Persona – an Overview

A persona is a model of a user that focuses on the individual’s goals when using an artefact. The model has a specific purpose as a tool for software and product design. The persona model resembles classical user profiles, but with some important distinctions. It is an archetypical representation of real or potential users. It’s not a description of a real, single user or an average user. The persona represents patterns of users’ behaviour, goals and motives, compiled in a fictional description of a single individual. It also contains made-up personal details, in order to make the persona more “tangible and alive” for the development team.