Understanding your users’ needs, desires and biggest pain points is the basis for good product or service design, including web design .
That’s why, in this article, we want to introduce you to someone who can make this step a much more precise and accurate procedure. Meet the user persona!
What is the user persona?
The user persona is a semi-fictional character based on the user of your product or service . This character may be the same el salvador phone number list person who purchases it, but this is not necessarily the case.
We say that the user persona is a semi-fictional character because to create it you must consider the
characteristics and consumption habits of real ideal users of your product or service. As well as some demographic data that will help you build the character.
What are the differences between user persona, buyer persona and target audience?
When reading the definition of user persona, it may have sounded very familiar to you, and that is
because the concept is very similar to that of buyer persona. However, there are some differences.
The buyer persona is the semi-fictional representation of your ideal client , that is, the
person who buys your product or service, regardless of whether they use it or not. The buyer persona
can be the person who buys it, however, so that someone else can use it, for example.
On the other hand, the user persona is the person who will actually use the product or
service . It is not necessarily the person who acquires it, since another person can buy it from them.
The user persona and the buyer persona may in some cases be the same individual, although this is not always the case.
Let’s look at an example of a product where the user persona and the buyer persona will never be equivalent. In the case of disposable baby diapers, the person who buys them is never the person who uses them (and that’s pretty obvious).
In this case, the buyer persona is the adults who purchase the product , usually the parents, and the user persona is the baby who uses it.
On the other hand, in the case of a cell phone, for example, the buyer and the user persona can be the same, since it is very common for each person to buy their own cell phone.
Why is it relevant for organizations?
User experience is increasingly valued, since if what we are looking for is loyalty , the most important thing is to prioritize this experience.
Understanding in depth how to optimize each user’s experience helps us create increasingly efficient products and services that provide comprehensive user satisfaction.
When we correctly define the user thus brands remain timeless and persona, it is much easier to find the answers to meet expectations, address concerns and encourage user motivation when using our solutions.
The user persona is undoubtedly an essential stage in the UX design process .
What are the benefits of having user personas?
User personas help you empathize with the changsha mobile phone number list users who will use
what you sell, and thanks to their creation, designers will have a better vision to guide them through the process:
- They identify with the user , which will facilitate precision when considering the user’s needs.
- They obtain a perspective similar to those who will use the product or service ,
- generating a more personalized product to meet their needs and expectations .
- They optimize design decision-making ; in the case of different possibilities, user personas can help identify which is the best alternative for the user.
- It helps prevent common mistakes , such as self-referential design or design for elastic users. In self-referential design, the product is developed as if it were for themselves. While when designing for elastic users, a product is created for a generic user, with functionalities that may be useful for some, but not for others.
Defining a user persona can be a difficult task for those who are not familiar with the process. It is common to assume many of their characteristics to create the character.
However, the success of this tool is its precision, so you should consider the following basic characteristics for its development.
They are semi-fictional, non-fictional characters.
Since this is a common mistake, it is worth emphasizing this point. The characteristics and consumption habits of the characters must be obtained from real users .
To do this, it is necessary to do research or observation of users when interacting with the product or service.
A current parameter is used, not a future one
To generate a buyer persona, it is important to consider how they currently interact with the product or service .
This information can provide us with insights for optimizing products or services in the future, however, it can only be improved if we understand the current needs of users.
It is worth noting that the user persona can be used for both physical and digital products.
Therefore, this strategy is not limited to any environment. You can take advantage of it in both digital and traditional marketing.