DOCSLIB.ORG

Personas in the Design Process: a Tool for Understanding Others

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Personas in the Design Process: a Tool for Understanding Others PERSONAS IN THE DESIGN PROCESS: A TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING OTHERS A Thesis Presented to The Academic Faculty By Karen Lindsay Williams In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Industrial Design Georgia Institute of Technology August, 2006 PERSONAS IN THE DESIGN PROCESS: A TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING OTHERS Approved by: Wayne Chung, Advisor College of Architecture Georgia Institute of Technology David Ringholz College of Architecture Georgia Institute of Technology Florian Vollmer Info Retail, Inc. Date Approved: July 10, 2006 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The past three years have been full of meeting wonderful people, learning more than I could have imagined about design and many, many sleepless nights. This journey would not have been possible without the backing and energy of many individuals. Most importantly I would like to thank my parents Cathy Goodacre-Lee and Don Williams for their constant love and support over the past 25 years. I can’t imagine accomplishing any of this without the two of you behind me. I would also like to thank the rest of my family including Carole Williams, Joyce Williams, and Betty Goodacre for their encouragement throughout this graduate school adventure. This document could not have been possible without the assistance of several very patient and insightful people. Thank you to my thesis advisor, Wayne Chung, for his guidance and inspiration in the world of design research, and his thoughtful suggestions throughout this process. In addition, I would like to my express gratitude to committee member David Ringholz for his often blunt but always brilliant commentary on my work, and to committee member Florian Vollmer, a saving grace in a sea of graduation red tape. I would also like to thank Clive Roux, Scott Haynes, Karen Milchus, Jon Sanford, and Dory Sabata for their energy and support throughout this investigation. In addition, I would like to express gratitude to my Industrial Design graduate student family and give a special thanks to Clint Cope and Walter Hargrove who have been a constant source of support and providers of wealth of information over the past two years. I am also grateful to Jason Quick, since day one it has been a crazy journey together and I “might couldn’t” have gotten through it without you. iii Thank you also to Andrea Chegut, Nicole Casanova, Kelly Welborn, and Samantha Arnett for believing in me and reminding me of it often. And finally, I would like to thank all of my friends who have left me alone over the past month so that I can finish this paper. I missed you too! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iii LIST OF TABLES . ix LIST OF FIGURES. x SUMMARY . xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY. 3 2.1 Review of Current Literature Methodology . 3 2.2 Design Industry Current Practices Methodology. 3 2.3 Persona Creation Methodology. 3 2.4 Persona Utilization Methodology. .4 CHAPTER 3: REVIEW OF CURRENT LITERATURE. 5 3.1 Purpose. 5 3.2 Methodology. 5 3.3 User Representation. 6 3.3.1 Persona Background. 6 3.3.2 Additional Methods for Describing Users and Customers. 7 3.3.3 Complimenting Other Research and User Representation Methods . 9 3.4 Persona Benefits. 12 3.4.1 Adding Empathetic Focus. 12 3.4.2 Enhancing Focus and Understanding. 14 3.4.3 Increasing Communication . 15 3.4.4 Preserving Privacy. 16 3.5 Persona Creation and Utilization. 17 v 3.5.1 Recommended Creation Methods. 17 3.5.2 Assumption and Ad-Hoc Personas. 24 3.5.3 Characteristics of Successful Persona Efforts. 25 3.5.4 Persona Challenges. 26 3.6 Expanding Persona Application. 30 3.6.1 Personas with Disabilities . 30 3.6.2 Additional Persona Applications . 34 3.7 Key Findings. 36 CHAPTER 4: DESIGN INDUSTRY CURRENT PRACTICES. 39 4.1 Purpose. 39 4.2 Methodology . 39 4.3 Industry Interview Results . 40 4.3.1 Enhancing Focus and Understanding. 41 4.3.2 Bridging Gaps and Increasing Communication. 44 4.3.3 Personas in Non-Design Applications. 45 4.3.4 Personas Application in Design for People with Disabilities. 46 4.3.5 Appropriateness of Persona Use. 48 4.3.6 Lack of Understanding in Persona Application. 49 4.3.7 Lack of Single Persona Methodology and Definition. 51 4.3.8 Assumption Based and Ad-Hoc Personas. 52 4.3.9 Data-Based Persona Creation Methods. 54 4.3.10 Over-Simplification of Data. 58 4.3.11 Increasing Validity of Data Driven Personas. 59 4.3.12 Preferred Methods. 61 4.4 Discussion. 63 4.5 Conclusions. 66 vi CHAPTER 5: PERSONA CREATION . 69 5.1 Purpose . 69 5.2 Methodology. 