Personas
We identified three groups of Users. Locals, Tourists and Families. We discovered that the needs of Locals and Tourists are similar when they are travelling with children.
People who live in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas who want to be a tourist in their own town. They want to explore new things, discover interesting places and take advantage of all the adventures the city they live in offers. They know the area they live in but Los Angeles is a big city that changes often.
Age: 40 - 38
Occupations: Jackie-Garden Designer Brandon- Writer
Status: Married, no children
Location: Eagle Rock
Quote: "" (A quote that sums up what matters most to the persona as it relates to your site)
- Moved to L.A. from New York.
- They have been together for many years.
- They used to be hipsters but now have day jobs.
- They like to go out on the weekends.
- They have a variety of interests like music, good food, they enjoy a nice cocktail, the opera, museums, art galleries, plays, hiking.
- They are open to finding new experiences.
- Both Jackie and Brandon were avid subway riders in New York before they moved to Los Angeles.
- They both have ridden the Metro here and have also used the buses for transportation to previous jobs.
- They don't use the Metro to get to work any more.
- They like riding the Metro as it give them a feeling of connection to the city.
- They like to explore their city.
- They like to feel green by not driving.
- They like to go places and not worry about or pay for parking.
- They use Lyft for short trips but would rather take the Metro for longer rides and then use Lyft if they need to.
- They are more likely to be riding the Metro together.
- Riding a train is different and romantic
- The train goes a lot of place they are interested in going
- They want to remember that they live in a city by using the public transit
- They have read some local news articles about the Metro and are curious
- Parking in Downtown, Santa Monica and Universal City Walk is expensive
- As Jackie & Brandon, we want to take the metro, so that we can go out and get a few drinks and not worry about driving.
- As Jackie & Brandon, we want to take the metro to recapture the feeling of living in our previous city New York.
- As Jackie & Brandon, I want to take the metro, so that ____
- As Jackie & Brandon, I want ___, so that ____
- As Jackie & Brandon, I want ___, so that ____
- They both use Android phones.
- They are very familiar with using a smart phone but only use a few primary apps like Yelp, Shazam, Strava, Maps, Instagram, Groupon and Lyft.
Jackie owns a MacBook, and a Google tablet which she shares with Brandon. She uses the internet to conduct the majority of her preliminary research on plants and gardening techniques as well as to design the sketches for the gardens. Jackie also streams all of her music and she watches movies online since she does not want to own a TV. She thinks TV’s are outdated and she does not want to waste her time watching shows she has not chosen herself.
Brandon also owns a MacBook. He uses it for work, to write so he tries to stay off it at night. During the day he browses web sights and reads news articles in addition to using it as a writing tool. He will watch shows with Jackie on her tablet in bed sometimes.
Jackie & Brandon get up at 9:30 am.
They usually both have separate plans during the day but connect in the early evening on Saturday to go out.
They like to eat out for breakfast or dinner one weekend day.
They generally make plans last minute according to how they feel and decide what to do and where to go on the same day.
They want to see very specific things and go specific places. They probably have an itinerary and limited time. They don't know the area and need a guide. They have probably done some research but are open to making interesting discoveries.
Age: 52, 20
Occupation: Librarian, College Student
Status: Single mom (divorced), daughter
Location: Los Angeles
Quote: "" (A quote that sums up what matters most to the persona as it relates to your site)
- Visiting L.A. from Atlanta
- Lizzy is a Junior at Georgia State University, living on campus
- This is the first vacation they have taken together since Lizzy went to college
- Lizzy is interested in movies and entertainment
- Laura likes museums and concerts
- They have relatives in the city but want to be independent
- They want a unique experience
- Easy access to entertainment
- Get the most out of precious vacation time
- Avoid getting lost
- Avoid wasting time sitting in traffic
- Avoid costly car rentals
- Both are new to Metro
- Laura drives to work
- Lizzy takes public transportation (MARTA)
- Glorified image of LA from movies, tv, other media
- They are on a tight budget
- They have limited time (one week)
- They're uncomfortable with city traffic
- Lizzy is excited about sharing her travel experiences with her friends when she returns home.
- Laura has several colleagues at work who travel and they encouraged her to make the trip.
- As Laura and Lizzy, we want to take the Metro to avoid LA traffic, so we can be relaxed
- As Laura and Lizzy, we want to take the Metro, so we can avoid the cost and drama of parking
- As Laura and Lizzy, we want to see a variety of activities of interest that are accessible through LA Metro, so we can plan a unique and memorable experience
- As Laura and Lizzy, we want to see the nearest LA Metro stops and schedules, so we can choose the most convenient activities
- They are staying at a modest AirBnB near downtown
- They plan to visit at least one museum
- They want to go to the beach
- They want to see places of interest in Hollywood
- They want to visit a shopping mall
- They are interested in casual dining
- Laura has an android
- Lizzy uses an iPhone
- Laura uses her phone for calls, email, texting, camera and Yelp
- In addition to the above, Lizzy uses SnapChat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Laura uses a PC at work and has a Windows laptop at home. At home she uses her laptop to play games, such as Solitaire and Mahjongg. She also uses email on her laptop to stay in touch with friends and family.
