User Personas and Stories
- William Skaggs
- Spencer Ng
- Solomon Wakhungu (Unlicensed)
Definitions
User Persona (UP): A detailed description of a fictional individual representing a target audience segment. It includes demographic information, behaviors, goals, motivations, pain points, and other relevant characteristics.
Components of a User Persona:
Demographics: Age, gender, occupation, income level, education, location, etc.
Behaviors: Buying habits, usage patterns, preferred channels, etc.
Goals: What the user aims to achieve by using the product or service.
Motivations: Factors that drive the user's decision-making process.
Pain Points: Challenges or problems the user faces that the product or service can address.
Tech Savvy: Level of proficiency with technology, devices used, internet usage frequency, etc.
User Story: A user story is an informal description of a feature or functionality of a software product from an end user's perspective.
It typically follows a specific format: "As a [type of user], I want [some goal] so that [some reason]."
The user story is a communication tool between the product team and stakeholders to ensure a common understanding of what needs to be developed and why. It is designed to spark a conversation on the product, and can help prioritize development tasks based on the value they deliver to the end user.
Components of a User Story:
Role/Actor: Describes the type of user or stakeholder involved.
Goal/Objective: States what the user wants to accomplish.
Benefit/Reason: Explain why the user wants to achieve this goal.
User Persona
Demographics | |
|---|---|
Name | Emily Johnson |
Age | 21 |
Occupation | College Student |
Annual income | Part-time job |
Marital status | Single |
Family situation | Lives with roommates in off-campus apartment |
Location | Urban area near the university |
User Description |
|---|
Emily is a 21-year-old college student living in an urban area near her university. She's single and supports herself with a part-time job. |
Psychology | |
|---|---|
Personal characteristics | Tech-savvy, ambitious, detail-oriented |
Interests | Educational technology, academic success |
Personal aspirations | Graduate with honors, secure a good job |
Professional goals | Gain relevant work experience during college |
Pains | Time constraints, fear of choosing wrong professors |
Main challenges | Balancing coursework with part-time job |
Needs | Efficient tools for course planning |
Behaviors | |
|---|---|
Preferred channels | Online platforms, college bookstores |
Online behavior | Research-oriented, comparison searches |
Search terms | "Best professors for [course name]", "Student reviews professors" |
Triggers | Positive user reviews |
Barriers | Complicated user interfaces |
User Stories
As a college student, I want to find the best classes in an efficient manner, so that registering for classes is as painless as possible.
As a college student, I want more information about classes and professors, so that I can learn more about the university.
Sample Points of Conversation:
How do students determine which classes are best for them?
How should we present our data so that students can easily access the information they need?
What kinds of extra information do students need to know?