70 5.3 Results. 71 5.3.1 Team A. 71 5.3.2 Team B. 73 5.4 Discussion. 75 5.5 Conclusions . 78 CHAPTER 6: PERSONA UTILIZATION. 80 6.1 Purpose. 80 6.2 Methodology. 82 6.3 Results . 87 6.3.1 Informal Observations . 88 6.3.2 Project Deliverables . 95 6.3.3 Student Interviews . 119 6.3.4 Summary of Results from Student Interviews, Observations, and Deliverables . 129 6.3.5 Instructor Interviews. 132 6.3.6 Pre/Post Test . 136 6.4 Discussion. .146 6.5 Conclusions. .152 CHAPTER 7: DISCUSSION. 155 CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. .163 APPENDIX A: DESIGN INDUSTRY CURRENT PRACTICE RESEARCH DOCUMENTS. .165 APPENDIX B: DESIGN INDUSTRY CURRENT PRACTICE INTERVIEW DATA. .171 vii APPENDIX C: PERSONA CREATION RESEARCH DOCUMENTS. .214 APPENDIX D: PERSONA UTILIZATION RESEARCH DOCUMENTS. 219 APPENDIX E: PERSONA UTILIZATOIN RAW DATA. 230 REFERENCES. 234 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Persona characteristics as related to demographics . 77 Table 2 Participating students, their respective groups, and instructors. .. .88 Table 3 Instructor C student group persona use as defined by key variables. 130 Table 4 Instructor D student group persona use as defined by key variables. 131 Table 5.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Appendix B – Eco-Charrette Report
    Appendix B – Eco-Charrette Report 2010 Facility Master Plan Factoria Recycling and Transfer Station November 2010 2010 Facility Master Plan Factoria Recycling and Transfer Station November 2010 Appendix B‐1: Factoria Recycling and Transfer Station ‐ Eco‐Charrette – Final Report. June 24, 2010. Prepared for King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks‐‐ Solid Waste Division. HDR Engineering, Inc. Appendix B‐2: Initial Guidance from the Salmon‐Safe Assessment Team regarding The Factoria Recycling and Transfer Station – Site Design Evaluation. July 15, 2010. Salmon‐Safe, Inc. Appendix B‐1: Factoria Recycling and Transfer Station ‐ Eco‐Charrette – Final Report. June 24, 2010. Prepared for King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks‐‐ Solid Waste Division. HDR Engineering, Inc. Table of Contents PART 1: ECO‐CHARRETTE...................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction and Purpose ......................................................................................................................... 1 Project Background and Setting ................................................................................................................ 1 Day 1. Introduction to the Sustainable Design Process ........................................................................... 3 Day 2: LEED Scorecard Review ................................................................................................................. 4 The LEED Green Building Certification
    [Show full text]
  • Tool Design Engineer
    Job Description Tool Design Engineer Job Title: Tool Design Engineer FLSA Status: Non-exempt Department: Engineering Reports To: Tooling and Engineering Manager Prepared By: Rich Neubauer Prepared Date: 1/13/2021 Approved By: Approved Date: Summary Under the direction of department management, perform engineering assignments relative to the development and design of metal stamping tools, dies, jigs, adapters, gauging devices, machine attachments, and special or single purpose machine tools. Analyze operational requirements, designs, dimensions, materials and treating specifications, etc. Prepare initial drawings, cost estimates, material requisitions, work orders etc. Design progressive and stage dies, jigs, fixtures, gauges etc. Work from sketches, instructions, specifications, and application data. Utilize CAD techniques to perform applicable drafting work. Assist with determining the various design factors e.g. economical production use, tool cost, versatility, locating points, securing methods, tolerances, materials, material treatment etc. Detail sections of large tools to facilitate expediting of work to tool manufacturers or within company Toolroom. Job Duties and Responsibilities 1. Complete designs for progressive and stage tooling, die modifications, fixtures and jigs using SolidWorks. 2. Maintain CAD software and hardware. 3. Maintain materials, records, and resources in a documented system to enable others to use these materials. 4. Maintain proper up-to-date file management for all designs. 5. Create Purchase Orders (POs) in JobBOSS for the toolroom and die builds. 6. Conduct communication meetings and offer support during the design, build and debug process. Additional Job Duties and Responsibilities 7. Work with existing and new customers with product design support. 8. Perform quality assurance on completed designs. 9. Develop and maintain design standards.
