How to get personas to conform : A case study of design method compatibility

Abstract: This master’s thesis is built around a design case and aims to explore the possibility of combining three methods in the design process: contextual inquiry in the pre-study phase, the creation of personas to guide the design, and cooperative evaluation to test the prototype. The methods were used in a design project proposed by EssNet AB in Stockholm, an international company in the gaming business, for whom a prototype for their touchscreen interface was developed. The contextual inquiry consisted in visits to four different vendors, where the work situation and the current use of computer systems for game registration were studied. The results from the inquiry lay ground for the creation of two personas, one primary and one secondary. These personas then guided the design of both Lo-Fi and Hi-Fi prototypes. The design ideas of the Lo-Fi design phase were evaluated in several discussion sessions and the Hi-Fi prototype was finally tested by six participants, using the cooperative evaluation method. The conclusion drawn from the study is that although the three methods are indeed compatible, there is still a creative leap to make between the data gathered in the contextual inquiry and the creation of the personas. It is also of importance that the participants in the cooperative evaluation match the personas to some degree in order to confirm the personas’ validity.