To design IT-systems we need empathy for the humans using the systems we design, to understand their fears and aspirations, to understand the world they inhabit, and the context of use.
Personas, user types, or whatever you call it, are means to that end. Over the years a certain way of presenting the descriptions has developed – a one-pager with a photo, a name and age, a description. Maybe the different descriptions are color-coded to make the reader able to distinguish between different descriptions.
However, the actual writing of empathic personas can be a daunting and difficult task.
What if we could learn from those who are skilled in the craft of writing to create empathy for others? What if we could draw inspiration from the empathy evoked by characters we identify with on stage or on television?
What if there are parallels to be drawn between crafting a character, and how designers must consider the fears and aspirations of the users interacting with the systems and services we construct?
Archetypical characters in dramatic Tragedy and Comedy have been developed and refined over centuries across multiple countries and playwrights to become the modern personas we loyally “binge-watch” on our streaming platforms. We propose that there is inspiration to get from this historical process and the famous characters, we all know and love from world theatre.
In this one-day workshop, script writer, Kevin Doyle, and persona researcher, Lene Nielsen, will cover the foundations of personas and empathic character writing. Kevin Doyle will share with class participants specific examples and templates normally only available to “show-runners” and executives working in the TV/Film industries to help demystify the writing process.