    [Show full text]
  • An Example-Centric Tool for Context-Driven Design of Biomedical Devices
    Advances in Engineering Education WINTER 2015 An Example-Centric Tool for Context-Driven Design of Biomedical Devices RACHEL DZOMBAK Department of Civil Engineering University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA KHANJAN MEHTA Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program AND PETER BUTLER Department of Bioengineering The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA ABSTRACT Engineering is one of the most global professions, with design teams developing technologies for an increasingly interconnected and borderless world. In order for engineering students to be proficient in creating viable solutions to the challenges faced by diverse populations, they must receive an expe- riential education in rigorous engineering design processes as well as identify the needs of customers living in communities radically different from their own. Acquainting students with the unique context and constraints of developing countries is difficult because of the breadth of pertinent considerations and the time constraints of academic semesters. This article describes a tool called Global Biomedi- cal Device Design, or GloBDD, that facilitates simultaneous instruction in design methodology and global context considerations. GloBDD espouses an example-centric approach to educate students in the user-centered and context-driven design of biomedical devices. The tool employs real-world case studies to help students understand the importance of identifying external considerations early in the design process: issues like anthropometric, contextual, social, economic, and manufacturing considerations amongst many others. This article presents the rationale for the tool, its content and organization, and evaluation results from integration into a junior-level biomedical device design class. Results indicate that the tool engages students in design space exploration, leads them to making sound design decisions, and teaches them how to defend these decisions with a well-informed rationale.
    [Show full text]
  • A Glossary of User-Centered Design Strategies for Implemen- Tation Experts
    TBM ORIGINAL RESEARCH A glossary of user-centered design strategies for implemen- Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/tbm/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/tbm/iby119/5232646 by guest on 07 December 2018 tation experts Alex R. Dopp,1, Kathryn E. Parisi,1 Sean A. Munson,2 Aaron R. Lyon3 1Department of Psychological Abstract Science, University of Arkansas, User-centered design (UCD), a discipline that seeks to ground Implications Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA the design of an innovation in information about the people 2 Practice: Use of shared language around user-cen- Department of Human Centered who will ultimately use that innovation, has great potential tered design (as presented in this glossary) can Design and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA to improve the translation of evidence-based practices from maximize the usefulness of interdisciplinary 98195, USA behavioral medicine research for implementation in health care efforts to promote the implementation of evi- 3Department of Psychiatry and settings. UCD is a diverse, innovative field that remains highly dence-based practices through improved design. Behavioral Sciences, University of variable in terms of language and approaches. Ultimately, we Washington School of Medicine, produced a glossary of UCD-related strategies specifically for Seattle, WA 98195, USA experts in implementation research and practice, with the goal Policy: Policymakers who wish to promote a of promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in implementation user-centered culture in health services should efforts. We conducted a focused literature review to identify consider the value of tools like this glossary in key concepts and specific strategies of UCD to translate into developing shared language and interdisciplinary the implementation field.
    [Show full text]
  • Games User Research and Physiological Game Evaluation
    Chapter 4 Games User Research and Physiological Game Evaluation Lennart E. Nacke Abstract This chapter introduces physiological measures for game evaluation in the context of games user research (GUR). GUR consists of more than playtest- ing game; it comprises a collection of methods that allow designers to bring their creations closer to the initial vision of the player experience. With the prices of physiological sensors falling, and the advancement of research in this area, physi- ological evaluation will soon become a standard tool in GUR and game evaluation. Since mixed-method approaches are of increasingly prominent value, this chap- ter describes core GUR methods with a special focus on physiological evaluation, keeping in mind both benefits and limitations of the approach in academic and industrial applications. 4.1 Introduction From the academic domains of human-computer interaction, human factors, and social psychology, robust and scientific user-testing approaches have been adopted in a game industry field called games user research (GUR) to ensure optimal qual- ity of the user experience (UX) in games and virtual entertainment products. In the games industry, the domains of quality assurance (QA) and game testing are focus- ing on finding technical errors in the game code (i.e., bugs) and ensuring smooth execution of the game on a technical level. By contrast, GUR is concerned with evaluation through the observation and analysis of players. A game designer com- municates their thoughts to the player using the game. In turn, the user researcher applies methods that are inspired by psychology and user-centered design to evalu- ate the player.
