Personas and how we use them to develop better apps
User first: This is the most important principle in the development of digital products in the context of collaborative UX design. But who are the users? What are their needs and pain points? Just as there is no “one” user, the user group cannot be defined too generally. Personas are an ideal middle ground: a detailed and personalized description of different users so that it is possible for the development and design team to put themselves in the shoes of a person rather than a vague group.
A persona is more than just a symbolic placeholder for the user and it is worth investing time in creating it. Image: Bitforge
The required number of personas
Personas are now standard in various areas and are replacing the traditional definition of target groups. Be it in marketing and sales, but also in the development of digital products, apps, websites and tools. At Bitforge, personas are part of the development process as part of collaborative UX design. The number of personas required always depends heavily on the project in question, at least here at Bitforge.
“My job is to find the focus for each project,” says Maria, our user experience designer. The focus can be on a single detailed persona. For broader target groups, it can easily be three or more. Regardless of the number, it is important to work out the personas right at the start of the development process and then include them again and again throughout the entire development period. (More about our “Design Thinking” approach here).
Emotional connection instead of generic information
But what is the difference between defining a target group and a persona? The answer is simple: we are better able to put ourselves in the shoes of a single, clearly defined person than a heterogeneous group. If the persona is also given a picture and a name, we find it easier to connect. This is also an important criterion for Maria: “A persona gives us an emotional connection.” It’s a conversation tool, so to speak, to communicate with our potential users.
Values and goals before age and employment
In their book “Usability Engineering Compact“, Michael Richter and Markus Flückinger write that a persona “reflects the characteristics of the user that are relevant for product design”. These include characteristics such as the user’s goals, profession, function and tasks, education and behavioral patterns, but also “soft” criteria such as values, fears and goals in life. It is also crucial to define the problems and challenges of the persona – because it is usually precisely these two points that we want to solve with our product.
But beware: we have a tendency to focus on hard facts such as age, job and education because they seem important to us, but as Richter and Flückiger point out, criteria such as values and fears – i.e. people’s behavior – are much more important because they have the strongest influence on people. “If we know the users’ values and these values are reflected in the features or the look and feel, then the users’ commitment to interacting with the app is higher,” explains Maria.
A picture creates empathy
In order to make the emotional connection as lasting as possible, it is advisable to use a photo of a real person to represent the persona in question rather than resorting to an illustration or a symbolic placeholder. The more “real” the person in front of us, the better we will be able to empathize with their needs and problems.
On the free image platform unsplash , you can find a wide selection under the search term “persona”. Image: unsplash
Data basis for personas
Do not create your personas on the basis of speculation and clichés, but by taking statistical data into account. This can be classic statistics, but also survey results and other information obtained. We at Bitforge also work either with statistical data or conduct interviews with people from the target group. “Our personas are then created from these interviews,” says Maria.
It is worth investing in a persona that is as detailed as possible, as it is ideally used throughout the entire development process. From the start and definition of the product to the design and questions during implementation, such as whether and in what form notifications are used or in what form authorizations are requested. Even the question of whether users are tech-savvy or not can change the structure of an entire app – depending on how much explanation is required to use it and know all the features.
Time of use decides
When is the app used? This question can also be answered by a persona. If users mainly use the product undisturbed at home on the couch, they rarely need an additional reminder. However, if they are constantly interrupted during use, for example because they are using the app in everyday life, at the Migros checkout or at work, we take this into account in the design. “We then build in solutions so that it’s possible to quickly reorient yourself if you’ve been torn out of the flow,” says Maria. This can happen with reminders, push notifications or simply with a corresponding message when the app is opened again.
Personas therefore help to get to know users better, understand their needs and requirements and incorporate them into the development process. The following applies:
- Less is more, even with personas
- Values and goals are central
- A picture helps to create an emotional bond
- Using data and statistics as a reference
- Don’t forget the environment and context of use of the persona!
