Four persona examples for UX/UI design

As UX/UI designers, we have to keep in mind that we’re creating a product for real people. A user persona is a perfect tool to humanize our research data. We’ll look at some UX persona examples later.

When we say the target user is women 35-60 years of age, our brains read it as numbers and not people.

But if we say that 42-year-old Martha is married, has two teenage sons and one adult daughter, our brains recognize her as a person.

What is a user persona? UX persona basics

In user experience and user interface (UX/UI) design, a persona is a fictional character that represents a typical user of an app, website, or other product.

A user persona helps clarify your target audience:

It helps with design iteration. During alpha and beta testing, the feedback you get will help you improve your user persona.It helps you identify the user. A persona helps you understand their needs.It gives you an understanding of user behavior.How to build a user persona

You’ll need to put a lot of thought and research into a persona. You want to be sure it accurately reflects real-life users.

Step 1: Give the persona a name

When naming your persona, give the character a first name and combine it with their function. This makes the persona memorable.

A SaaS product for CPAs could have a persona named Artie the Accountant. Millie the Mom could be a persona for a daycare website.

An app for a pet care business might have a persona named Pam the Pet Groomer.

Tip: Add a stock photo or drawing that represents your persona. This helps you identify with the persona and aids memory.

Step 2: Add demographics and interests

Here you give the personal data:

AgeGenderMarital statusOccupationLocation

Have a summary of the character’s personality. You can condense it into a quote that represents attitudes and feelings.

Step 3: Identify frustrations

Here we look at what the user wants to move away from. What kinds of problems does the user want to solve with your product?

Step 4: Identify wants and aspirations

This helps us find what kind of experience the user wants from the product.

Step 5: Review and update frequently

As we mentioned earlier, you’ll need to refine your persona during the user testing phase of the project. After the product launch, user feedback will help you keep the persona up to date.

Persona examples for UX/UI designUX persona example #1: mobile website for a supermarket

A local supermarket has its store inventory on a mobile website. This allows shoppers to see what items are in stock and in which aisle they can be found. Users can log in and make a shopping list.

Helen the HomemakerAge: 35Gender: FemaleMarital status: MarriedChildren: Two girls, ages 7 and 9Occupation: Stay-at-home momEducation: Associate’s degreeIncome: Husband makes $65,000/yearLocation: Joplin, MissouriQuote: “Family comes first.”Influencers: Oprah, Church leadersSources of info: Blogs, Facebook groups, TV, radioGoals: Get quality groceries for her family and stay on budgetValues: Holds traditional family valuesFrustrations: Juggling many tasksAspirations: Wants her family, friends, and church acquaintances to see her as a successful homemakerUX persona example #2: university website

Both the mobile and desktop versions of the site give students access to class schedules, course syllabi, student events, sporting events, fraternity and sorority mixers, and more.

Freddie the FreshmanAge: 18Gender: MaleMarital status: SingleChildren: NoneOccupation: StudentEducation: High school diplomaIncome: Allowance from his parents of $500/month on prepaid debit cardLocation: Austin, TXQuote: “Enjoy life while you’re young.”Influencers: Professors, fraternity brothersSources of info: TV, the university newspaper, blogsGoals: To be well-liked by his peersValues: Good grades are important, but it’s also important to have a good timeFrustrations: He has to choose which college activities are going to let him keep up with his studiesAspirations: To get the most out of the college experienceUX persona example #3: rental car virtual concierge

The app lets users reserve a car and check in when they arrive. Their car has a card inside with a scannable code to confirm they picked up the car. The app sends a confirmation that the user shows it to the security person at the exit. It makes dropping off the car convenient as well.

Business Class BenAge: 43Gender: MaleMarital status: MarriedChildren: Three girls, ages 13, 15, and 16Occupation: Manufacturing equipment salespersonEducation: MBAIncome: $140,000/yearLocation: Home in Gary, Illinois – travels all over the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.Quote: “You gotta make sacrifices to get ahead in life,”Influencers: Gary Vaynerchuk, Aaron Ross, Trish BertuzziSources of info: The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, finance blogs, sales blogsGoals: To earn enough to have a comfortable retirementValues: Providing good things for his family is the most importantFrustrations: Frequent travel is exhausting and wants to get hotels and rental cars without the hassleAspirations: Wants his business travel to be more enjoyableUX persona example #4: trucking dispatch system

This enterprise software is the next generation in trucking dispatch. It’s designed for trucking companies that specialize in oversize freight that requires a permit.

The system lets dispatch communicate load details, including pickup and drop-off locations, permits required, and appointment times. The driver can accept the work assignment and confirm the completion of pickup and drop-off.

As oversize loads may have route restrictions, the system assists the driver in finding the safest route. It helps the driver find the fueling locations with the best prices.

Heavy Haul HenryAge: 51Gender: MaleMarital status: DivorcedChildren: One daughter, age 22Occupation: Truck driver, oversize load specialtyEducation: Some collegeIncome: $112,000/yearLocation: Home in Tulsa, OK – travels all over the U.S. and CanadaQuote: “Six days on the road and I’m a-gonna make it home tonight.”Influencers: Radio talk show hostsSources of info: Mostly radio, some television, newspapersGoals: Find the safest routes, get the right permitsValues: Has a strong work ethicFrustrations: Inaccurate map programs, satellite link dead spots Aspirations: Find routes, fuel stops, and overnight parking easilyResources

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