A session run for the University of Edinburgh's Sustainability Advisory Group.

1. Using personas
Sharing the goals of the
Sustainable Edinburgh
website
Neil Allison
University Website Programme
www.usability-ed.blogspot.com
@usabilityed

2. Overview
1. A quick introduction to personas
• The what, why and how…
2. Meet the Sustainable Edinburgh
website personas
3. Group session
• Getting to know the personas
• Making them “real”

3. 5 steps to a user-focused website
1. Recognise that business results depend on
making your customers happy
2. Realise that you are not the user
3. Learn about your users by interacting with them
4. Make the findings of your research
understandable & actionable
5. Make decisions based on this user knowledge
The User Is Always Right

4. What is a persona?
• A stand-in for real users
– Representing the needs of user groups
• Identifying the user motivations, expectations
and goals that drive online behaviour
• Based on knowledge of real users
• Helping us keep the user at the forefront
as website content & features develop

5. But what
are the
benefits?

6. Personas bring focus
The User Is Always Right

7. Personas build empathy
The User Is Always Right

8. Personas encourage consensus
The User Is Always Right

9. Personas bring efficiencies
The User Is Always Right

10. How do we use personas?
• Get to know their traits & behaviours
– Challenge them: they should evolve & grow
• Reference them in website
development meetings
• Discuss content and feature decisions
using their attitudes and desires

11. How do we know
we’re doing it properly?
• When you find yourself saying:
– “I doubt Herbie would ever want to do that”
• And no one asks:
– “Who’s Herbie?”
• We’re probably getting there 

12. Sustainability personas
Meet your website visitors

13. The Process of Change
100%
Embed SRS into policies,
SRS part of strategies & procedures
Evolving “the way we
UoE ‘Business Recognise & communicate do things around
As Usual’ SRS activity & achievement here”
They should
Creating “SRS is look after us
where the kudos
Responsibility & Sustainability
before worrying
is” about the rest of
Mainstreaming of Social
world
Support best practice, Settlers
innovation & leadership
Like local & belonging;
Unlocking resources;
doing what’s normal
getting out of the
way; giving Demonstrate & report our main
‘permission’ soc., env., econ. impacts
“Feel good: we’re part
of the solution; we’re
Great to see the managing it
University doing effectively”
this - but is it for
real?
Could be good
for me - but why
is it so
Pioneers complicated?
Attracted by what’s interesting,
always questioning
SRS personal Prospectors Developed by Osbert Lancaster, Footprint,
& professional Want to make their lives based on: Research into motivating
better & be seen to succeed prospectors, settlers and pioneers to
interest of few change behaviours that affect climate
individuals emissions and Using values modes from
Cultural Dynamics Strategy & Marketing
www.cultdyn.co.uk
0%
Time

14. Jack: Bit of a lad, proud dad
• Technician in School of Engineering High autonomy in job Low autonomy
x
• Age 31
• Married with a son aged 3 Sees SRS highly Unclear about
x
relevant to work relevance to work
• Lives in Musselburgh
High personal Little personal
• Keen footballer, stock car mechanic interest in SRS x
interest
Confident in own Uncertain about
x
knowledge of SRS SRS
Jack likes his job and is keen to take on more responsibility Jack wants (from Sustainable Edinburgh):
- and he’d like the money. However he feels he should get
more recognition for the work he puts in - he keeps the show on the
road but the academics get the credit.
He reckons he’s in with good chance of promotion if he plays
his cards right.
Doing a good job is important, but family & friends come first.
University wants Jack to (in relation to SRS and other objectives):
He enjoys being a family man and wants to be a great dad for
his son. He’s worried though that he’ll have less time for five-a-side
football and being a mechanic for a local stock car team.
Jack and his wife’s dream is to move out the old council flat
they own into a brand new house with a garden for their kid.
Jack thinks climate change is for real, but doesn’t believe
anything he can do will make any real difference. Pain Points. Jack:
It’s big business that’s the problem, and anyway it’ll be a while • Doesn’t like being blamed for the world’s problems
before his family and people locally experience any problems. • Accepts change is necessary, needs information, not persuasion
He knows there’s some scientists at the University working on • Isn’t convinced that problems are here and now
climate change - perhaps they’ll help fix it. He wants to get on with
his own life - not worry about other people. Sustainable Edinburgh should:
His wife Tanya buys organic and fairtrade food when she can • Show Jack how he is helping solve problems
afford it: organic is healthier and fairtrade’s a nice way to help • Explain how changing his behaviour is effective and important
people. Jack’s suspicious that fairtrade doesn’t really help anyone • Demonstrate how Jack can leave a legacy for his son
and that organic food is a con - but if it keeps Tanya happy ...

15. Marcia: Ready to make her mark here … or elsewhere
• Senior Lecturer in School of Law High autonomy in job x Low autonomy
• Age 35 Sees SRS highly Unclear about
x
• Single no children relevant to work relevant to work
• Lives in Leith, rented flat High personal Little personal
x
• Recently moved from Canada interest in SRS interest
• Enjoys travel Confident in own Uncertain about
x
knowledge of SRS SRS
Marcia specialised in corporate law for her first six months Marcia wants (from Sustainable Edinburgh):
She’s already well liked and respected by staff and students.
She feels she’s found her feet (this post is a step up for her) and is
ready to start making her mark - ‘things could do with shaking up
around here’.
Marcia’s keen to progress up the academic ladder, and she’s
open minded about whether she’ll stay at Edinburgh long term.
She likes the department and the City, but hasn’t had time to University wants Marcia to (in relation to SRS and other objectives):
get to know people or Edinburgh - she feels cooped up and wants to
meet people and have some fun.
Marcia is aware of climate change and CSR issues in general
- and sees that they will increasingly affect some aspects of
corporate law - one of her friends has researched First Nations’ legal
challenges to mining in Canada.
Pain Points. Marcia:
While she knows she’s ‘not supposed’ to fly she has family
• Doesn’t like being blamed for the world’s problems
back home and all of Europe to explore - what’s she supposed to
do!? • Doesn’t like hearing about the implications of her behaviours &
choices
She read about some wonderful ethical fashion ranges in the
magazines - but they’re extortionate and the stuff in the shops is too • Doesn’t want to ‘give up’ any of the good things in life
‘worthy’. Sustainable Edinburgh should:
Marcia loves her MacBook Pro which she uses to Skype and • Make changes easy, contemporary and cost effective (but if it’s
Facebook with friends and family - she didn’t like feeling guilty when worth it, she’s happy to pay)
she read about the criticism of Apple for using ‘blood’ minerals from
• Show how people she admires are leading the way
Africa.
• Show how SRS could help Marcia advance her career

