A detailed, practical guide for creating meaningful and actionable personas in UX design. Building on Part 1 of the series—which introduced what personas are and why they’re useful—this second part shifts focus toward the how: walking readers through a five-step methodology that ensures personas are rooted in real user insights rather than assumptions.
Goltz presents a structured process adapted from Cooper’s well-known persona creation approach. It begins with identifying whom to study by creating screeners based on behaviors and demographics, followed by planning interviews or observations. The article emphasizes the importance of conducting unbiased, well-prepared sessions and then synthesizing the qualitative data into clear patterns. The final step is constructing personas that act as realistic proxies for key user groups. These personas help guide design decisions and keep user goals central throughout the product development lifecycle. The guide balances theoretical grounding with actionable tips, making it valuable for both beginners and experienced practitioners aiming to improve their user research process.
