The Downside of Personas in UX Design

A persona, (sometimes called “user persona,” or “customer persona,” or “buyer persona”) in user-centered (UX) design and marketing is a fictional character created to represent a user type that might use a site, brand, or product.

A user persona is a representation of the goals and behavior of a “hypothesized,” shall we say, group of users. In most cases, personas are synthesized from data collected from interviews with users. They are captured in short descriptions that include behavior patterns, goals, skills, attitudes, and a few fictional personal details to make the persona a realistic character.

The Downside

Criticism of personas falls into three general categories: analysis of the underlying logic, concerns about practical implementation, and empirical results.

In terms of scientific logic, it has been argued that because personas are fictional, they have no clear relationship to real customer data and therefore cannot be considered scientific. Chapman & Milham described the purported flaws in considering personas as a scientific research method. They argued that there is no procedure to work reliably from given data to specific personas, and thus such a process is not subject to the scientific method of reproducible research.

For practical implementation, some have claimed that personas give a “cloak of smug customer-centricity” while actually distancing the UX team from engagement with real users and their real needs. One could argue that real-world stories and customer immersion would better serve UX designers to understand the needs of users.

Another problem with using personas in UX Design is some organizations are simply not ready for the methodology. Creating hypothetical users with real names, stories and personalities may seem less than serious and even whimsical to the typical web designer.

The Upside

On the other hand, many designers (not necessarily UX designers) design for themselves and have trouble separating their own style and process from that of the intended audience.

UX Design is about designing for others, not ourselves. So, when a good UX designer grounds themselves in their own design, they run the risk of designing an interface that only they can use. Any tools that help designers prevent the natural behavior of grounding helps them attack the design more objectively, with their target audience in mind.

That’s pretty much the point of personas.  But are they worth it?

Let us know your thoughts in comments below.