Personas and empathy maps are great tools to focus the functionality of a product to what the user actually wants while making sure user needs are at the forefront of all design decisions.
Personas:
Personas are a tool to keep product development focused and remind us who we’re actually building this app for. By putting a name and a face to the users, it makes them much more real while moving forward in the design process.
These personas were crafted based on the user research I conducted. After getting a much better grasp on the people who listen to podcasts, I created these personas to embody the characteristics and personality traits of the people I interviewed. They are also based on the data collected from my survey.
Empathy Maps:
Empathy maps help us get into the minds of the personas created and help steer the direction of the product. Knowing the user’s current frustrations and goals helps determine what functionality is most important to the first iteration of the product. Empathy maps make it easier to understand the user’s thought process–thus, focusing in on what exactly that initial product functionality should be. The feelings in quotes used in the below empathy maps come from in-person interviews conducted with podcast listeners.
Conclusion:
Now that I have a much better understanding of my user base and there needs, it’s time to focus on the apps main functionality and user stories.