16. Herbie: laid back hippie, but gets things done
• Senior HR Manager in CMVM High autonomy in job x Low autonomy
• Age 53 Sees SRS highly Unclear about
x
• Married, two children at university relevant to work relevance to work
• Lives in Stockbridge High personal Little personal
x
interest in SRS interest
• Keen musician
Confident in own Uncertain about
x
knowledge of SRS SRS
Herbie previously worked for an international IT company. Herbie wants (from Sustainable Edinburgh):
He has been at Edinburgh for 7 years. He still takes pleasure
in the idiosyncrasies of academia - even when it frustrates him as he
tries to bring it into the modern world! He’s intrigued by how a such a
strange system actually works pretty well.
His colleagues see Herbie as quirky and unconventional - but
he’s recognised as a fair and supportive manager, and despite
seeming very laid back he knows everyone, knows the system and
can get things done. University wants Herbie to (in relation to SRS and other objectives):
Herbie and his family have lived in the same house since
before the children arrived. He has a wide network of friends locally
and through work, plays a regular jazz session a Stockbridge pub,
volunteers with a music therapy group and is on the board of a small
international development NGO.
Pain Points. Herbie:
Herbie is very aware of development and social justice issues
• Recognises this stuff is complex - and gets frustrated when
- and of the international implications of climate change for the
presented with simplistic analysis, and simple solutions
poor. He’s ambivalent about climate change policy in the west -
believing it dominated by corporate interests. • Concerned that this initiative will result in lots of noise and little
effective action
He feel a lot of ‘climate action’ is middle class hippies trying to
lead the good life rather than bringing about real change. • Suspicious that this is really a cost cutting agenda
He’s had a home energy check and has done what he can
given it’s a traditional stone terraced house. He cycles and uses the Sustainable Edinburgh should:
bus around town. • Provide evidence of effective change
He’s happy to see the University do more on these issues, • Encourage Herbie to take action, and not just debate this issues!
though he’s not sure how directly relevant it is to his work. He’s • Give Herbie opportunities to be part of taking this agenda forward
reserving judgment about the seriousness of their commitment.

17. Eva: is an enthusiast - almost an evangelista
• 2nd year PhD student, Social High autonomy in job x Low autonomy
Anthropology Sees SRS highly Unclear about
x
• Age 25 relevant to work relevance to work
• Single High personal Little personal
x
• Lives in student flat in Tollcross interest in SRS interest
Confident in own Uncertain about
x
knowledge of SRS SRS
Eva is researching aspects of bonded & forced labour in India. Eva wants (from Sustainable Edinburgh):
She’s also a campaigner with an Edinburgh based fairtrade
NGO and active in a several University societies. She travelled to
India after graduating and volunteered for 6 months at a project for
child quarry workers.
Eva is finding it difficult to focus on her PhD - although she’s
passionate about improving peoples’ lives she’s finding the slog of
research tedious. University wants Eva to (in relation to SRS and other objectives):
She’d rather be spending time with her friends putting the
world to rights - she’s concerned her research won’t really make any
impact and result in just another thesis that no one except the
examiner will read.
Eva is very aware of social justice and climate change issues.
While she agrees climate change is important, she believes
it’s distracting attention from improving the lives of oppressed people
in the developing world. Pain Points. Eva:
While she’s pleased that fairtrade and ethical products are • Get frustrated when people are encouraged to do the ‘right’ thing for
now widely available, she’s concerned that multinationals and the ‘wrong’ reason
supermarkets have watered down standards. She’s also frustrated • Believes people need to understand the full picture - making it simple
that lots of people buy ethical stuff because it’s fashionable and
makes it seem as if you’re not serious about the issues
aren’t really interested in the issues.
She feels carbon offsetting is just another example of the west Sustainable Edinburgh should:
trying to make the poor pay for our over indulgence, and that the • Provide a range of actions which Eva can evaluate and make up her
political agenda has been captured by the corporates. own mind on
Eva is vegan. Her flatmates joke (just) about not being able to • Provide access to detailed information and evidence
buy anything without being told what’s wrong with it. • Encourage Eva to learn to communicate more effectively

18. Group session
• 4 groups: 1 persona each
• Comments, suggestions
– Does your persona seem real?
– Anything missing from the group as a whole?
• Fill the gaps – practical, tangible objectives
– What do you think your persona wants?
– What does the University want your persona to do?

19. Next steps
• Your comments & feedback integrated
into the personas
• Final working copies distributed
• At all future steps of website planning &
review, put yourself in their shoes
– Remember: You are not the user!
– The site is for Jack, Marcia, Herbie & Eva

20. Thank you
• Any questions?
• Further reading:
– Persona articles & resources
http://bit.ly/a35FNF
– Cultural Dynamics Strategy & Marketing
Using values modes: www.cultdyn.co.uk