User-Centered Development / Personas

Name: User-Centered Development / Personas
Type: Rules
Status: finished
Version: 2007-05-07
Source:
www.disambiguity.com/yes-you-should-be-using-personas/
www.evolt.org/article/Practical_Persona_Creation/4090/56111/index.html

Gist: support the concept of user personas for requirements definition and for getting rid of the elastic user
Note: You can also use your personas {for prioritizing tests, to evaluate new ideas for features, for requirements triage, for writing the user manual] (not a complete list).

R1: User personas should be created to find the "edge cases", use cases that make a difference within the product. Wipe out featuritis with your personas.
R2: Personas should be created with the help of stakeholders.
R3: Don't overdo it (1-3 sentences). Don't define too many (2-6).
R4: You need a complete buy-in on the personas from people who are supposed to use them
R5: Do *some* creative writing when creating personas. Small details matter.
R6: It helps putting a name and a face to the personas. Go out and take photos or cut out magazine pictures.
R7: Group personas as 'primary' (the majority, the most important) and secondary (very different from the primary personas but still very important)