The Persona Lifecycle

The Persona Lifecycle

by John Pruitt, Tamara Adlin
Released August 2010
Publisher(s): Morgan Kaufmann
ISBN: 9780080455730

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Book description

The Persona Lifecycle is a field guide exclusively focused on interaction design's most popular new technique. The Persona Lifecycle addresses the "how" of creating effective personas and using those personas to design products that people love. It doesn’t just describe the value of personas; it offers detailed techniques and tools related to planning, creating, communicating, and using personas to create great product designs. Moreover, it provides rich examples, samples, and illustrations to imitate and model. Perhaps most importantly, it positions personas not as a panacea, but as a method used to complement other user-centered design (UCD) techniques including scenario-based design, cognitive walkthroughs and user testing. The authors developed the Persona Lifecycle model to communicate the value and practical application of personas to product design and development professionals.

This book explores the complete lifecycle of personas, to guide the designer at each stage of product development. It includes a running case study with rich examples and samples that demonstrate how personas can be used in building a product end-to-end. It also presents recommended best practices in techniques, tools, and innovative methods and contains hundreds of relevant stories, commentary, opinions, and case studies from user experience professionals across a variety of domains and industries.

This book will be a valuable resource for UCD professionals, including usability practitioners, interaction designers, technical writers, and program managers; programmers/developers who act as the interaction designers for software; and those professionals who work with developers and designers.

Features* Presentation and discussion of the complete lifecycle of personas, to guide the designer at each stage of product development.* A running case study with rich examples and samples that demonstrate how personas can be used in building a product end-to-end. * Recommended best practices in techniques, tools, and innovative methods.* Hundreds of relevant stories, commentary, opinions, and case studies from user experience professionals across a variety of domains and industries.

