Computer Science

Colloquium Details

Bridging the research-design dialog: Persona efficacy and creation

Abstract

User experience (UX) research in the design of technology products utilizes human-centered design (HCD) methods to explore and summarize pertinent information about end users to designers. However, UX researchers cannot effectively communicate the needs and goals of users if designers do not find UX research (a) easy to integrate into design processes and (b) perceive it as contributing valuable information that helps them create better designs. Personas (used with scenarios) are examples of HCD summarizations/communication tools employed by UX research.

Personas are archetypal characters that represent a group of users who share common goals, attitudes and behaviors when interacting with a product or service. A scenario is a story describing a character using a product/service. In this investigation, scenarios were not explored as artifacts apart from personas; instead, the scenarios that were employed described personas interacting with a product/service.

Specifically, in this investigation I asked, are personas (with scenarios) perceived as usable, useful and effective summarizations of UX research by designers; in other words, do they meet the positive claims made of them in the literature and avoid criticisms and concerns? In addition, what should UX researchers strive to understand about designers to maximize understanding of end users; in other words, can personas (with scenarios) be made more useful/usable?

This was studied, in part, by using personas (with scenarios) that represented mobile users in Kyrgyzstan. This user population represented an example of an audience with whom local designers (from Seattle, Washington) had minimal familiarity (i.e. a ‘distant audience’). As technology expands to new and more diverse audiences (which includes people with disabilities) the chances to encounter unfamiliar users will increase; this lack of familiarity amplifies the importance of useful/usable UX research. However, creating personas that represent distant audiences may also involve modifying methods commonly discussed in the literature. As part of this work, I also explored how persona creation methods can be modified so that researchers can leverage data collected for other purposes.

Key findings about persona efficacy included: (a) personas (with scenarios) were effective in helping designers focus on specific users and facilitating communication regarding the users; (b) personas were less successful at helping designers empathize or avoid ill-informed assumptions about users; and (c) several designer attributes appeared to be associated with persona effectiveness, including professional experience level. Disambiguating variables that contribute to the utility of personas (with scenarios) will help better the communication between UX research and design, ultimately leading to the development of better products and improved end user experiences.

Biography

Cynthia Putnam holds a Ph.D. in Human Centered Design & Engineering from the University of Washington. She is interested in human-centered approaches to design; her framework for this field is informed by over ten years of working as an interaction designer prior to earning the PhD.

Current research includes: (1) exploring how technology can better serve people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury as an adult (and better serve their supportive networks) work towards increased independence and (2) bridging the design/research dialogue gap which entails improving how designers access, utilize and integrate user research in their work.