Persona (marketing)

A Persona (Latin mask ) is a model from the field of human-computer interaction ( MCI). The persona represents a prototype for a group of users, with specific distinctive characteristics and a specific usage behavior.

Personas are used in requirements engineering of computer applications. For a planned computer application is analyzed, which group of users will use this application later. Here are some fictional characters are based on observations of real people who created that should stand for most of the subsequent actual users. The application is then designed by the designer and developer team picks the needs of these fictitious persons, and accordingly by playing different operation scenarios.

Example

Task is to develop a digital photo terminal, standing in a department store, and dispose to the user their digital photos on an electronic medium and can develop.

Our personas:

• Leni ( 24): Prospective and advanced computer Licensees (word processing and Internet), studied business administration and photographed on the weekend like all her friends.

• Harald (65 ) widower and retired, has been given by his grandchildren, a digital camera, but does not have a computer and therefore can not handle it. Nevertheless, he naturally wants to print the photographed images and stick in his photo album.

• Ayse (43 ): Turkish woman speaks and understands little German and is to now develop the photos from her son, who was himself has no time for it. A computer can not operate it though.

These examples of personas is quickly clear that it is not so easy to find the right mix here. The trick is to find the golden mean between the potential users of an application system in accordance with their expected knowledge. Aspects to be considered here such as simplicity, avoiding overloaded screens, multilinguality, unambiguous textual notes, etc. can be.

The question now for the development team, in the design phase to think again about whether the individuals could perform this or that task successfully.

Example of use: separation of business and personal data on Mobile Devices

In the application of the combined business and private use of mobile devices such as smartphones or tablet PCs in organizations (see also bring your own device, or " BYOD " ) can be used to separate the respective data and applications personas.