User-created persona

Abstract

Persona is a communicative artefact for usability that currently functions under the umbrella of User-Centred Design (UCD). Since we argue usability methods differ across cultures, this project presents a cross-cultural research probe on persona generated by indigenous Otjiherero speakers in Namibia. The objective is to find out how participants in this milieu take on, understand and portray persona artefacts, what goals of User Experience (UX) emerge from the inquiry, and whether the artefacts created simulate or differ from those in literature. Tentative methods scaffold from benefits attained by persona in the attempt to advance persona technical communication in crosscultural design. This experience report presents initial findings on narrative content, rhetorical preferences, and the physical layout of persona artefacts as so-far constructed by Otjiherero speakers in rural Namibia. The report draws to a close reflecting on present challenges and advances, and indicating upcoming pathways.

Reconceptualising Personas Across Cultures: Archetypes, Stereotypes & Collective Personas in Pastoral Namibia

“…This specific study condenses the findings presented at CaTaC by Cabrero et al [9]. The study holds persona as research foci, while it belongs to a larger project where personas are co-created with urban and rural Namibian societies from different ethnic groups, namely ovaHerero, ovaHimba, Ovambo and Khoisan [10,11,12,13,14].…”

“…This we have observed through practical studies with persona as research foci, and whereby results have shown vital differences between UCD persona as it currently is and the methods to elicit data representative of the users for whom technological products or services may eventually be aimed at [10,11,12,13,14].…”

“…This scaffolds from our theoretical appreciation [26] and practical study [10,11,12,13,14], and from inspiring, hands-on projects such as those presented as follows:…”

“…Persona holds vital benefits such as (i) creating a solid understanding of target-users; (ii) providing early design requisites; (iii) introducing or reinforcing design thinking; (iv) enabling focus on users' goals and traits, and (v) portraying dimensions of the ecosystem where users operate. Further benefits of persona are stated in Cabrero [10].…”

A Critique of Personas as representations of "the other" in Cross-Cultural Technology Design

“…Persona as a Tool was framed in the Global North anchored in its etymology and semiotics, thus it carries values of its context of original use. As such there are two emerging and opposing views in using persona elsewhere: deployed as is [2,10,15,18,19,22,23], and adapting it to derive further situated offerings [3,4,8,16,20,31].…”