Comments on: A Few Followup Questions from the Building Robust Personas Seminar http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/11/15/a-few-followup-questions-from-the-building-robust-personas-seminar/ UIE\'s latest insights on the world of design Fri, 5 Dec 2008 14:47:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Steve Portigal http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/11/15/a-few-followup-questions-from-the-building-robust-personas-seminar/#comment-94485 Steve Portigal Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:43:03 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/11/15/a-few-followup-questions-from-the-building-robust-personas-seminar/#comment-94485 >We’ve found it’s not useful to ask them what their vision of the perfect product is. >At best, they can only tell you what they have seen elsewhere. (If I were to ask you > what improvements you’d like to see in cars coming off the production line in 2012, > what would you tell me that wasn’t part of today’s existing technology or some part > of popular science fiction?) I'm always concerned over general statements about what NOT to ask; it really depends on what you are trying to learn. As came up earlier today on another blog (http://www.customercrossroads.com/customercrossroads/2007/11/jason-oke-talks.html?cid=90043128) there's a difference between the question you want answers to and the question you ask. Getting people to talk about their dream solution can be very revealing. It's not incumbent on you to take that response literally. I agree, there are solution myths floating out there in almost every topic we explore (usually involving wireless technology, or a laundry machine that will fold clothes and put them away automatically); but uncovering those can be very useful. Often our client subscribes to those same myths. And one doesn't necessarily know at the outset what is low-hanging-fruit that no one has (for some reason) addressed, and what is a myth. These myths also reveal barriers to the adoption of new solutions and mental models that are driving current behavior. So ask it, please, but make sure you are savvy about how to interpret the responses. >We’ve found it’s not useful to ask them what their vision of the perfect product is.
>At best, they can only tell you what they have seen elsewhere. (If I were to ask you
> what improvements you’d like to see in cars coming off the production line in 2012,
> what would you tell me that wasn’t part of today’s existing technology or some part
> of popular science fiction?)

I’m always concerned over general statements about what NOT to ask; it really depends on what you are trying to learn. As came up earlier today on another blog (http://www.customercrossroads.com/customercrossroads/2007/11/jason-oke-talks.html?cid=90043128) there’s a difference between the question you want answers to and the question you ask.

Getting people to talk about their dream solution can be very revealing. It’s not incumbent on you to take that response literally. I agree, there are solution myths floating out there in almost every topic we explore (usually involving wireless technology, or a laundry machine that will fold clothes and put them away automatically); but uncovering those can be very useful. Often our client subscribes to those same myths. And one doesn’t necessarily know at the outset what is low-hanging-fruit that no one has (for some reason) addressed, and what is a myth. These myths also reveal barriers to the adoption of new solutions and mental models that are driving current behavior.

So ask it, please, but make sure you are savvy about how to interpret the responses.

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