Confusion and Information Triggered by Photos in Persona Profiles

Introduction

For one of our persona research projects we investigate whether additional photos beyond a single headshot makes a persona profile more informative without confusing the end user.

Methods

We conduct an eye-tracking experiment and qualitative interviews with digital content creators after varying the persona in photos via a single headshot, a headshot, and photo of the persona in different contexts, and a headshot with photos of different people with key persona attributes the gender and age.

Findings

Findings show that contextual photos provide significantly more persona information to end users; however, showing photos of multiple people engenders confusion and lowers informativeness. Also, as anticipated, viewing additional photos requires more co.gnitive focus, which is measured by eye-tracking metrics; these metrics are correlated with levels of informativeness and confusion.

Furthermore, various interpretations of the persona based on the choice of photos are biased by the end users’ experiences and preconceptions.

Implications for Persona Design

Concerning persona design, findings indicate that persona creators need to consider the intended persona use objectives when selecting photos and when producing persona profiles. Using contextual photos can improve informativeness, but this demands more cognitive focus from end users.

Conclusion

Thus, adding contextual photos increases the perceived informativeness of the persona profile without being obfuscating, but multiple photos of different people do evoke confusion about the targeted persona.

Read full research

Salminen, J., Jung, S.G., An, J., Kwak, H. Nielsen, L., and Jansen, B. J. (2019) Confusion and Information Triggered by Photos in Persona Profiles. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. 129(2019), 1-14

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