    [Show full text]
  • Interaction Design Studio - 711 Instructor: Patrick Thornton Email: [email protected] Thursday 6-8:45 Pm Location: Pac 1815 - Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
    Interaction Design Studio - 711 Instructor: Patrick Thornton Email: [email protected] Thursday 6-8:45 pm Location: Pac 1815 - Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Course Description Interaction design is the process of defining products and the broad services built around them. When interacting with systems, people build expectations and mental models of how things work. They learn what they can and cannot achieve. This course is about how to design for interactions that will resonate with your audiences: How the features and functions of a product get translated into something people find usable, useful, and desirable. Through a series of lectures, discussions, in-class design practice, and projects, students will explore the role of interaction designers. Students will learn how to prototype interactive products, systems, and services, and how to defend their work through the cycle of brainstorming and shared critique. This is a studio class, focusing on production processes that are required to develop public-facing work. The studio is important both as a working space and a space for collaborative reflection. Studio practice also describes a working method. As such, the INST711 classroom will focus on two activities: ● Externalization: You will put your ideas and conceptualizations into tangible materials. ● Critique: You will both give and receive constructive feedback on your own work and the work of other students in class. Student Learning Outcomes On the successful completion of this course, students will be able to: ● Explain basic concepts, techniques, and knowledge of interaction design. ● Critically discuss common methods in the interaction design process ● Use visual thinking and communication techniques to develop design concepts ● Build prototypes at varying levels of fidelity and can evaluate them using appropriate methods ● Develop critiquing skills to analyze interaction design artifacts and concept design.
    [Show full text]
  • Personas in Action: Ethnography in an Interaction Design Team
    NordiCHI, October 19-23, 2002 Short Papers Personas in Action: Ethnography in an Interaction Design Team Åsa Blomquist Mattias Arvola Department of Information Technology Dept. of Computer and Information Science Swedish National Tax Board Linköpings universitet SE-117 94 Solna, Sweden SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden +46 8 7648192 +46 13 285626 [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT was an IT-company with offices in six countries and had Alan Cooper’s view on interaction design is both appealing around 250 employees, before it went into bankruptcy. The and provoking since it avoids problems of involving users main business of Q was to develop and sell The Portal, by simply excluding them. The users are instead which is an individualised company portal, or an advanced represented by an archetype of a user, called persona. This intranet. The purpose of The Portal was, according to the paper reports a twelve-week participant observation in an description from the company, to help co-workers in large interaction design team with the purpose of learning what information intense and knowledge intense organisations to really goes on in a design team when they implement work more efficiently. The work behind this article was personas in their process. On the surface it seemed like they made in cooperation with the User Experience Team at Q. used personas, but our analysis show how they had They were responsible for the interaction design and the difficulties in using them and encountered problems when graphical design at the company. Working with personas trying to imagine the user.
    [Show full text]
  • DEVELOPING a PARAMETRIC URBAN DESIGN TOOL. Some Structural Challenges and Possible Ways to Overcome Them
    DEVELOPING A PARAMETRIC URBAN DESIGN TOOL. SOME STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE WAYS TO OVERCOME THEM Nicolai Steinø1, Esben Obeling2 1 Aalborg University, Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Østerågade 6, DK – 9000 Aalborg, Denmark 2 Urban Design Independent researcher E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Parametric urban design is a potentially powerful tool for collaborative urban design processes. Rather than making one- off designs which need to be redesigned from the ground up in case of changes, parametric design tools make it possible keep the design open while at the same time allowing for a level of detailing which is high enough to facilitate an understan- ding of the generic qualities of proposed designs. Starting from a brief overview of parametric design, this paper presents initial findings from the development of a parametric urban design tool with regard to developing a structural logic which is flexible and expandable. It then moves on to outline and discuss further development work. Finally, it offers a brief reflection on the potentials and shortcomings of the software – CityEngine – which is used for developing the parametric urban design tool. Keywords: parametric design; urban design; building footprint; sequential hierarchy; design tools INTRODUCTION The overall aim of the research presented in this important once the tool is put to use, it need not be the paper is to develop a parametric urban design tool. focus of design at the early design stages. Hence, the While the research is in its early stages of development, focus of this paper lies on developing a structural logic the aim of the paper is to present some initial results and for a parametric urban design tool which is parametri- to outline further development.
