Comments on: Persona is vital to website design. http://ramseymohsen.com/2009/03/persona-is-vital-to-website-design/ Director of Social Media at Digital Evolution Group, web strategist, speaker, #geek and video blogger. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:40:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: www.ramseymohsen.com - Ramsey Mohsen; web consultant, DJ, video blogger, lifecaster & internet addict. » A website I launched won an award; eprkc.com http://ramseymohsen.com/2009/03/persona-is-vital-to-website-design/#comment-116253 www.ramseymohsen.com - Ramsey Mohsen; web consultant, DJ, video blogger, lifecaster & internet addict. » A website I launched won an award; eprkc.com Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:08:32 +0000 http://ramseymohsen.com/?p=159#comment-116253 [...] We first set out with some ambitious Project objectives. Then we took careful time following our persona methodology and getting that right. One thing I’d like to note, we mapped out the expectations and [...] [...] We first set out with some ambitious Project objectives. Then we took careful time following our persona methodology and getting that right. One thing I’d like to note, we mapped out the expectations and [...]

]]> By: Justin Powell http://ramseymohsen.com/2009/03/persona-is-vital-to-website-design/#comment-96451 Justin Powell Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:26:51 +0000 http://ramseymohsen.com/?p=159#comment-96451 Personas are good, but many times they're a best guess at who's actually using a site or environment. And how they're using it. Persona's can certainly help put a designer or information architect in a much better mindset to begin designing. But better yet is to include the person you're designing for in the process. So, in the airport example it would be to physically follow-along-side the 24 year old male - what's the context of getting off a plane, is he looking down at his phone while he's walking? This could inform the need to have signage along the floor. Or GPS directions sent to his mobile. We're lucky with online tools in that we might discover the person using a site or product is different than we (or the client) originally believed. Starting here can help us uncover the right user (or persona). An interesting way to do more with the persona (I think Organic did it first) is the 'persona room' - this room includes a computer (set up with the user's preferences and favs), furniture, magazines, books, etc of the persona you're designing for. Overall, using the user might take some time and resources up front, but it will inform a much more sustainable solution than trying to picture the user's mindset and context. Some of the biggest insights come from the smallest details. This works by (1) understanding the user (the person, not just the persona) (2) coming up with a solution (sometimes collaboratively), and (3) testing the solution with the person you designed for. Personas are good, but many times they’re a best guess at who’s actually using a site or environment. And how they’re using it.

Persona’s can certainly help put a designer or information architect in a much better mindset to begin designing. But better yet is to include the person you’re designing for in the process. So, in the airport example it would be to physically follow-along-side the 24 year old male – what’s the context of getting off a plane, is he looking down at his phone while he’s walking? This could inform the need to have signage along the floor. Or GPS directions sent to his mobile.

We’re lucky with online tools in that we might discover the person using a site or product is different than we (or the client) originally believed. Starting here can help us uncover the right user (or persona). An interesting way to do more with the persona (I think Organic did it first) is the ‘persona room’ – this room includes a computer (set up with the user’s preferences and favs), furniture, magazines, books, etc of the persona you’re designing for.

Overall, using the user might take some time and resources up front, but it will inform a much more sustainable solution than trying to picture the user’s mindset and context. Some of the biggest insights come from the smallest details. This works by (1) understanding the user (the person, not just the persona) (2) coming up with a solution (sometimes collaboratively), and (3) testing the solution with the person you designed for.

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