Creating a user persona (template in description)

Tanishq Bhatia
12 Jun 202109:21

TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of user research and defining it through user personas when creating a new company or social media presence. It outlines that personas should be based on real data, be detailed, and include demographics, needs, motivations, and frustrations. The tutorial demonstrates how to design a user persona using Figma, including creating a structure, adding quotes, and incorporating visual elements to make it relatable and memorable.

Takeaways

  • 🔍 Conduct thorough user research before starting any new project or platform.
  • 🎯 Define your research by creating memorable and actionable user personas based on real data.
  • 🏢 A persona is a fictional yet realistic representation of a target user, serving as a prototype.
  • 💡 Include detailed information in personas such as needs, motivations, frustrations, and demographics.
  • 📐 Start with a basic structure for your persona, which can be adjusted based on solid qualitative research.
  • 🖼️ Avoid using avatars or illustrations; aim for a realistic and relatable persona representation.
  • 📝 Break down the persona into sections like quotes, bio, goals, frustrations, personality, and preferred channels.
  • 🌟 Include a quote that represents something the persona would say to make it more personal to your brand.
  • 🎯 Understand that personas are based on user segments, representing commonalities among interviewed users.
  • 🔄 Use the user persona as a tool to guide product design and marketing strategies.

Q & A

  • What are the two essential things to keep in mind when creating a new company or social media page?

    -The two essential things are conducting ample user research and defining that research effectively.

  • What is a user persona based on the script?

    -A user persona is a fictional yet realistic description of a target user, acting as a prototype or representation of a user segment.

  • What should a user persona include?

    -A user persona should include details about the persona's needs, motivations, frustrations, and background or demographics such as age, behaviors, and occupation.

  • How can user personas be made memorable and actionable?

    -User personas can be made memorable and actionable by creating a thorough and believable description, including quotes that the persona might say, and adding visual elements and colors.

  • Why is it important to base user personas on real data?

    -User personas should be based on real data to ensure they accurately represent the target audience and to provide valuable insights for product or service design.

  • What is the purpose of creating user personas?

    -The purpose of creating user personas is to help designers and companies understand their target audience better, and to guide the creation of products or content that meet the needs and preferences of these users.

  • How can user personas assist in the design process?

    -User personas can assist in the design process by providing a clear and detailed representation of the target user, which designers can use to make decisions that align with the user's needs and preferences.

  • What is the significance of including a quote in a user persona?

    -Including a quote in a user persona adds personality and helps designers empathize with the user, making the persona more relatable and easier to understand.

  • Why is it recommended to avoid including gender in user personas?

    -It is recommended to avoid including gender in user personas to promote inclusive design, as it acknowledges the diversity of gender identities and does not limit the persona to only men or women.

  • How can user personas be used to define user segments?

    -User personas can be used to define user segments by identifying common needs, behaviors, and characteristics among different groups of users, allowing designers to tailor their products or services to each specific segment.

  • What are some elements that can be added to a user persona to make it more comprehensive?

    -To make a user persona more comprehensive, elements such as goals, frustrations, personality traits, preferred channels, and favorite companies or brands can be added.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Creating Effective User Personas

The script begins by emphasizing the importance of user research and definition when starting new ventures, such as companies or social media pages. It introduces the concept of 'user personas' as a tool for defining user research in a memorable and actionable manner. A user persona is described as a realistic, yet fictional, prototype of a target user, based on real data. It should include detailed demographics, needs, motivations, and frustrations. The script guides on how to design a user persona in Figma, a popular design tool, and stresses the need for using real, qualitative research data rather than assumptions in creating these personas.

05:00

🖌 Designing User Personas in Figma

This section of the script provides a practical demonstration of creating a user persona in Figma. It covers the technical aspects of using Figma's tools to set up a user persona template, including frames, auto layouts, and the insertion of real images from Unsplash to add authenticity. The script discusses adding various elements to the persona, such as quotes, bios, goals, and frustrations, which should all derive from user interviews to ensure accuracy. The persona also includes preferences like communication channels and favorite companies, and even personality hashtags, making it comprehensive. Finally, the script concludes with an encouragement to conduct thorough research and use the persona template in real-world applications, pointing to resources available on the Figma community and a prompt to subscribe to the channel.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡User Persona

A user persona is a fictional yet realistic representation of a target user, created based on real data from user research. It serves as a prototype to understand and design for the needs, behaviors, and motivations of a specific group of users. In the video, the creation of a user persona named 'Johnny' is demonstrated, including details such as age, occupation, and goals, to help in designing a product or service that caters to the needs of users like Johnny.

