Well, today has been a productive day thus far. I’ve been doing more reading as of late (always trying to catch up with Joy.) My insight for today has been I’ve been reading alot on how Personas are used and discussed in the website development process. I now that I am looking for work on using Personas as a navigational tool when designing how the website created.
So what I’ve been reading helps me to realize something important even if its not exactly what I am looking for. I’ve realized that most of the limited research done has been targeted towards college students, not seniors. I’ve learned that I have not found any recent research (yet) on using personas as a navigational tool other than what my colleagues are doing oversees.
I’ve also got a decent grasp on Persona usage history, timeline and the game players/changers. Everyone agrees that Cooper is the daddie of modern Persona usage. Thanks to my new blogfriend – andrea Richeson, she’s done a succuit current lit review naming folks prominent in the field today.
Alan Cooper -The Inmates are Running the Asylm (1998)
Alan Cooper – About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design (02?)
Alan Cooper’s company is still the KEY MODERN VOICE on Personas
Kim Goodwin of Cooper’s company in her 2003 article discuss how best to employ personas and what makes them great
Frank Long resaerch article is the first good academic research paper on the usage of persona’s. I want to base my work from his however his focuses on the website development (here’s my problem but I am sure I will use this in my lit review since its the most current and has the makings of a good research method for me to apply). His paper is entitled Real or Imagenary: The effectiveness of Personas in product design. He focuses on the importance of the use of photos versus illustration and a good scenario (story) to roundout the persona for the development team to use. This is exactly what I want to hear because I am basing my reserach on this thought but targeting seniors.
Peter Merhotz’s the best way to understand your customers is also key work. I just ordered his book. He wants us to understand not only the goal oriented persona but also the problems that keep them ‘up at night’ to take into account when designing for customers.
I was also introduced to the ‘haters’ of personas: Steve Protigal and Jason Fried. Both have their own design groups and simply disagree saying persona data is not properly representative of the client. I’ll read more later
Tina Calibria article An introduction to Personas and How to use them (2004) will be an important reading. I’ll find it today and read this week.
Steve Mulder’s book was also ordered today: The User is Always right. Both Calibria and Mulder focus on the importance of qualitative data to balance out the quantitative data when designing or customizing/creating your persona. So overall, a good info day on persona
Comments on LIFE/PERSONAL
Well, I am working hard to get into a good head space. This month…Not one to repeat and for the record books, I wish I could delete it. There’s been major distractions and lots of pain. I am working through it as best I can however I am still quite distant. I am tired of the beating up of ’self.’ I am not sure today where I am going but I know I am going to need ‘more’ in order for me to get trust back. I did ‘F’ up but I never intentially set out to hurt. But I did on many fronts because I lacked communication skills. I simply got too much going on. But the does not justify what I have been and am still getting in return. But hey, one damn day at a time.
RANT ON WORK
That damn JOB! ARGH! LOL. I tell you, Brotha cant get a f-in break sometimes. Things are beginning to settle down. Thank God and all the higher powers. Some days, my ‘indirect’ team members are impossible and make me lose sanity. But Friday was a decent day. I am going to keep working at it.
I need some time off.
Moving forward, I am going to go and enjoy comic books this week, a movie , a new DVD on Batman/Superman and find some funny. 