persona-creation

# Persona Creation

Personas bridge research and design. They transform abstract user data into concrete, actionable profiles that inform every product decision.

**This skill extends `ux-design`** — use ux-design for general UX process, this skill for deep persona work.

## Pipeline Overview

```
Research → Synthesis → Personas → Journeys → Validation
    ↓          ↓           ↓          ↓           ↓
  Data     Patterns    Profiles    Maps      Testing
```

### When to Use What

| Situation | Approach | Output |
|-----------|----------|--------|
| Early stage, limited time | Proto-personas | Assumption-based profiles to validate |
| Have research data | Traditional personas | Full demographic + behavioral profiles |
| Focus on motivation | JTBD profiles | Job stories + hiring criteria |
| Need team alignment | Empathy maps | Visual synthesis of user mindset |
| Understanding flow | Journey maps | Step-by-step experience mapping |

## Quick Decision Framework

```
Do you have user research data?
├── No → Create Proto-Personas (validate later)
└── Yes → Do you need demographic detail?
          ├── Yes → Traditional Personas
          └── No → Focus on motivation?
                   ├── Yes → JTBD Profiles
                   └── No → Empathy Maps
```

## Core Principles

### 1. Research-Backed, Not Invented
Personas based on assumptions fail. Even proto-personas should be explicitly marked as hypotheses to validate.

### 2. Actionable, Not Decorative
Every persona element should inform a design decision. If a detail doesn't affect the product, remove it.

### 3. Minimal Viable Set
3-5 personas maximum. More than 5 = unfocused product. If you need more, you're building multiple products.

### 4. Living Documents
Personas evolve with user understanding. Schedule regular reviews and updates.

### 5. Specific Over Generic
- ❌ "Sarah is a busy professional"
- ✅ "Sarah reviews 50+ candidates weekly and needs to make hiring decisions in under 2 minutes per resume"

## Out