2014 NCHCMM Conference: Personas

Ana Tellez @AnaTellez Perrie Briskin @PerrieBriskin

Developing and Using Personas in Health Marke6ng and Health Communica6on

Our Twi3er: @CommunicateHlth

About CommunicateHealth


Today’s ObjecAves

1.  Describe what a persona is and how it can be used in health communicaAon and health markeAng

2.  Explain the process for developing a research-‐based persona

3.  IdenAfy the benefits to incorporaAng personas into your health communicaAon strategy


Today’s Agenda

+ Se<ng the Stage: What’s a Persona?

+ Let’s get to know some characters… 1.  Jeff & Deborah (Developing a CommunicaAon Strategy) 2.  Laura, Will, & Keira (Designing a Website) 3.  John & PaAent B1-‐1 (SupporAng Healthcare)

+ Closing the Curtain: Overall Takeaways


SeZng the Stage: What’s a Persona?



Defining Personas

Personas are fic+onal characters created to represent the different user types within a targeted demographic, a9tude and/or behavior set that might use a site, brand or product in a similar way. Source: Wikipedia


Personas Support a UCD Process


How Personas Support a UCD Process

A persona showcases user research by: + Describing a full person with a background, lifestyle, and values – and a name

+ Engaging program development stakeholders in a narraAve beyond tradiAonal audience segmentaAon


Personas for a CommunicaAon Strategy


Project Overview – CommunicaAon Strategy Case Study

Our goal Create a strategy that communicates the value of CDC’s Environmental Hazards and Health Effects Division (EHHE) to key stakeholders.


User Research – CommunicaAon Strategy Case Study

We conducted user research with 4 different audiences to gauge their needs and informaAon gaps. These included: ü  5 In-‐Depth Interviews

ü  2 Listening Sessions


Familiarity with environmental health

! Understands the need to communicate successes to policymakers to show the value of environmental health programs

Je! Lee

High

“No one else does what EHHE programs do.”

EHHE PERSONAS

Demographics ! Age 31

! Policy Strategist

! Works for a non-governmental organization in Washington, D.C.

Information needs ! Talking points for how EHHE programs like the National Asthma Control Program are valuable and unique

Relevant decisions ! Makes recommendations to address environmental health concnerns

! Does “behind the scenes” legwork and networking to promote public health programs

Relationship to EHHE: Partner ! Works with EHHE program sta" to share information

Communicating with EHHEInformal

! Frequent emails and phone calls

Demographics ! Age 59

! CDC Leadership

! Works for CDC in Atlanta, GA

Information needs ! Value of EHHE programs relative to other CDC initiatives

Familiarity with environmental health

! Extensive background in biostatistics, epidemiology, and infectious disease

Relevant decisions ! Considers changes to clearance protocols

! Recommends for or against restructuring of NCEH/ATSDR divisions and programs

Communicating with EHHE

! Meetings with other NCEH/ATSDR senior sta"

! Rarely communicates directly with EHHE

Deborah Palermo

Low“Our clearance process may be cumbersome, but it’s absolutely necessary.”

Relationship to EHHE: Senior Administrator ! Feels that she is responsible for holding NCEH/ATSDR accountable

EHHE PERSONASEHHE PERSONAS

Formal

The use of personas strengthened… + Development of targeted key messages

+ Development of targeted outreach plans

+ Development of fact sheets for each EHHE program

+ Development of infographics


Results – CommunicaAon Strategy Case Study

Personas for a Consumer Website


Project Overview -‐ Consumer Website Case Study

Our goal Design and develop content for a new website serving as a “one-‐stop-‐shop” for consumer informaAon around home health and safety.