💡User Research

User research is the process of gathering and analyzing data about users to inform the design of products or services. It involves understanding their needs, behaviors, and preferences through various methods such as interviews, surveys, and observations. In the context of the video, user research is emphasized as a crucial first step before creating a user persona, ensuring that the persona is grounded in actual user data and accurately represents the target audience.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to online platforms that allow users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video mentions the creation of new social media pages and posts, highlighting the importance of understanding the target audience on these platforms. User personas can be particularly useful in social media marketing, as they help in crafting content and strategies that resonate with the platform's user base.

💡Figma

Figma is a cloud-based design tool that allows for collaboration among team members and the creation of user interfaces, prototypes, and design systems. In the video, Figma is used to visually design a user persona, providing a platform to create and organize the persona's information in a structured and visually appealing manner. The use of Figma demonstrates how design tools can aid in the process of creating and sharing user personas within a team.

💡Demographic

Demographics are the statistical characteristics of a population, such as age, gender, education level, and occupation. In the video, demographics are an essential part of creating a user persona, as they provide a basic understanding of the persona's background. For instance, the video includes age and occupation as part of the persona 'Johnny's' demographic information, which helps in painting a more complete picture of the user's lifestyle and potential needs.

💡Goals

Goals refer to the objectives or desired outcomes that a user persona is aiming to achieve when interacting with a product or service. In the video, goals are included as a key element of the user persona, helping designers understand what motivates the user and what they hope to gain. For example, the persona 'Johnny' might have a goal of finding better income opportunities, which can guide the design of a product that addresses this need.

💡Frustrations

Frustrations are the challenges or issues that users face when using a product or service that prevent them from achieving their goals. In the context of the video, identifying the frustrations of a user persona is important to understand the pain points that need to be addressed in the design process. By knowing what frustrates 'Johnny', designers can create solutions that alleviate these issues and improve the user experience.

💡Motivations

Motivations are the driving forces or reasons behind a user's actions and behaviors. Understanding the motivations of a user persona helps in designing products that are more engaging and relevant to the user's needs. In the video, motivations are mentioned as a key aspect of the persona, providing insights into what drives 'Johnny' and how the product can be tailored to align with these motivations.

💡Channels

Channels refer to the various mediums or platforms through which users prefer to receive information or interact with a product or service. In the video, understanding the preferred channels of a user persona is crucial for marketing and communication strategies. For instance, if 'Johnny' prefers mobile e-commerce and social media channels, these would be the primary platforms to target when promoting a product or service to users like him.

💡Personality

Personality encompasses the character traits and patterns of behavior that define an individual. In the context of the video, the personality of a user persona is used to give a more human-like quality to the representation, making it easier for designers to empathize and relate to the user's experiences. The video mentions adding a section for personality to the user persona, which could include traits like 'Johnny's' preferences for certain brands or his affinity for using hashtags.

Highlights

Creating user personas is a key step when starting a new company or social media page.

User research should be conducted before creating any new content or platform.

Personas are fictional yet realistic representations of your target users.

A persona should include detailed information about the user's needs, motivations, and frustrations.

Background and demographic details such as age, occupation, and education status should also be included in a persona.

Personas should be based on real data gathered from user research, not just assumptions.

Figma can be used as a tool to design and visualize user personas.

Creating a frame and sections in Figma helps organize the persona's information effectively.

Using images from sources like Unsplash can make personas appear more realistic and believable.

Avoid using avatars or illustrations for personas to maintain a sense of realism.

Including a quote that the persona might say can add personality and relatability.

A persona should represent a user segment identified through interviews and research.

Goals, frustrations, and motivations are key components to include in a persona's description.

Consider including information on the persona's preferred channels and interaction methods.

Visual elements and colors can enhance the presentation of a user persona.

A basic structure for a persona includes a name, demographics, a short bio, and goals.

Personas should be used as a guide in product design and development.