Personas are fictitious characters created to represent the different user types within a targeted demographic that might use a website or product. They are created so that these characteristics can be taken into account when creating scenarios for designing a site or product.

How: The use of ethnographic research will help create more realistic archetypes. By feeding in real data, from observation, diary studies, probes, interviews or focus groups design teams to avoid generating stereotypical users that may bear no relation to the actual user’s reality.

User personas should consider many aspects of person’s daily life beyond demographics - lifestyle, media habits, attitudes, desires, fears…

The emphasis will depend on the nature of the product or services being designed and it’s context of use. Below are a number of design tools that can be used for bringing the findings of ethnographic research to life and creating rich personas.

Daily media use - clock: understanding the circumstances in which people consume media can reveal unanticipated issues or new opportunities.

This illustration shows patterns the patterns of media consumption, by a 9 year old over a 24 hour period. A series of cards were produced with annotations on the back describing what media was being consumed, when, where and with whom.

Home media - floor plan: audiences will have different needs and attention levels depending on whether they are alone or with family and friends, and what other activities they may be engaged in.

This floor plan of a personas home shows what devices each family member owned and where different types of content are likely to be consumed.

Bag contents: personal objects and their stories mat reveal differences in attitudes - unusual perceptions or interests.

Asking people to show and describe the things they carry with them - and to explain why they are important can provide valuable insight. Evidence can be documented through video interviews or by annotating photos.