Graphics Reference
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product that almost all users will experience in similar ways. The most obvious example is
the on/off switch. On most physical and virtual devices this is the user's first experience:
turning it on and off. If he or she can't do that with ease and comfort, the product has surely
failed.
I've mentioned Dane Petersen at Adaptive Path who spoke about the “
personas
” they
employ in their design process. Personas are fictional users whose needs reflect those of
a broader audience. A persona might not represent the entire market for a product, but his
or her needs, desires and technical abilities should reveal a lot about user experience. As
Petersen describes it, “The point [of personas] was to establish basic archetypes of their
users so we could get a more accurate sense of what they wanted and needed in any pro-
gram or app.”
Personas must begin with people. When creating a persona, a designer might start with
someone he or she knows. It might be one or several personalities, but whatever the number
they must form a composite of a believable human being with abilities, needs and wants
that coincide with the purpose of the proposed design. The designer should be able to pic-
ture this person, to hear their voice, and see their face. Most importantly, the designer must
be able to imagine this person using the product for the first time.
The principle behind personas is nothing new to advertisers, promoters, or anyone else
whose job it is to sell to the general public, but that principle takes on added meaning
in the digital world. It's one thing to imagine a composite with the goal of making sales.
It's another to consider that composite as a flesh-and-blood person mastering an intricate
product's uses. Any useful composite persona must be real enough to engage the designer's
empathy, but broad enough to represent a wide range of users.
