LeanUX NYC 2014: "Enhancing Proto-Personas With Characterization" (Workshop)

1

LeanUX NYC 2014

Enhancing Proto-Personas With CharacterizationApril 12, 2014

2

Who are we?

Chelsey DelaneySenior UX Designer, Catalyst Group

@chelseD

catalystnyc.com

Introduction

Taren SterryPresident, Taren Sterry Communication Coaching

tarensterry.com

3

Who are you?

Introduction

4

Fill out a profile sheet(10 minutes)

Exercise

5

About this workshop

Introduction

We’ll be learning ways to make personas -- proto-personas, in particular -- more valuable and useful in the LeanUX process by framing them as humorous characters.

Those ways include:- Improv- Sketching- Brainstorming- Design thinking- Discussion

6

Why improv?

Characters

Dr. Barry KudrowitzMIT

It is believed that wit, being spontaneous humor production, is strongly related to creativity as both involve making nonobvious connections between seemingly

unrelated things.

7

Personas & Proto-Personas

Proto-Personas & Personas

8

Personas


Alan CooperCooper

The users fell into three distinct groups, clearly differentiated by their goals,

tasks, and skill levels... These three were the first true, Goal-Directed, personas.

9

Personas


Jeff SauroMeasuring Usability

Personas are not what people tell you about themselves; they are observations and descriptions of why (motivation) a

person does what he or she does.

10

Personas


Lots of people

Personas kind of suck.

11

Proto-personas


Jeff GothelfNeo

Proto-personas give an organization a starting point from which to begin

evaluating their products and to create some early design hypotheses.

12

Proto-personas


Todd WilkensIBM Design

Proto-personas highlight the importance of intuition in the process

of qualitative research. It is fundamental to invention and discovery.

13

The difference


• Based on research

• Represents an observed and validated pattern across people/users

• Based on assumptions

• Represents a hypothesized pattern across people/users

Proto-Personas Personas

14

The difference


research

• Represents an observed and validated pattern across people/users

assumptions

hypothesized pattern across people/users

Proto-Personas Personas

15

So, what’s their real purpose?


• Communicate a user type

16

But, what’s their real purpose?


• Communicate a user type

• Help us relate

17

Characters

Characters

“It is often the source of the most important pieces of ‘fiction’ that end up in a truly powerful persona. Personas based purely on recorded fact without this crucial step of intuition and interpretation are lifeless and usually fail to create empathy or inspire good design.”

- Todd Wilkens, IBM Design

18

What’s a character?

Characters

• “ the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual”

• “a person in a narrative work of arts”

• “the quality of a person”

19

Why a character?

Characters

• Not too specific, not too abstract

20

Why a character?

Characters


• Character creation inherently forms an emotional bond

21

Why a character?

Characters



• Characters evolve, as do people

22

Why a character?

Characters



• Characters evolve, as do people

• Characters, particularly humorous ones, can make certain people more relatable

23

Why humorous characters?

Characters

Comedy challenges assumptions and humor broadens perspectives, thus

enhancing creativity.

Dr. Peter McGraw Humor Research Lab,

The University of Colorado, Boulder

24

Humor

Characters

• Humor is essential to humanity

25

Humor

Characters


• Humor accounts for weakness in character

26

Humor

Characters



• Sharing humor is sharing an understanding

27

Humor

Characters



• Sharing humor is sharing an understanding

• Research shows that the brain can recall humorous content more easily than non-humorous content

28

Improv & humorous characters

Characters

• Characters are built from our subconscious observance of people and patterns

29

Improv & humorous characters

Characters

• Characters are built from our subconscious observance of people and patterns

• Traits are born implicitly and seamlessly from spontaneous action

30

Improv exercise(30 minutes)

Exercise

31

Creating characters

Characters

• How we create them depends on the information we have up-front

32

Creating characters

Characters

• How we create them depends on the information we have up-front

• Start with a core and build, explicitly showing attributes

33

Draw your character(10 minutes)

Exercise

Imagine that your character is using a website to find a new apartment in New York City.

34

Break(10 minutes)

Break

35

Brainstorming

Brainstorming

“I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the make-up made me feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked onto the stage he was fully born.”

