This project is among my favorites. Our development team is small, and we do not have a person dedicated to user experience. I help fill in these gaps, and I volunteer to research and create user personas. Below is an excerpt from my first iteration, which is largely based on what I discovered from a survey I designed. I am currently working on the second iteration, which I will workshop with the team so we can add more fun and personality.
I base my survey design and research on theories from User and Task Analysis for Interface Design by JoAnn T. Hackos and Janice C. Redish.
Survey Design
For the survey, I ask questions to determine the experience level of those using the CMS: novice, advanced beginner, competent performer, and expert. According to Hackos and Redish, users within these groups will behave similarly and have similar attitudes toward their work. I ask questions about users' roles at the university and how they approach their work, and solicit input about what they currently like and what frustrates them.
Survey Analysis
Initial Insights
I review the survey results question-by-question to see how users feel about the CMS, identify pervasive trends, and note when user groups differed from the average.
Qualitative answers to open-ended questions prove to be most helpful as I build the personas, particularly when I identify pain points.
Defining Users by Experience Level
Next I begin to group users based on experience level. Again, I refer to Hackos and Redish for the theories behind my groupings: novice, advanced beginner, competent performer, and expert. Novices are learning or relearning the interface; advanced beginners know enough to do a handful of tasks; competent performers use the CMS more regularly and know how to do a variety of tasks; and experts can do all of that and they are interested in how the CMS functions holistically.
Example User Persona
Now I find patterns and similar pain points within groups. I name each persona, using alliteration to help my team remember some specific part of their relationship with or attitude toward their work.
Biographical Information
I give Marta a job title, department, and small explanation of her roles and how she works. On the right, I include a quote taken from the surveys, usually one that illustrates a pain point.
The photo will be chosen with the development team when I workshop personas later this year.
Goals, Tasks, and Pain Points
I list the tasks that novice users perform, based on the average responses to the survey; I present pain points listed from open-ended questions; and I take goals from open-ended questions.
CMS Statistics
Last, I include some statistics about the average novice user. These are most helpful in guiding conversations back to the real CMS users or in providing more information about how they actually work.
