What are personas?

Personas are biographies of fictional customers that inform and drive business decisions on product design, development and marketing strategy. Although the persona is fictional, almost every detail in the story is based upon actual observation of real customers in their normal working environments.

Personas are recognized as a best practice in the design of software and Web sites. Their success in design has more recently led to the use of personas in marketing communications.

The common elements of a persona

Personas offer narrative representations of real customers. The value of personas lies in how specific and "real" they are. Mouse over the persona example to learn more about five key components:

Photo and name - puts a human face on market research data. Aids in memorability and resists oversimplifying (you are making decisions that affect individuals, not "types") Primary vs. secondary designation - clarifies how specifically we must address this person's goals (whether his or her needs are the most important to address) Quote - telegraphs strategically relevant customer goals Highlights - captures strategically relevant similarities and differences among people Narrative - creates clues for projecting likely responses to customer experience designs (allows you to say, "What would Genevieve think about...?")

The use of personas was pioneered in software design and championed by Alan Cooper in his 1998 book on the subject: The Inmates Are Running the Asylum.

Since then, applications have spread to influence other practices. Forrester now regards personas as a best practice for Web site design.

How do personas help?

Personas help us project the relationship between our customers' context, goals and behaviors and the interactions we design for them. For example, a persona that informs product design may focus largely on what people do with your software or Web site, how they engage with the technology and - most importantly - for what reasons. A persona that informs the design of a marketing campaign may focus more on emotional and rational influencers motivating consumers to pay attention and purchase. Whatever the primary focus, a persona will always tell us about the customer's goals - by anticipating and helping these customers to achieve their goals you can, in turn, achieve yours.

When may you want to invest in personas?

Personas are the way to go when you want to:

• Inform "how" to design a product, not simply which features to include
• Build marketing communications that resonate and grab your customers' attention
• Uncover additional potential functions and new opportunities for product development
• Craft marketing strategies that build demand among different consumers and uncover opportunities
• Equip your sales force with the knowledge to identify different buyers, how to approach them and how to have the most effective sales conversation
• Understand better the unique needs of your market

Quarry will work with you to determine the type of personas that best meet your needs and your budget. Naturally, the more in-depth you go, the richer your personas will be; in this case, greater investment can equal greater return.

Want to know more?

For more information on our persona services, contact Glen Drummond by email or give him a call at 519.570.2020 or toll-free in North America at 888.570.2020.