Ogilvy asked me to illustrate four personas for American Express: individuals who embody the characteristics of their target user population and maintain focus on their needs and expectations. Personas enable design and development teams to understand how their marketing materials should be tailored.
Lynda
Lynda is an explorer who likes to “live life to the full”. Her attitude means she has lots of energy and is always on the move, exploring and embracing new things. She likes to be independent and is most likely to seek advice from peers and friends through trip advisor or blogs. She gets the inside track and shares her experiences through social media. Always on the move, her mobile is essential. She needs to feel connected 24/7 so she can access news feeds, online banking and music.
Ellen
Ellen is a nurturer. When she's not at work she loves to spending time with her children, enjoying a home cooked meal with friends or helping out in the local community. When she decides to go on holidays it's important that her children have fun and she'll often arrange holidays with other families. Technology is seen as a utility (for paying bills or buying groceries) but she also likes to take impromptu photos of herself and the family having fun, then share them online. Social media is primarily seen as a channel for keeping in touch with friends and family.
Ajay
Ajay is an achiever, driven by a desire for power and status. He works long hours so he can have a successful career, provide for his family and own the finer things in life. He takes great pleasure in a top of the range TV and sound system, enjoys being able to take his family on luxury holidays and loves being upgraded. Due to him being time–pressed (busy personal and professional lifestyle ) mobile technology is important as he needs to be available 24/7 and stay organised. He also likes to keep up to date with the latest tech and current affairs. Social media is a way of keeping in touch with friends and colleagues and only occasionally a platform for expressing his views on his passions and interests.
Richard
Richard – the self-directed persona – is looking for authenticity and life-enrichment in a brand. He maintains a healthy balance between work and home and loves going on family holidays centred on fun experiences and learning about new cultures. Technology is seen as a channel for accessing information. It allows him to research purchases thoroughly to ensure he's getting value and quality. He also maintains relationships and seeks the opinion of friends and family through social networks before making purchase decisions.