A persona is a fictional but realistic portrait that represents a typical group of users. It condenses research findings into one memorable character.

What a persona contains

• A name and a face — to bring it to life (e.g. “Sophie, 34”).
• Goals — what she is trying to achieve.
• Frustrations — what gets in her way today.
• Context — her job, her habits, her tools.

The persona acts as a compass for the whole team. Facing a decision, you ask: “Would this help Sophie?”. It stops you designing for an abstract average user and refocuses choices on concrete needs. Two to four personas are usually enough to cover the essentials of a project.

Key takeaway: a persona puts a human face on the data. You are no longer designing “for everyone”, but for someone specific.