Personas Add/remove

Purpose:

The purpose of this exercise is to get a more in depth understanding of the targeted user group. 

A persona can give insights in regards to both opportunities and limitations and can be used as a boundary object for both discussing the user, getting feedback on your understanding of the user, finding problems and solutions and many more. This example will be highlighting how to use them for finding opportunities and limitations.

 

Step by step Facilitating tips Materials needed Goes well with Download template (pdf)

Tips to include participants who are not able to:

Hear

If participants are unable to hear, the presentation could be done through sign language if an interpreter is present. If the participants can not speak sign language, or no interpreter is present, a powerpoint with text or a video with text could be played.

Speak

If participants are unable to speak, the presentation could be done through sign language if an interpreter is present. If the participants can not speak sign language, or no interpreter is present, a powerpoint with text or a video with text could be played.

See

If participants are unable to see, the creation of the persona template is done by the participants taking turns in describing the persona and the facilitator writing down.

If some participants are able to see, team up and let the participant with sight write on the template.

Move

If participants can not move or control movements, make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing on the template. This could be a helper, documenter, facilitator or other group members.

Hold

If participants are unable to hold make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing or use a software for writing that can be controlled with other means than hand gestures.

Focus

If the ability to focus is limited because of time crunch, shorten down the time spent on the presentations to a couple of minutes per persona. If the ability is limited because of distractions, make sure facilitators keep a calm and attentive attitude, and prolong time for presenting.

Keep noise level down to highen the ability to focus.

Think

If participants have a hard time grasping the task of creating personas, pairing up might be beneficial to let participants help each other understanding and fulfilling the task.

Keep presentations of personas short and simple.

Emote

If participants have a hard time relating to the people, whom they are making personas of, try to awake empathy by starting of with a group discussion or adding time for research on the people in question. Be sensitive towards different needs and ensure a safe environment.

Belong

If the task is in the perspective of a persona that resembles a participant, don't let them be pointed out as that can make a person uncomfortable. Make sure the group is fairly diverse and representative.

Touch

If participants are unable to touch make sure to have a partner to spar with that can do the writing or use a software for writing that can be controlled with other means than hand gestures.

Overview

Input

Knowledge or assumptions about a persona

Output

Personas and a deeper understanding of the user groups.

Complexity

Simple-Moderate

Time

15-70min

Participants

2-6

Activity

Communicating, writing, feel empathy

Step by step:

  1. Divide your participants in groups of two.

  2. Show and hand out the persona template.

  3. Ask the participants to fill out the template based on their knowledge about the user group.

  4. Ask the participants to present the persona as if they were the persona themselves.

  5. Ask the rest of the group to form questions to ask after the presentation.

  6. Ask the participants to look through their persona again and modify it if needed based on questions from the other participants.

When doing this method you should consider:

  • Try to make the personas extreme, and exaggerate what they cant do. This can allow for more reflection when creating an inclusive concept.
  • Make sure that there is variety in the personas to see how many different people can be included in the project. 
  • If the target design is for a specific disability include personas with both permanent, temporary and situational abilities that match. 
  • Consider the abilities of your persona 

Materials needed:

  • Templates
  • Pens