Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning, Second Edition

Chapter 3. Personas

A summary representation of the system’s intended users, often described as real people. Any project can have one or more personas, each representing a different kind of audience for the system. Also known as: user profiles, user role definitions, audience profiles.

Personas At-A-Glance

If you need a way to talk about your users in meaningful terms, look no further than personas. They provide a framework for describing the target audience in a way useful to design projects. They bring the audience to life and serve as the voice of the user throughout the design process.

Purpose—What are personas for?

Personas focus design ...