Personas represent archetypal users of products and services. Their goals and personal characteristics are indicative of the needs of larger groups of users. They act as

• Substitutes for real users, enabling the project team to stand in their shoes
• Reference points to help guide decisions throughout the design and development programme

Personas aid inclusive design because

• Users’ goals and needs become a common point of focus for the team
• The team can design for a manageable set of personas, knowing that they represent the needs of many users
• Design efforts can be prioritised based on the personas
• Disagreements over design decisions can be resolved by referring back to the personas
• Designs can be evaluated against the personas and their capabilities

The successful use of personas is critically dependent upon their relevance to the target market segments, together with the experience and imagination of the design team.

For further details on personas, see the Categorising users section within Knowledge & tools.