- Charlie Chaplin

36

Giving purpose

Brainstorming

Communicate a user type

Help relate to the user

Name Gender

Age[Image]

Pain pointsNeeds Goals

AttitudesBehaviors

37

Giving purpose

Brainstorming



Name Gender

Age[Image]


AttitudesBehaviors

Depends on the projectIt depends

38

Some “It depends” elements

Brainstorming

• Experience and experience level

• Priorities

• Skills and skill level

• Technical skill and savviness

• Occupation

• Interests

• Hobbies

• Languages spoken

• Personal network / social groups

• Location

• Schedule

• Routines

• Marital status

• Family size & orientation

• Living situation

• Income

• Education level

• Disability or illness

• Cultural background

• Race & ethnicity

• Motivations

• Emotions and emotional triggers

39

Remember

Brainstorming

• The variables you choose are assumptions, too

40

Remember

Brainstorming


• All choices should support one or both of the purposes



Name Gender

Age[Image]


AttitudesBehaviors

Depends on the project

41

Remember

Brainstorming



• The choices you make can help inform assumptions about pain points and solutions



Name Gender

Age[Image]


AttitudesBehaviors


42

Remember

Brainstorming



• The choices you make can help inform assumptions about pain points and solutions

• Every project is / can be different



Name Gender

Age[Image]


AttitudesBehaviors


43

Mapping attributes

Brainstorming

Very general

Not useful Very useful

Very specific

44

Mapping attributes

Brainstorming


Very general

What’s an attribute that is important to document for all/most of my proto-personas?

Very specific

45

Mapping attributes

Brainstorming


Very general

Very specific

What attributes are useful to document, in that they help to fulfill the purpose of a proto-persona?

46

Mapping attributes

Brainstorming


Very general

Very specific

What attributes are worth documenting for specific personas, but may not be relevant for all/most?

47

Mapping attributes

Brainstorming


Very general

Very specific

What attributes aren’t worth documenting, and don’t contribute to the purpose of the proto-persona?

48

Mapping attributes

Brainstorming

49

The story of Mike

Brainstorming

50

The story of Mike

Brainstorming

Del the Funky HomosapienDeltron 3030

Why should I hate you/ We ain’t that different/

We may act different in some ways/But we still group together like a survey

51

Mapping attributes(15 minutes)

Exercise

Imagine that your character is using a website to find a new apartment in New York City.

What else do you want to know?


Very specific

Very general

52

Defining the User Type


“Every character, when born, is a stereotype.”

- Michael Patrick King,

Director, Writer & Producer

53

Improv exercise(30 minutes)

Exercise

54

Communicating a type


• Embody the character

• How you’ve framed your character should infer needs, behaviors, pain points

• Remember to ask, “If this, then what”

55

Discover needs, pain points, solutions (20 minutes)

Exercise

Pair up.

Take turns ranting.

As your partner rants, write down pain points, ideas for solutions, whatever comes to you.

56

Break(10 minutes)

Break

57

Evolving Personas

Evolving Personas

“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”

- Henry David Thoreau

58

Choosing a character set

Evolving Personas

• A character is as good as the characters around them

59

Choosing a character set

Evolving Personas

• A character is as good as the characters around them

• Pay attention to ALL of the attributes of the people you research with

60

Refining after research

Evolving Personas

• Re-chart the usefulness of your variables and character data

61


Evolving Personas


• Aim to build on the character rather than start fresh (though sometimes this can’t be avoided)

62


Evolving Personas


• Aim to build on the character rather than start fresh (though sometimes this can’t be avoided)

• Create a format that works for you and the project

63

Photos vs. drawings

Evolving Personas

Photos of real people are great, but you might end up with thoughts like...

64

Photos vs. drawings

Evolving Personas

Photos of people are great, but you might end up with thoughts like...

• What’s this guy’s real name?

65

Photos vs. drawings

Evolving Personas

Photos of real people are great, but you end up with thoughts like...


• Is this guy really looking for a new apartment?

66

Photos vs. drawings

Evolving Personas

Photos of real people are great, but you end up with thoughts like...


• Is this guy really looking for a new apartment?

• What if this guy doesn’t deserve a nice apartment?! (MIKE!)

67

Using the personas

Evolving Personas

The best personas are internalized.

68

Using the personas

Evolving Personas

WW_D?

69

Post and review your characters (10 minutes)

Exercise

And, see who you ended up becoming...

70

Thank you!

Chelsey DelaneySenior UX Designer, Catalyst Group

@chelseD

catalystnyc.com

Thank You

Taren SterryPresident, Taren Sterry Communication Coaching

tarensterry.com