Guide
6 user persona mistakes to avoid
Six common mistakes teams make with user persona templates, each with the fix: filling fields without evidence, designing for the persona instead of testing with real users, never updating personas, adding demographics that do not change behaviour, confusing personas with segments and skipping the anti-persona. Use it as a review list before you share a persona with the team. Koji keeps personas tied to fresh interview evidence, which makes them easier to keep current.
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What's in this guide
- Filling every field without evidence: Five well-supported fields beat fifteen made-up ones.
- Designing for the persona, not with users: Test designs with the actual users in your panel, not your reading of a poster.
- One-and-done personas: A persona file untouched for 12 months is a historical record, not a research tool.
- Demographic overreach: Leave out age, gender and location unless they change the behaviour.
- Confusing personas with segments: A segment is statistical. A persona is the story of that segment. You need both.
- Skipping the anti-persona: Without one, the persona drifts toward everyone and loses its power.
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<a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/user-persona-mistakes-six-to-avoid"><img src="https://www.koji.so/visuals/user-persona-mistakes-six-to-avoid/user-persona-mistakes-six-to-avoid.png" alt="List of six user persona mistakes: unsupported fields, designing for a poster, one-off personas, demographic overreach, persona vs segment, no anti-persona." width="1080" height="1080" /></a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/user-persona-mistakes-six-to-avoid">6 user persona mistakes to avoid</a>, Koji</p>
