Using personas to improve feature selectivity by facilitating empathy
Files
First author draft
Date
2021
DOI
Authors
Miaskiewicz, Tomasz
Grant, Sue
Kozar, Kenneth
Version
First author draft
OA Version
Citation
Tomasz Miaskiewicz, Sue Grant, Kenneth Kozar. "Using Personas to Improve Feature Selectivity by Facilitating Empathy."
Abstract
This paper examines how the target users should be represented to improve the feature selectivity of designers. Specifically, this research investigates the utility of personas, a method for representing user needs through the use of a vivid, fictional character. We examine whether the persona representation helps designers focus their design choices on the needs of the target users without introducing extraneous features. We also test the role of empathy in the effectiveness of personas. In two experimental studies, we find support that a persona representation that facilitates empathy can help designers focus their design inferences on the target users. Taken as a whole, this research presents an initial step toward validating the impact of the personas and identifying factors that influence their utility.
Description
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.