Table of contents

  1. Cover image
  2. Title page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. ENTHUSIASTIC ENDORSEMENTS FROM BOTH FOUNDERS OF THE NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP!
  5. THE MORGAN KAUFMANN SERIES IN INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
  6. Copyright
  7. DEDICATION
  8. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  9. FOREWORD
  10. Chapter 1: THE NEXT FRONTIER FOR USER-CENTERED DESIGN
    1. YOU ARE ALREADY A PROFESSIONAL IMAGINER
    2. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT BUILDING PRODUCTS FOR PEOPLE
    3. WHY DO WE NEED PERSONAS?
    4. PERSONAS HELP MAKE USER-CENTERED DESIGN POSSIBLE
    5. USER REPRESENTATIONS ARE NOT NEW AND WE CAN LEARN A LOT FROM THE PAST
    6. THE NEXT FRONTIER FOR PERSONAS
    7. SOUNDS GREAT! LET’S USE PERSONAS! … IT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE
    8. THIS BOOK IS DESIGNED TO FILL IN THE GAPS
    9. SUMMARY
  11. Chapter 2: OVERVIEW OF THE PERSONA LIFECYCLE
    1. THE PHASES OF THE PERSONA LIFECYCLE
    2. THE PERSONA LIFECYCLE IS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE, NOT REPLACE, YOUR EXISTING PROCESSES
    3. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: THE PERSONA LIFECYCLE IN ACTION
    4. SUMMARY
  12. Chapter 3: PERSONA FAMILY PLANNING
    1. SETTING THE SCENE: WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR ORGANIZATION NOW IF YOU’RE NOT USING PERSONAS?
    2. WHAT IS FAMILY PLANNING FOR PERSONAS?
    3. BUILDING A CORE TEAM
    4. RESEARCHING YOUR OWN ORGANIZATION (ORGANIZATIONAL INTROSPECTION)
    5. CREATE AN ACTION PLAN
    6. DECIDE WHEN AND HOW TO INVOLVE CONSULTANTS
    7. IDENTIFY DATA SOURCES AND COLLECT DATA
    8. PLAN AND EXECUTE YOUR OWN PRIMARY USER RESEARCH
    9. CONDUCT FIELD STUDIES TO GATHER QUALITATIVE DATA
    10. COLLECT DATA THROUGH SECONDARY SOURCES
    11. TRACK AND MANAGE DATA SOURCES AS YOU COLLECT THEM
    12. SUMMARY
  13. Chapter 4: PERSONA CONCEPTION AND GESTATION
    1. SETTING THE SCENE: WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR ORGANIZATION NOW?
    2. WHAT IS CONCEPTION AND GESTATION FOR PERSONAS?
    3. PERSONA CONCEPTION: STEPS 1, 2, AND 3
    4. PERSONA GESTATION: STEPS 4, 5, AND 6
    5. HOW TO KNOW YOU ARE READY FOR BIRTH AND MATURATION
    6. SUMMARY
  14. Chapter 5: PERSONA BIRTH AND MATURATION
    1. SETTING THE SCENE—WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR ORGANIZATION NOW?
    2. WHAT IS BIRTH AND MATURATION FOR PERSONAS?
    3. STEP 1: PREPARE FOR BIRTH AND BEYOND
    4. STEP 2: BIRTH
    5. STEP 3: MATURATION
    6. PERSONA ARTIFACTS (THE WHAT AND HOW OF COMMUNICATING YOUR PERSONAS)
    7. IF YOU ARE A CONSULTANT
    8. SUMMARY
  15. Chapter 6: PERSONA ADULTHOOD
    1. SETTING THE SCENE—WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR ORGANIZATION NOW?
    2. WHAT IS ADULTHOOD FOR PERSONAS?
    3. PLAN, DESIGN, EVALUATE, RELEASE: HOW TO USE PERSONAS DURING THE STAGES OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
    4. STAGE 1: USE PERSONAS TO PLAN YOUR PRODUCT
    5. STAGE 2: USE PERSONAS TO EXPLORE DESIGN SOLUTIONS
    6. STAGE 3: USE PERSONAS TO EVALUATE YOUR SOLUTIONS
    7. STAGE 4: USE PERSONAS TO SUPPORT THE RELEASE OF YOUR PRODUCT
    8. TRANSITIONING INTO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT, REUSE, AND RETIREMENT
    9. SUMMARY
  16. Chapter 7: PERSONA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT, REUSE, AND RETIREMENT
    1. SETTING THE SCENE: WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR ORGANIZATION NOW?
    2. WHAT IS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT, REUSE, AND RETIREMENT FOR PERSONAS?
    3. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: MEASURE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) OF YOUR PERSONA EFFORT
    4. REUSE AND RETIREMENT: DECIDE HOW TO MANAGE THE TRANSITION TO THE NEXT PROJECT
    5. SUMMARY
  17. Chapter 8: USERS, ROLES, AND PERSONAS
    1. ROLES AND PERSONAS
    2. MODELING USERS WITH ROLES
    3. MODELING USER TASKS
    4. FROM ABSTRACT TASKS TO CONCRETE INTERFACES
    5. BOTH/AND MODELING
    6. IN PRACTICE
    7. PERSONAS OR NOT
  18. Chapter 9: STORYTELLING AND NARRATIVE
    1. PERSONAS WORK BECAUSE THEY TELL STORIES
    2. WE ARE WIRED FOR STORYTELLING
    3. SHARED STORIES CREATE CULTURE
    4. STORIES ARE NOT JUST FOR BEDTIME
    5. THE WELL-CRAFTED STORY
    6. STORIES WORK WHEN PEOPLE BELIEVE IN THEM
    7. PUTTING STORIES TO WORK
    8. STORIES AND SCENARIOS
    9. CRAFTING A STORY
    10. SUMMARY
  19. Chapter 10: REALITY AND DESIGN MAPS
    1. MAPS COMPLEMENT THE CREATION AND USE OF PERSONAS
    2. WHAT EXACTLY ARE MAPS?
    3. THE REALITY MAPPING PROCESS
    4. WHAT ARE DESIGN MAPS?
    5. THE DESIGN MAPPING PROCESS
    6. SUMMARY
  20. Chapter 11: MARKETING VERSUS DESIGN PERSONAS
    1. PERSONAS ALWAYS HAVE ONE FOOT IN THE WORLD OF MARKETING
    2. A PLACE FOR PERSONAS IN TODAY’S MARKETING REVOLUTION
    3. BUILDING PERSONAS SPECIFICALLY FOR MARKETING PURPOSES
    4. FLEXING YOUR DESIGN PERSONAS’ MUSCLES FOR MARKETING PURPOSES
    5. BUILDING YOUR BRAND WITH HELP FROM PERSONAS
    6. SUMMARY
  21. Chapter 12: WHY PERSONAS WORK: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
    1. INTRODUCTION
    2. UNDERSTANDING OTHER MINDS: WHERE DID THIS CAPACITY COME FROM?
    3. CONSCIOUS MODELS AND UNCONSCIOUS MODELS: WHY DOES IT MATTER?
    4. STUDIES OF ARTICULATED CONSCIOUS MODELS
    5. STUDIES OF UNCONSCIOUS MODELS
    6. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM WRITING
    7. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM ACTING
    8. SUMMARY: PSYCHOLOGICAL ACCURACY AND FICTIONAL PREPARATION
    9. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS OF OTHER DESIGN METHODS
    10. FROM ENGAGEMENT TO CARING
    11. SUMMARY
  22. Appendix A: G4K ORGANIZATIONAL ARCHETYPE AND SAMPLE PERSONA
  23. Appendix B: EXAMPLE PERSONAS FROM REAL PROJECTS
  24. Appendix C: SAMPLE IMAGE RELEASE FORM
  25. REFERENCES
  26. CONTRIBUTOR INDEX
  27. SUBJECT INDEX
  28. ABOUT THE AUTHORS
  29. ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Product information

  • Title: The Persona Lifecycle
  • Author(s): John Pruitt, Tamara Adlin
  • Release date: August 2010
  • Publisher(s): Morgan Kaufmann
  • ISBN: 9780080455730