Avoiding Bullshit Personas

SXSW 2012

Transcript

1. Avoiding
   Bullshit
   Personas
   avoidbspersonas.com
   #bspersonas Stephanie
   Carter
   Jill
   Christ
   

   View Slide

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...
   

   View Slide

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...
   

   View Slide

4. View Slide

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
   

   View Slide

6. “the user” = you
   

   View Slide

7. “the user” = your mom
   

   View Slide

8. “the user” = a bunch of different people
   (with stuff in common)
   

   View Slide

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
   

   View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

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...
    

    View Slide

12. Over the wintry
    forest, winds howl in rage
    with no leaves to blow.
    by Soseki
    

    View Slide

13. View Slide

14. “ needs to work for everybody”
    

    View Slide

15. Who is everybody?
    

    View Slide

16. Modular Personas
    

    View Slide

17. personas without the B.S.
    

    View Slide

18. I am a
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

20. data
    personas
    

    View Slide

21. data
    personas
    preparation
    the right
    synthesis
    communicated appropriately
    without the B.S.
    

    View Slide

22. data
    personas
    preparation
    the right
    synthesis
    communicated appropriately
    without the B.S.
    

    View Slide

23. surprises over trends
    

    View Slide

24. View Slide

25. ask them to tell a story
    

    View Slide

26. View Slide

27. View Slide

28. View Slide

29. have them define their words
    

    View Slide

30. “what do you mean by
    freedom?”
    

    View Slide

31. “what do you mean by
    freedom?”
    to a
    new career to travel the
    world
    away from the
    daily grind
    

    View Slide

32. keep asking why
    

    View Slide

33. - Aaron, user 12
    

    View Slide

34. I was in prison for 12
    years. When I got out, I
    didn’t know how to send
    email.”
    - Aaron, user 12
    

    View Slide

35. data
    personas
    preparation
    the right
    synthesis
    communicated appropriately
    without the B.S.
    

    View Slide

36. 1:3 rule
    

    View Slide

37. define your dimensions
    

    View Slide

38. define your dimensions
    

    View Slide

39. Newbie
    Educator
    Student
    Freelancer
    Traditionalist
    

    View Slide

40. Newbie ?
    Educator
    Student
    Freelancer
    Traditionalist
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

42. define your dimensions
    

    View Slide

43. ?
    define your dimensions
    

    View Slide

44. don’t forget about the ‘why’
    

    View Slide

45. the why is the motivation
    

    View Slide

46. don’t be afraid to push the language
    

    View Slide

47. people before personas
    

    View Slide

48. apply your model to everyone
    

    View Slide

49. rearrange and group
    

    View Slide

50. avoidbspersonas.com
    #bspersonas
    

    View Slide

51. data
    personas
    preparation
    the right
    synthesis
    communicated appropriately
    without the B.S.
    

    View Slide

52. Over the wintry
    forest, winds howl in rage
    with no leaves to blow.
    by Soseki
    

    View Slide

53. View Slide

54. Fluff is dangerous
    

    View Slide

55. “What did the persona research say?”
    

    View Slide

56. “What did the persona research say?”
    

    View Slide

57. establishes a culture of asking
    

    View Slide

58. View Slide

59. View Slide

60. Synthesize...
    one more time!
    

    View Slide

61. View Slide

62. View Slide

63. to be vs. to do
    

    View Slide

64. make it digestible
    

    View Slide

65. and easy to share
    

    View Slide

66. “what does this mean for my work?”
    

    View Slide

67. discuss personally, small groups
    

    View Slide

68. lunchtime is a neutral space
    

    View Slide

69. data
    personas
    preparation
    the right
    synthesis
    communicated appropriately
    and used
    ^
    without the B.S.
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

71. http://creatingclassics.blogspot.com/2009/10/personas.html
    

    View Slide

72. View Slide

73. “Who was Emily again?”
    

    View Slide

74. don’t allow others to make stuff up
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

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..?”
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

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!
    

    View Slide

80. active naming
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

82. share direct research
    

    View Slide

83. subtle details are important
    

    View Slide

84. subtle details are important
    

    View Slide

85. make it engaging
    

    View Slide

86. I can do ... if you want me to
    

    View Slide

87. View Slide

88. evangelize the personas
    

    View Slide

89. “I’ve totally talked to people like that...”
    - Customer Service
    

    View Slide

90. inform
    product
    directions
    establish a
    culture of
    asking
    communicated appropriately
    and used
    ^
    

    View Slide

91. tactical and strategic
    

    View Slide

92. queue
    the
    

    View Slide

93. “the queue needs to work for everybody”
    

    View Slide

94. “the queue needs to work for everybody”
    “everybody” = ME
    Photo Credit: Albert Watson
    

    View Slide

95. so we tested it with our actual users
    

    View Slide

96. View Slide

97. View Slide

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?”
    

    View Slide

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?”
    

    View Slide

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?
     

     View Slide

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!
     

     View Slide

102. View Slide

103. View Slide

104. View Slide

105. View Slide

106. Is this a design flaw?
     

     View Slide

107. ... all the NAYs are
     “I can do if you want me to...”
     

     View Slide

108. tactical and strategic
     

     View Slide

109. use the personas to prioritize
     

     View Slide

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...
     

     View Slide

111. View Slide

112. NYTimes.com
     What’s next?
     

     View Slide

113. Are Modular Personas right for me?
     

     View Slide

114. Each one of us has products
     and features that we want to
     make a difference.
     

     View Slide

115. Maybe you’re overwhelmed
     with feature requests...
     Maybe you’re trying to figure
     out who everybody is...
     

     View Slide

116. Don’t default to what is comfortable.
     Have the courage to dig into the
     messy lives of your users.
     

     View Slide

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
     

     View Slide

118. If you care, you can put authentic
     things into the world.
     

     View Slide

119. Thank you!
     Jill Christ
     @jillchrist
     Stephanie Carter
     @neonmauve
     #bspersonas
     avoidbspersonas.com
     

     View Slide