Fast characters

Why?

The method provides a simple and quick insight into the worldview of different types of users. This enables the students to get inspirational new perspectives upon the problem at hand.

How?

The teacher asks the students to create some fast and simple user characteristics. For example, the technology nerd, the senior citizens, the fitness fanatic, the middle-aged carrier woman etc. Now, the teacher asks the students to connect each of these characters to the problem by writing down or drawing the story and experience that each character has with the problem.

Tips

The students can combine the method with the Personas method and thus develop their fast characters further into individual users as to create a more precise picture of, what users think, and how they act in different situations.

Literature

Grudin, J., & Pruitt, J. (2002, January). Personas, participatory design and product development: An infrastructure for engagement. In PDC (pp. 144-152).