Using personas

Sharing the goals of the Sustainable Edinburgh

website

Neil AllisonUniversity Website Programme

www.usability-ed.blogspot.com@usabilityed

Overview

1. A quick introduction to personas• The what, why and how…

2. Meet the Sustainable Edinburghwebsite personas

3. Group session• Getting to know the personas• Making them “real”

5 steps to a user-focused website

1. Recognise that business results depend on making your customers happy

2. Realise that you are not the user

3. Learn about your users by interacting with them

4. Make the findings of your research understandable & actionable

5. Make decisions based on this user knowledge

The User Is Always Right

by Steve Mulder

What is a persona?

• A stand-in for real users – Representing the needs of user groups

• Identifying the user motivations, expectations and goals that drive online behaviour

• Based on knowledge of real users

• Helping us keep the user at the forefront as website content & features develop

But what are the

benefits?

Personas bring focus

The User Is Always Right

by Steve Mulder

Personas build empathy

The User Is Always Right

by Steve Mulder

Personas encourage consensus

The User Is Always Right

by Steve Mulder

Personas bring efficiencies

The User Is Always Right

by Steve Mulder

How do we use personas?

• Get to know their traits & behaviours– Challenge them: they should evolve & grow

• Reference them in website development meetings

• Discuss content and feature decisions using their attitudes and desires

How do we know we’re doing it properly?

• When you find yourself saying:– “I doubt Herbie would ever want to do that”

• And no one asks:– “Who’s Herbie?”

• We’re probably getting there

Sustainability personas

Meet your website visitors

“Feel good: we’re part of the solution; we’re

managing it effectively”

Unlocking resources; getting out of the

way; giving ‘permission’

Mai

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of

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R

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sib

ility

& S

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ain

abili

ty

SRS personal & professional interest of few

individuals

SRS part of UoE ‘Business

As Usual’

Time

SettlersLike local & belonging;

doing what’s normal

PioneersAttracted by what’s interesting,

always questioning

ProspectorsWant to make their lives

better & be seen to succeed

Support best practice, innovation & leadership

Demonstrate & report our main soc., env., econ. impacts

Evolving “the way we do things around here”

Creating “SRS is where the kudos

is”

Recognise & communicate SRS activity & achievement

Embed SRS into policies, strategies & procedures

Great to see the University doing this - but is it for

real?Could be good

for me - but why is it so

complicated?

They should look after us

before worrying about the rest of

world

The Process of Change

Developed by Osbert Lancaster, Footprint, based on: Research into motivating prospectors, settlers and pioneers to change behaviours that affect climate emissions and Using values modes from Cultural Dynamics Strategy & Marketing www.cultdyn.co.uk

0%

100%

Jack: Bit of a lad, proud dad• Technician in School of Engineering• Age 31• Married with a son aged 3• Lives in Musselburgh• Keen footballer, stock car mechanic

High autonomy in job x

Low autonomy

Sees SRS highly relevant to work x

Unclear about relevance to work

High personal interest in SRS x

Little personal interest

Confident in own knowledge of SRS x

Uncertain about SRS

Jack likes his job and is keen to take on more responsibility

- and he’d like the money. However he feels he should get more recognition for the work he puts in - he keeps the show on the road but the academics get the credit.

He reckons he’s in with good chance of promotion if he plays his cards right.

Doing a good job is important, but family & friends come first.

He enjoys being a family man and wants to be a great dad for his son. He’s worried though that he’ll have less time for five-a-side football and being a mechanic for a local stock car team.

Jack and his wife’s dream is to move out the old council flat they own into a brand new house with a garden for their kid.

Jack thinks climate change is for real, but doesn’t believe anything he can do will make any real difference.

It’s big business that’s the problem, and anyway it’ll be a while before his family and people locally experience any problems.

He knows there’s some scientists at the University working on climate change - perhaps they’ll help fix it. He wants to get on with his own life - not worry about other people.

His wife Tanya buys organic and fairtrade food when she can afford it: organic is healthier and fairtrade’s a nice way to help people. Jack’s suspicious that fairtrade doesn’t really help anyone and that organic food is a con - but if it keeps Tanya happy ...

Jack wants (from Sustainable Edinburgh):

University wants Jack to (in relation to SRS and other objectives):

Pain Points. Jack:• Doesn’t like being blamed for the world’s problems• Accepts change is necessary, needs information, not persuasion• Isn’t convinced that problems are here and now

Sustainable Edinburgh should:• Show Jack how he is helping solve problems• Explain how changing his behaviour is effective and important• Demonstrate how Jack can leave a legacy for his son

Marcia: Ready to make her mark here … or elsewhere• Senior Lecturer in School of Law• Age 35• Single no children• Lives in Leith, rented flat• Recently moved from Canada• Enjoys travel

High autonomy in job x Low autonomy

Sees SRS highly relevant to work x

Unclear about relevant to work

High personal interest in SRS x

Little personal interest

Confident in own knowledge of SRS x

Uncertain about SRS

Marcia specialised in corporate law for her first six months

She’s already well liked and respected by staff and students. She feels she’s found her feet (this post is a step up for her) and is ready to start making her mark - ‘things could do with shaking up around here’.

Marcia’s keen to progress up the academic ladder, and she’s open minded about whether she’ll stay at Edinburgh long term.

She likes the department and the City, but hasn’t had time to get to know people or Edinburgh - she feels cooped up and wants to meet people and have some fun.

Marcia is aware of climate change and CSR issues in general

- and sees that they will increasingly affect some aspects of corporate law - one of her friends has researched First Nations’ legal challenges to mining in Canada.

