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1 – 10 of over 3000
Article
Publication date: 20 June 2019

Misbahu S. Zubair, David Brown, Thomas Hughes-Roberts and Matthew Bates

Personae are simple tools for describing users, their characteristics and their goals. They are valuable tools when designing for a specific group of users, such as children with…

Abstract

Purpose

Personae are simple tools for describing users, their characteristics and their goals. They are valuable tools when designing for a specific group of users, such as children with autism spectrum condition (ASC). The purpose of this paper is to propose, validate and revise a methodology for creating accurate, data grounded personae for children with ASC.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed method is based mainly on Cooper et al.’s (2007) persona construction method. It proposes gathering and analysing qualitative data from users and experts to either create a new persona or extend an existing one. The method is then applied to create personae for the design of a visual programming tool for children with ASC. Based on the results of the application, observations and lessons learnt, a revised version of the method is proposed.

Findings

The method’s combined use of user data and expert knowledge produced a set of personae that have been well reviewed by experts so far. The method’s use of a questionnaire to validate personae also produced relevant qualitative feedback. On review, possible downsides of extending existing personae were identified. Therefore, a revised method was introduced, eliminating the need to extend existing personae, and stressing the importance of utilising user data, expert knowledge and feedback.

Originality/value

This paper addresses the need for a well-defined method for creating data grounded personae that accurately describe the characteristics and goals of children with ASC. Such personae can be used to design and develop more accessible and usable products.

Details

Journal of Enabling Technologies, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6263

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 31 July 2021

Tra Huynh, Adrian Madsen, Sarah McKagan and Eleanor Sayre

Personas are lifelike characters that are driven by potential or real users’ personal goals and experiences when interacting with a product. Personas support user-centered design…

3278

Abstract

Purpose

Personas are lifelike characters that are driven by potential or real users’ personal goals and experiences when interacting with a product. Personas support user-centered design by focusing on real users’ needs. However, the use of personas in educational research and design requires certain adjustments from its original use in human-computer interface design. This paper aims to propose a process of creating personas from phenomenographic studies, which helps us create data-grounded personas effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

Personas have features that can help address design problems in educational contexts. The authors compare the use of personas with other common methodologies in education research, including phenomenology and phenomenography. Then, this study presents a six-step process of building personas using phenomenographic study as follows: articulate a design problem, collect user data, assemble phenomenographic categories, build personas, check personas and solve the design problem using personas. The authors illustrate this process with two examples, including the redesign of a professional development website and an undergraduate research program design.

Findings

The authors find that personas are valuable tools for educational design websites and programs. Phenomenography can productively help educational designers and researchers build sets of personas following the process the authors propose.

Originality/value

The use and method of personas in educational contexts are scarce and vague. Using the example contexts, the authors provide educational designers and researchers a clear method of creating personas that are relatable and applicable for their design problems.

Details

Information and Learning Sciences, vol. 122 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5348

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 August 2021

Shamal Faily, Claudia Iacob, Raian Ali and Duncan Ki-Aries

This paper aims to present a tool-supported approach for visualising personas as social goal models, which can subsequently be used to identify security tensions.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a tool-supported approach for visualising personas as social goal models, which can subsequently be used to identify security tensions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors devised an approach to partially automate the construction of social goal models from personas. The authors provide two examples of how this approach can identify previously hidden implicit vulnerabilities and validate ethical hazards faced by penetration testers and their safeguards.

Findings

Visualising personas as goal models makes it easier for stakeholders to see implications of their goals being satisfied or denied and designers to incorporate the creation and analysis of such models into the broader requirements engineering (RE) tool-chain.

Originality/value

The approach can be used with minimal changes to existing user experience and goal modelling approaches and security RE tools.

Details

Information & Computer Security, vol. 29 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2018

Jakob Trischler, Anita Zehrer and Jessica Westman

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the usability of different design methods in understanding the customer experience from a contextual and systemic standpoint.

2731

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the usability of different design methods in understanding the customer experience from a contextual and systemic standpoint.

Design/methodology/approach

Three design methods (i.e. personas, observations and collaborative service mapping) were applied to analyze customer experiences in two service settings. These methods’ usability was compared across the two settings.

Findings

Personas, as informed by phenomenological interviews, provide insights into the customer’s broader lifeworld context. These insights assist in connecting with and understanding the customer experience from a dyadic customer-firm perspective. The involvement of the customer in service mapping activities supports the validation of findings and gives access to experience dimensions beyond the immediate service setting.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis is limited to three design methods and is based on small samples. Future research should systematically review design methods to provide a basis for a more comprehensive evaluation.

Practical implications

To successfully capture the contextual and systemic nature of the customer experience, managers should apply interpretive approaches and actively involve selected customers as “experts of their experiences”. The study provides guidelines on how design methods can be combined and applied to a more holistic customer experience analysis.

Originality/value

The paper shows that design methods, when applied in a combined form, can support an analysis that captures both in-depth insights into the customer’s lifeworld and the complexity of value constellations.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 32 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 May 2019

Francesco Ciclosi, Paolo Ceravolo, Ernesto Damiani and Donato De Ieso

This chapter analyzes the compliance of some category of Open Data in Politics with EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. After clarifying the legal basis of…

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the compliance of some category of Open Data in Politics with EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. After clarifying the legal basis of this framework, with specific attention to the processing procedures that conform to the legitimate interests pursued by the data controller, including open data licenses or anonymization techniques, that can result in partial application of the GDPR, but there is no generic guarantee, and, as a consequence, an appropriate process of analysis and management of risks is required.