    [Show full text]
  • Teaching Co-Design in Industrial Design Case Studies of Exsisting Practices
    TEACHING CO-DESIGN IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CASE STUDIES OF EXSISTING PRACTICES Chauncey Saurus / Claudia B. Rebola Georgia Institute of Technology [email protected] / [email protected] 1. ABSTRACT Co-design is a process that allows designers to develop products with greater insight to user needs through the participation of users in the design process. During this process what users say, make, and do is investigated using common research methods in combination with newer generative and exploratory approaches created for this purpose. Despite the prevalence of the co-design process, a lack of studies into the education of designers on co-design have been implemented, leaving a gap of information that needs to be filled in order for co-design to become integrated into design education and practice. The purpose of this study is to understand the current state of co-design education in the U.S. and to assimilate popular teaching techniques, by surveying teaching methods of co-design within Industrial Design programs at U.S. Universities with reputations as leaders in the field. A snowball sampling was performed with schools leaders in co-design. Schools were contacted and given a survey, interviewed with selected participants and assessed on their materials and practices on co-design. Various qualitative data analysis was performed with the surveys, interviews and materials. The conclusion includes a summary of key findings on the teaching of co-design. The significance of this project is to further research into teaching methods of co-design as well as providing a common framework for design educators to follow in higher level learning institutions 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Development of a Computer Aided Conceptual Design Tool for Complex Electromechanical Systems
    From: AAAI Technical Report SS-03-02. Compilation copyright © 2003, AAAI (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved. Development of a Computer Aided Conceptual Design Tool for Complex Electromechanical Systems Noe Vargas-Hernandez, Jami J. Shah, and Zoe Lacroix Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona 85287-6106 Abstract The objective of this paper is to report on the development of a Computer Aided Conceptual Design (CACD) Tool for Background the Design of Complex Electromechanical Systems (CEMS). Few methods and tools exist for supporting the conceptual design stage; this is a paradox considering that CEMS decisions at this stage have the greatest influence in the cost Two significant changes can be noticed on how design is and characteristics of the final product. Two main issues conducted nowadays: Combination of multiple disciplines were identified: Standardization and Compatibility. The first (e.g. mechanical, electro) and increase in complexity (i.e. refers to the variety of ontologies (such as functions and behaviors) proposed by several authors. These ontologies intricacy of relations and number of elements). Of may work on their own, but they don’t “talk” to each other. particular interest are Complex CEMS, common in Even if this issue is solved, there is no compatibility everyday life, ranging from cell-phones to airplanes. CEMS between elements from different tasks (e.g. function to combine elements from mechanical and electro (i.e. electric behavior). The proposed approach solves these two issues and electronic) domains. As technical systems, CEMS without sacrificing generality. transform energy, material, and signal to perform a technical task (Pahl and Beitz 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • Persona Creation Based on Secondary Data: a Study on Perceived Reliability in UX Design
    Aalto University School of Science Degree Programme in Information Networks Pekka Siika-aho Persona Creation Based on Secondary Data: A Study on Perceived Reliability in UX design Master’s Thesis Espoo, May 24, 2016 Supervisor: Professor Marko Nieminen Thesis advisors: Sami Vihavainen, D.Sc. (Tech) Hanna-Riikka Sundberg, D.Sc. (Tech) This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 687921. Abstract of master’s thesis Author Pekka Siika-aho Title of thesis Persona Creation Based on Secondary Data: A Study on Perceived Reliability in UX design Master’s programme Degree Programme in Information Networks Thesis supervisor Professor Marko Nieminen Major or Minor/Code T3008 Department Department of Computer Science Thesis advisors Sami Vihavainen, D.Sc (Tech) Hanna-Riikka Sundberg, D.Sc (Tech) Date Number of pages Language 24. 5. 2016 V + 67 English Abstract While personas are a widely used tool in the UX industry, they are expensive and time- consuming to create. This study examines utilization of secondary data as a less resource and time-consuming method for creating personas. Typically personas have been created from qualitative data that is gathered specifically for persona creation. By using secondary data, the time for user research can potentially be reduced thus bringing down also the cost and time needed to create the personas. In this study, personas were created based on secondary data available from public sources. The personas were then evaluated qualitatively by UX designers on their perceived reliability. Prior to this study, UX designers’ perceived reliability of personas created on secondary data hasn't been studied.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to User Research
    Introduction to User Research USER RESEARCH CAN HElP you acquire a deep understanding of your users' needs and how these needs are being met. With this research foundation, you can make informed design decisions throughout the product development process. Moreover, research can reveal opportunities for new apps and inspire innovative solutions that improve upon existing apps. This chapter wilt review a variety of user research methods such as shadowing, field interviews, and diary studies and will suggest ways to tailor these methods for your app. After reading this chapter, you should be able to develop and execute a user research plan for your own app. Chapter 4, "Analyzing User Research:' will subsequently explain how to interpret user research findings and incorporate them into your app designs. 39 Common User Research Questions- As you start planning your user research, you may have questions concerning the benefits and costs. Answers to these questions and others are included in this section. WHAT WILL I LEARN? The outcome of user research will depend on a number offactors, such as the methods used, the domain explored, and your research goals. Common themes uncovered through early-stage user research include user needs, context of use, perceptions, pain points, language, and norms. User Needs At the most basic level, user research will help you understand your users' needs. Questions you may be able to explore include how they do things today, what's important to them, and what needs have not been met. Having this knowledge will help you make both high-level (e.g., overall app concept) and low-level (e.g., screen layout) design decisions.
    [Show full text]