Persona

A persona is a fictional, yet research-based representation of a real user. It captures key traits, goals, needs, and behaviors of a user segment to help the team build a shared understanding of who they're designing for.

In Agile product development, personas shift the focus from building features to delivering real user value. When teams understand who they're solving problems for, they make better product decisions---and generate value more effectively.

A good persona typically includes:

• Name and role
• Goals and motivations
• Pain points
• Context of use
• A short narrative or quote
• Demographic information (like age, location, or experience level) if it directly influences product usage

Personas can also be used directly in user stories---for example, filling in the first blank in "As a [user], I want..." to ensure that the story reflects a real and relevant user perspective.

Demographics -- useful or distracting?
Pro: Demographic details can provide context---especially when age, culture, or environment significantly affect how someone interacts with the product.
Con: If not clearly relevant, demographics can lead to stereotyping or distract from real user needs and behaviors.

Used well, personas are not fixed documents---they're living tools that support empathy, alignment, and better decision-making in Agile teams. They don't replace user research or feedback, but they help keep the user perspective front and center.