Tanya Rabourn — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:39 GMT

It would be great to be able to add it as a video podcast to my video ipod. I can imagine sharing some “how-to’s” at work that way.

Tanya Rabourn — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:04:37 GMT

Good article!

The real hero of this story isn’t personas, it’s ethnographic methods. You mention that Cooper worked from “primary experience” for example. Methods are just a toolbox and you pick the appropriate tool you need to solve a particular problem. It’s not dogma. So, I’m going to unapologetically use that word ;-)

I’m only echoing your points but I have to say that this one question gets to the heart of the matter: “so what do we do, if we’re designing something that doesn’t have people just like us as its intended user?” Ethnographic work used to construct our concept of the user just might be the answer. Then we can produce documentation in the form of personas or even some other way (whatever works for whomever the audience may be).

A completely separate problem is putting these methods into practice within environments where matching user expectations can run second to executing stakeholder visions. I would say many of us work in a setting that won’t value the sort of information ethnography provides. Among the things that are valued, however, is expediency. It’s always faster to design for ourselves, so the practice of constructing our users as being just like us will continue to be popular.

Boxes and Arrows: Comments by Tanya Rabourn