Notes

• User personas used since the mid 1990’s
• Used to inform and validate our design and user experience
• Usually synthesised from data gained from interviewing users, with added fictional details to make a complete person
• One primary persona should be made to encompass all users

User personas include:

• Age
• Sex
• Occupation
• Hobbies
• Likes/dislikes
• Other details relating to the product: behaviour patterns, goals, skills, attitudes, environment, context

• The persona helps design with an idea for your user base in mind and what they would want and need.
• Depending on the process more or less personas can be used 
• Small user bases can lead to more specific personas
• Mental models illustrate how the user will approach a particular problem, you’re creating a bad experience if you don’t use these models

Product personality questions

• If the interface were a person, what would she or he be like?
• How would you expect users to react when they first view the product?
• How would you describe this product to a friend?
• How is the product different from competitive products?
• Which celebrity (or car, movie, etc.) Is the product most like?

Least like?

Why?

Reflection

This lecture went over the importance of personas and emphasised that they are one of the foundation steps in the design process and is needed to continue driving the process forwards. Personas give the designer the ability to picture how the consumer would use their product, thus making it easier to plan out an interface that will suit the needs and lives of the target audience.

I did not know what mental models were before watching this lecture and I learnt how they impact the design process as they are the thoughts people have in regards to an idea or activity. Combining the use of personals and mental modes a designer will be able to make a better more suitable product for their target audience.