Post on 16-Apr-2017
STORIES NEED CHARACTERSWHY YOU NEED A CUSTOMER AVATAR
cc: The Plastic President - https://www.flickr.com/photos/51353457@N02
You're building a
new feature but not sure if it will gain
traction...
cc: MDMA. - https://www.flickr.com/photos/46856546@N02
You ask: Does it resonate?
• Maybe only you can appreciate it?
• Maybe it doesn't make sense to anyone outside your team?
cc: mark sebastian - https://www.flickr.com/photos/71865026@N00
You may or may not know the job-to-be done. Regardless, it's not
enough.cc: Greg Marshall - https://www.flickr.com/photos/86874036@N00
You may know that...
• You have a better web design solution
• Your service is superior over the popular solution
• Your customers are business owners
cc: Au Kirk - https://www.flickr.com/photos/64441474@N06
That knowledge isn't enough.
You can't talk to a faceless, blank wall.
cc: Darkroom Daze - https://www.flickr.com/photos/25453448@N02
You need to look at a specific face
The Lessoncc: garryknight - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8176740@N05
Imagine...• Star Wars without Luke
Skywalker • Harry Potter without Harry • Lord of The Rings without
Frodo
cc: DanieleCivello - https://www.flickr.com/photos/74302553@N00
How do you build...
• An ad • A social media post • A blog article • A product feature • A service or gig
cc: William Brawley - https://www.flickr.com/photos/93841400@N00
You need to have your finger on the pulse of your
audience.
cc: quinn.anya - https://www.flickr.com/photos/53326337@N00
The only way to do this is to simulate a real
conversation.cc: mark sebastian - https://www.flickr.com/photos/71865026@N00
Humans are pre-disposed to talk to someone
specific.
cc: Novowyr (Slow) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/62602097@N00
You need real a real person in
mind.cc: pengrin™ - https://www.flickr.com/photos/73072573@N00
Imagine watching a movie without any character.
You're building a product for a person who feels a
certain pain, but don't know who they are
cc: ArmandoH2O - https://www.flickr.com/photos/63898525@N07
Building a product without a specific consumer in mind is
like watching Harry Potter with a faceless Harry.
cc: Naíra Dias - https://www.flickr.com/photos/9391056@N08
You just can't appreciate it.
It won't allow you to build a product that deals with a
customer in a humane way.
cc: onesecbeforethedub - https://www.flickr.com/photos/38533398@N07
Without building for a persona, you're just
completing a project.cc: eioua - https://www.flickr.com/photos/19185494@N00
Don't think in terms of merely completing
projects.
The next time you build a feature or
write a blog post, do it for one person.
cc: titoalfredo - https://www.flickr.com/photos/22963627@N05