While working in research, innovation, and product design, I’ve often found myself being asked to work with Personas. They are ubiquitous, regarded as a key tool for empathy and design. However, I believe it’s time to take a closer look at them, to expand beyond them, to find new ways of representing and creating for our users. While I believe in the purpose behind Personas – to connect with people, build empathy, and design with purpose – I also think that they fail to represent the diversity of the people we serve, and often trap us into stereotypes and assumptions.
As human-centred creators, it is our responsibility to embrace the diversity of those we design for (and with), and to look beyond the frames that Personas give us.
What are Personas?
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