Details

Politics and Technology in the Post-Truth Era
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-984-3

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 6 September 2023

Georgia Beardman, Naomi Godden, Mehran Nejati, Jaime Yallup Farrant, Leonie Scoffern, James Khan, Joe Northover and Angus Morrison-Saunders

Climate change is a global issue with far-reaching environmental, social and economic consequences. As more people become aware of these consequences, pressure is mounting on…

Abstract

Climate change is a global issue with far-reaching environmental, social and economic consequences. As more people become aware of these consequences, pressure is mounting on governments and businesses to implement ambitious and required climate mitigation and adaptation plans to reduce and finally stop making the climate crisis worse. One of these strategies is just transition, which is defined as the call for climate transformation that prioritises the social and environmental needs of workers and vulnerable groups, especially in the context of transitioning away from fossil fuels, while leaving no one behind. This chapter first provides an overview of just transition through a review of the literature and bibliometric analysis. Then, it discusses just transition in policymaking, comprising reactive, proactive and transformational just transition approaches. This is followed by a discussion on barriers to just transition. Finally, the chapter offers a practical example of transformational just transition approach by reporting some preliminary findings from a case study in the coal mining town of Collie on Wilman Boodja, Western Australia.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 October 2015

Shamal Faily

This paper aims to present an approach where assumption personas are used to engage stakeholders in the elicitation and specification of security requirements at a late stage of a…

1395

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present an approach where assumption personas are used to engage stakeholders in the elicitation and specification of security requirements at a late stage of a system’s design.

Design/methodology/approach

The author has devised an approach for developing assumption personas for use in participatory design sessions during the later stages of a system’s design. The author validates this approach using a case study in the e-Science domain.

Findings

Engagement follows by focusing on the indirect, rather than direct, implications of security. More design approaches are needed for treating security at a comparatively late stage. Security design techniques should scale to working with sub-optimal input data.

Originality/value

This paper contributes an approach where assumption personas engage project team members when eliciting and specifying security requirements at the late stages of a project.

Details

Information & Computer Security, vol. 23 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4961

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 15 December 2016

Holt Zaugg

Library space and services should center on library patrons and what they need. Trying to match the needs of each patron can become a daunting task. A new approach needs to be…

Abstract

Purpose

Library space and services should center on library patrons and what they need. Trying to match the needs of each patron can become a daunting task. A new approach needs to be taken – one that describes patrons and their needs in a useful way. Using an approach from marketing and product design, personas or user groups offer a unique approach to thinking and describing patron needs to assist in the identification and design of library space and services.

Methodology/approach

The identification, development, and validation of personas employs an iterative process using both qualitative and quantitative methods to first identify user patterns, then develop the patterns into meaningful descriptions, and finally to validate the personas. Once validated, additional data is collected, and, as librarians become persona-minded, the persona descriptions continue to be enriched.

Findings

The chapter provides a description of personas found in one academic library and how those personas were developed before being used to assist in library space identification and development. One unique feature of our personas was the fluid nature where patrons would shift personas depending on personal needs.

Practical implications

Personas are a practical and meaningful tool for thinking about library space and service design in the development stage. Several examples of library spaces that focus on the needs of specific personas are provided.

Details

The Future of Library Space
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-270-5

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 July 2010

Zsuzsa Koltay and Kornelia Tancheva

The purpose of this paper is to outline a fast track process Cornell used to develop a user‐focused vision and recommendations on how Cornell University Library should present…

1522

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline a fast track process Cornell used to develop a user‐focused vision and recommendations on how Cornell University Library should present itself and the information landscape to its users.

Design/methodology/approach

A consultant was hired to conduct local interviews probing audience work habits and needs and to synthesize them into composite personas segmented on the basis of “like” behavior. These “imaginary friends” helped validate and supplement user studies done elsewhere and existing quantitative data from Cornell, thus influencing all the decisions and recommendations that the team produced.

Findings

The personas can also serve as a way to effectively communicate about and develop empathy for user needs throughout planning and implementation.

Practical implications

Understanding and assessing the information seeking and managing needs, habits, and expectations of a library's audience are crucial for creating a digital library environment that is relevant to users. While anthropological studies are most meaningful, can you be sure that results produced at other institutions are complete and relevant for your own environment and purpose? The use of personas provides an effective tool that validates such comparisons.

Originality/value

Personas have been mostly used in industry, but in our process they proved a useful and relevant benchmark for the academic library environment.

Details

Performance Measurement and Metrics, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-8047

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2018

Holt Zaugg and Donna Harp Ziegenfuss

A persona describes a group of library patrons as a single person to better identify and describe user patterns and needs. Identifying personas in academic libraries can assist in…

Abstract

Purpose

A persona describes a group of library patrons as a single person to better identify and describe user patterns and needs. Identifying personas in academic libraries can assist in library planning by focusing on patrons. Initially, personas were thought to be unique to each library; additional insights led the researchers to rethink this assertion. The purpose of this paper is to determine if personas, developed in one library, are unique or more universal than previously thought.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 903 surveys were completed across two institutions asking library patrons to identify use patterns within each library. Mean score responses were analyzed using an ANOVA, principal component analysis and RapidMiner technology. All analyses were used to identify personas with common interests and places personas in groups or neighborhoods.

Findings

The findings provide evidence for the universality of academic library personas. However, differences occur in how the personas are grouped and use different library services and resources.

Originality/value

Personas allow librarians to view patrons in a more personal way as they connect personas to specific library spaces. While the personas appear to be universal, their interactions with each other depend on specific library amenities.

Details

Performance Measurement and Metrics, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-8047

Keywords

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