...” “it would be cool if...” “I think our users would want...” “it would be cool if...” “I think our users would want...” “it would be cool if...” “I think our users would want...” “I think our users would want...” “it would be cool if...” stop making stuff you think is cool...
112. NYTimes.com What’s next?
113. Are Modular Personas right for me?
114. Each one of us has products and features that we want to make a difference.
115. Maybe you’re overwhelmed with feature requests... Maybe you’re trying to figure out who everybody is...
116. Don’t default to what is comfortable. Have the courage to dig into the messy lives of your users.
117. “his eye is not on the facts at all... he does not care whether the things he says describe reality correctly.” - Bullshit by Harry Frankfurt
118. If you care, you can put authentic things into the world.
119. Thank you! Jill Christ @jillchrist Stephanie Carter @neonmauve #bspersonas avoidbspersonas.com