While she knows she’s ‘not supposed’ to fly she has family back home and all of Europe to explore - what’s she supposed to do!?

She read about some wonderful ethical fashion ranges in the magazines - but they’re extortionate and the stuff in the shops is too ‘worthy’.

Marcia loves her MacBook Pro which she uses to Skype and Facebook with friends and family - she didn’t like feeling guilty when she read about the criticism of Apple for using ‘blood’ minerals from Africa.

Marcia wants (from Sustainable Edinburgh):

University wants Marcia to (in relation to SRS and other objectives):

Pain Points. Marcia:• Doesn’t like being blamed for the world’s problems• Doesn’t like hearing about the implications of her behaviours & choices• Doesn’t want to ‘give up’ any of the good things in life

Sustainable Edinburgh should:• Make changes easy, contemporary and cost effective (but if it’s worth it, she’s happy to pay)• Show how people she admires are leading the way• Show how SRS could help Marcia advance her career

Herbie: laid back hippie, but gets things done• Senior HR Manager in CMVM• Age 53• Married, two children at university• Lives in Stockbridge• Keen musician

High autonomy in job x Low autonomy

Sees SRS highly relevant to work x

Unclear about relevance to work

High personal interest in SRS x

Little personal interest

Confident in own knowledge of SRS x

Uncertain about SRS

Herbie previously worked for an international IT company.

He has been at Edinburgh for 7 years. He still takes pleasure in the idiosyncrasies of academia - even when it frustrates him as he tries to bring it into the modern world! He’s intrigued by how a such a strange system actually works pretty well.

His colleagues see Herbie as quirky and unconventional - but he’s recognised as a fair and supportive manager, and despite seeming very laid back he knows everyone, knows the system and can get things done.

Herbie and his family have lived in the same house since before the children arrived. He has a wide network of friends locally and through work, plays a regular jazz session a Stockbridge pub, volunteers with a music therapy group and is on the board of a small international development NGO.

Herbie is very aware of development and social justice issues

- and of the international implications of climate change for the poor. He’s ambivalent about climate change policy in the west - believing it dominated by corporate interests.

He feel a lot of ‘climate action’ is middle class hippies trying to lead the good life rather than bringing about real change.

He’s had a home energy check and has done what he can given it’s a traditional stone terraced house. He cycles and uses the bus around town.

He’s happy to see the University do more on these issues, though he’s not sure how directly relevant it is to his work. He’s reserving judgment about the seriousness of their commitment.

Herbie wants (from Sustainable Edinburgh):

University wants Herbie to (in relation to SRS and other objectives):

Pain Points. Herbie:• Recognises this stuff is complex - and gets frustrated when presented with simplistic analysis, and simple solutions• Concerned that this initiative will result in lots of noise and little effective action• Suspicious that this is really a cost cutting agenda

Sustainable Edinburgh should:• Provide evidence of effective change• Encourage Herbie to take action, and not just debate this issues!• Give Herbie opportunities to be part of taking this agenda forward

Eva: is an enthusiast - almost an evangelista • 2nd year PhD student, Social Anthropology• Age 25• Single• Lives in student flat in Tollcross

High autonomy in job x Low autonomy

Sees SRS highly relevant to work x

Unclear about relevance to work

High personal interest in SRS x

Little personal interest

Confident in own knowledge of SRS x

Uncertain about SRS

Eva is researching aspects of bonded & forced labour in India.

She’s also a campaigner with an Edinburgh based fairtrade NGO and active in a several University societies. She travelled to India after graduating and volunteered for 6 months at a project for child quarry workers.

Eva is finding it difficult to focus on her PhD - although she’s passionate about improving peoples’ lives she’s finding the slog of research tedious.

She’d rather be spending time with her friends putting the world to rights - she’s concerned her research won’t really make any impact and result in just another thesis that no one except the examiner will read.

Eva is very aware of social justice and climate change issues.

While she agrees climate change is important, she believes it’s distracting attention from improving the lives of oppressed people in the developing world.

While she’s pleased that fairtrade and ethical products are now widely available, she’s concerned that multinationals and supermarkets have watered down standards. She’s also frustrated that lots of people buy ethical stuff because it’s fashionable and aren’t really interested in the issues.

She feels carbon offsetting is just another example of the west trying to make the poor pay for our over indulgence, and that the political agenda has been captured by the corporates.

Eva is vegan. Her flatmates joke (just) about not being able to buy anything without being told what’s wrong with it.

Eva wants (from Sustainable Edinburgh):

University wants Eva to (in relation to SRS and other objectives):

Pain Points. Eva:• Get frustrated when people are encouraged to do the ‘right’ thing for the ‘wrong’ reason• Believes people need to understand the full picture - making it simple makes it seem as if you’re not serious about the issues

Sustainable Edinburgh should:• Provide a range of actions which Eva can evaluate and make up her own mind on• Provide access to detailed information and evidence• Encourage Eva to learn to communicate more effectively

Group session

• 4 groups: 1 persona each

• Comments, suggestions– Does your persona seem real?– Anything missing from the group as a whole?

• Fill the gaps – practical, tangible objectives– What do you think your persona wants?– What does the University want your persona to do?

Next steps

• Your comments & feedback integrated into the personas

• Final working copies distributed

• At all future steps of website planning & review, put yourself in their shoes– Remember: You are not the user!– The site is for Jack, Marcia, Herbie & Eva

Thank you

• Any questions?

• Further reading:

– Persona articles & resourceshttp://bit.ly/a35FNF

– Cultural Dynamics Strategy & Marketing Using values modes: www.cultdyn.co.uk