Persona Development

Create research-based representations of key user types to guide design decisions and build empathy.

Research Classification

Research Type

Attitudinal Behavioral

Behavioral: Focuses on what people do: their actual behaviors and actions.

Data Type

Qualitative Quantitative

Qualitative: Collects non-numerical data like observations, interviews, and open-ended responses.

Requirements

Budget

medium

Moderate investment needed

Timeline

medium

2-4 weeks

Team Size

small

Works with 2-3 people

Research Goals

exploratory generative

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓ Builds team empathy for users
  • ✓ Provides design focus and direction
  • ✓ Helps prioritize features and needs
  • ✓ Creates shared understanding of users

Cons

  • × Can become outdated without maintenance
  • × May oversimplify complex user groups
  • × Risk of creating stereotypes
  • × Requires solid research foundation

Use Cases

Example Scenario

Developing personas for a healthcare app to represent different types of patients and healthcare providers who will use the system.

Additional Applications

  • • User archetypes
  • • Behavioral personas
  • • Role-based personas
  • • Proto-personas