Lizzy has a Macbook Air for school and personal use. She does research and drafts her term papers using the Mac. She has her own blog around lifestyle and fashion, which she is using to develop her brand and build an online following. Occasionally she uses Twitter to post tweets to attract followers to her blog.
Families whether local or tourist have specific needs based on the fact that they have children. Their options and the choices they make about where to go and what to see are often based on cost, time limits and interest from a child's perspective.
Ages: 34, 32, 7, 5
Occupations: Alex-Appliance Repair Technician, Norma-Bank Teller
Status: Married with children
Location: Los Angeles
Quote: "" (A quote that sums up what matters most to the persona as it relates to your site)
- Native to Los Angeles
- They like to plan outdoor activities with their daughters
- They are avid Dodger fans and love going to games
- They like participating in play dates with their neighbors who also have kids
- They enjoy parks, sporting events, amusement parks and community activities as family outings
- For work Alex drives a truck supplied by his employer
- Norma drives her car to work every day
- Alex relied on Metro to get around before he got his current job
- Norma has used Metro in the past when her car was in the shop
- Both are open to using Metro for recreational purposes
- They like spending time together
- They don't like the hassle of driving
- They don't want to have to pay for parking
- They want to teach their daughters how to use public transportation safely
- Traveling together as a family can be fun
- Using Metro is an inexpensive option
- Using Metro together is an opportunity to bond with their kids
- Their neighbors, who also have kids, have shared their positive experiences using Metro
- Their daughters have yet to experience much of what the city has to offer
- LA Traffic makes moving around the city practically impossible
- As Alex and Norma, we want to take the Metro with our daughters to access a variety of family activities in LA, so our kids can learn to love this city as we do.
- As Alex and Norma, we want to use the Metro to safely travel to recreational venues without having to sit in traffic or scramble to find parking, so we can focus on having fun together.
- As Alex and Norma, we want to easily find Metro stops and schedules, so we can plan regular activities with our family and friends.
- Alex and Norma both have Android phones
- Besides calling, they use Facebook, Yelp, Camera and Banking apps
The Amayas have a PC at home that everyone uses. The oldest daughter uses it to do homework and to play computer games on the weekends. Alex only uses it on occasion. Norma uses it to do banking and to do occasional research. She also uses it to teach her daughters on various topics, including reading, math and science.
To ensure your personas are accurate representations of your users and have the support of your stakeholders throughout the process, you should:
- Conduct user research: Answer the following questions: Who are your users and why are they using the system? What behaviors, assumptions, and expectations color their view of the system?
- Condense the research: Look for themes/characteristics that are specific, relevant, and universal to the system and its users.
- Brainstorm: Organize elements into persona groups that represent your target users. Name or classify each group.
- Refine: Combine and prioritize the rough personas. Separate them into primary, secondary, and, if necessary, complementary categories. You should have roughly 3-5 personas and their identified characteristics.
- Make the personas realistic: Develop the appropriate descriptions of each personas background, motivations, and expectations. Do not include a lot of personal information. Be relevant and serious; humor is not appropriate.
The following questions and areas of discussion will help you construct a snapshot of the visitors to your site
- Objective
- Define the Purpose
- Vision for the Site
- What is the purpose of the site?
- What are the goals of the site?
- What is the age of your person?
- What is the gender of your person?
- What is the highest level of education this person has received?
- How much work experience does your person have?
- What is your person’s professional background?
- Why will they come to the site? (User needs, interests, and goals)
- Where (or from whom) else is this person getting information about your issue or similar programs or services?
- When and where will users access the site? (User environment and context)
- What technological devices does your person use on a regular basis?
- What software and/or applications does your person use on a regular basis?
- Through what technological device does your user primarily access the web for information?
- How much time does your person spend browsing the web every day?
- What is your person motivated by?
- What are they looking for?
- What is your person looking to do?
- What are his needs?
Personas generally include the following key pieces of information:
- Persona Group (i.e. web manager)
- Fictional name
- Job titles and major responsibilities
- Demographics such as age, education, ethnicity, and family status
- The goals and tasks they are trying to complete using the site
- Their physical, social, and technological environment
- A quote that sums up what matters most to the persona as it relates to your site
- Casual pictures representing that user group
- Who are your users and why are they using the app?
- What behaviors, assumptions, and expectations color their view of the app?
- Groups that represent your target users.
- Name & classify each group.
- Combine and prioritize the personas.
- Separate them into primary, secondary, and, if necessary, complementary categories.
- You should have roughly 3-5 personas and their identified characteristics.
https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/personas.html
https://gist.github.com/jendiamond/d7075c88a70e47e9fcd40fc59dd8dbf6