ü  Conducted an environmental scan

ü  Facilitated 6 focus groups with 48 consumers

ü  Conducted 8 interviews with Healthy Homes grantees

ü  Conducted 5 interviews with collaboraAve partners


FormaAve Research -‐ Consumer Website Case Study

LauraDemographics:�� 28 years old�� Single mother of two (8 months and 4 years)�� Rents an apartment in the city�� Healthy Home = Happy, close-knit family

Primary information needs:�� Information on renter rights in her state�� Local housing codes and regulations�� Tips on talking to her landlord�� Safe ways to get rid of pests

Also interested in:�� Learning more about green cleaning products

(cost-e!ectiveness, how to make your own)�� Tips on childproofing�� How to deal with difficult neighbors

(trash, noise, smoking)

“I need to know what my rights are. I had an issue with a leak and I complained to my landlord, but it took almost 6 months for him to fix it.”

healthyhomes.gov

Somewhat tech savvy: �� Accesses the Web primarily

through her cell phone, uses Google to find information

Internet Proficiency

Low High

Willhealthyhomes.gov

Demographics:�� 43 years old�� A veteran, married to a smoker,

has 2 kids (14 & 11) — 1 with allergies and 1 with asthma

�� Long-time owner of a single-family, 2-level home in a rural area

�� Healthy Home = Clean home

Primary information needs:�� How-to projects to do around the house �� Finding low-cost ways to improve the house

for health and safety�� Outdoor home improvement options—

especially about the pool and yard

Also interested in:�� Safety information on tornadoes and floods�� Easy ways to prevent or reduce exposure to

secondhand smoke for his children�� Special resources and programs to help

veterans pay for or maintain a home

Somewhat tech savvy: �� Uses a desktop computer at work and

sometimes at home, but doesn’t have a lot of time to spend on the Internet Internet Proficiency

Low High

“I don’t really trust a lot of the information out there, but if I need to fix something and my friends and neighbors haven’t done it before, I would go to a website to find out how to do it the right way.”

Keirahealthyhomes.gov

“The national Web sites are okay and give me information, but they don’t help me give information to my clients. I really need a site that’s consumer-oriented, how can I help people change their behaviors?”

Demographics:�� 36 years old�� Community Health Worker�� 7 years of experience�� Healthy Home = The 7 Principles of

a Healthy Home, Grant topic areas (Lead, Asthma, Home Maintenance, etc.)

Very tech savvy: �� Regularly uses the Internet

and smart phone for workInternet Proficiency

Low High

Primary information needs:��One-stop “shopping” for resources, funding,

and programs that can help her clients

��Simple home-improvement action steps that she can teach people to do

��An easy-to-use site that she can tell her clients to visit and feel confident that the information they get will be accurate

Also interested in:��Networking with other healthy

homes professionals (sharing tools and best practices)

��Learning about different cultural beliefs about housing and practices that can increase hazards in the home

��How to talk about “going green” in a way that keeps her clients interested—most of them think green means more money and less e!ective

Personas for a Consumer Website

The use of personas strengthened… + Our ability to meet audience needs more clearly – for example, creaAng a How To tab for the Do-‐It-‐Yourself audience.

+ Our ability to personalize informaAon based on informaAon needs – for example, tailoring Aps to type of house and household members.


Results -‐ Consumer Website Case Study

User Profiles for Healthcare Resources


Project Overview – Healthcare Case Study

Our Goal Inform the development of resource materials that would communicate new cardiovascular clinical pracAce guidelines.


Conducted contextual interviews and observaAons with clinicians and paAents in 3 real-‐world clinical seZngs. ü  Interviewed 4 clinicians

ü  Interviewed 8 paAents

User Research – Healthcare Case Study


Personas for Healthcare Resources

The use of real life profiles helped us to… + Bring some life into the different challenges the users of exisAng clinical pracAce guidelines face.

+ Inform how communicaAon about cardiovascular disease can be improved at the point of care.


Results – Healthcare Case Study

Closing the Curtain: Overall Takeaways


Overall Takeaways

A persona can help you to: + Understand your audience by bringing it to life

+ Engage program development staff in user research findings

+ Support user-‐centered decision making in product and strategy design and development


QuesAons?

+ Ana Tellez [email protected] +  Perrie Briskin [email protected]


Thank You!

+ Visit us at www.communicatehealth.com

+ Follow us @CommunicateHlth

Health & Medicine

2014 NCHCMM Conference: Personas