A persona is an archetypal representation of an actual user segment based on synthesized empirical research:
Must Include: Goals, motivations, core pain points, environmental context, and behavioral triggers.
Anti-Pattern: Avoid fictional trivia (e.g., 'favorite breakfast cereal' or 'uses a MacBook'); focus strictly on goals and frustrations relevant to the software.
Empathy Maps
Visualizes four quadrants of user experience during a task:
Says: Direct quotes from interview transcripts.
Thinks: Unspoken thoughts and private internal concerns.
Does: Observable physical actions and workarounds.
Feels: Emotional states (anxious, overwhelmed, confident).
Topics
The Spectrum of Design Deliverables: Strategy to Execution