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Discover and leverage the range of your users’ behavior.
Personas help you understand the similarities and differences within your user base so that you can design with their needs in mind. They are foundational documents that guide future design initiatives and product strategy decisions. We base personas on your real users through research methods like contextual inquiry and mobile ethnography, and we analyze carefully to uncover behavioral patterns within your customer base. You’ll come away with empathy for your users, a new mode of internal communication, and the necessary groundwork for future innovation.
We help answer questions like:
Who are our users?
How many unique types of people do we serve?
What do people need from our product?
What should we prioritize as we roll out new products?
How can we implement design updates to suit all users?
Do different types of users interact with our products differently?
What can I expect from persona creation with Centralis?
We develop research-backed personas that provide valuable insight for your designers.
In-Depth Research
We employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to gain a deep understanding of your users’ needs and wants.
Real People
We focus on activities and behaviors rather than demographics, creating personas that transcend stereotypes and stay grounded in your actual users.
Intentional Recruiting
We’ll work with you to determine the gaps of knowledge about your customers and recruit the right folks to provide a comprehensive understanding of your user base.
Clear Illustration
We communicate your personas using a combination of photos, quotes, and mnemonic devices to help your team empathize with your customers.
spot on – such a great use of resources partnering with you all."
- Centralis Client
FAQs about Persona Creation
What is a persona?
Personas are graphical representations of groups of users that communicate their behavioral and attitudinal characteristics. We base personas on actual users, by aggregating data from a variety of UX research methods. Personas encourage empathy for users and drive innovation among design teams.
How often should I revisit existing personas?
It is important to update personas when there are big changes to the marketplace and/or the technology affecting it. For example, many retail companies revisited their personas once smartphones became a key shopping tool. We recommend conducting periodic updates to ensure your personas stay on track.
How involved can I be in this process?
You can be as involved as you would like! You’re welcome to collaborate with us during the research and data review, and often clients will nominate a team member or two to participate in analysis workshops and report back. At the end of the project, we also host a workshop to introduce your team to the personas and the framework.
How do personas relate to market segmentation?
While market segmentation tends to group customers based on quantitative demographics, personas relate more to users’ behaviors and motivations. Market segmentation helps you determine how to sell an existing product, while personas demonstrate the most fruitful ways to innovate for your customers. Both of these techniques work together to provide a clearer picture of your user base.
How long does it take to create personas?
The research phase generally takes 4-6 weeks and the analysis an additional 2-3 weeks. The timeline depends on the nature of your audience and the depth of our research. We’ll share what we learn with you along the way to ensure that you stay informed.
How many personas should I have?
The number of personas depends on the variability within your customer base. Our UX research will determine the core dimensions of difference within your audience, which will reveal how many personas are relevant for the design team to consider. All that said, the number is often between four and six.
More questions about persona creation?
Persona Creation in Action
Case Study: Money Matters
Discover needed their designers to be grounded in a rich understanding of the customers they serve. They turned to us, their longtime UX research partner, to identify how the range of Discover cardmembers differ in their use of credit cards and their overall relationships with finances.
Why Centralis
We have over 20 years of experience and the numbers to prove it:
professional, responsive, dependable, and a pleasure to work with."
- Centralis Client