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Persona development

Kevin White edited this page Mar 28, 2021 · 34 revisions

This is a working document.

See also WCAG 2 Videos

Content

Lee

Quote ideas

I often miss items on sale because it is hard for me to spot the red labels used to show those things

Short description

Online shopper with color blindness Color blind, young-ish, web-savvy, shops online (item discrimination as well as forms), files his taxes online, plays online games with friends

Personal details

Lee enjoys shopping for clothes and spending time with his friends. He plays a lot of online games from football to first person shooters.

Clothes shopping can be a problem when he is looking at the colors and there isn't a description. Lee finds it difficult to tell the difference between red and green. For him they both look browny. Other colors can be difficult as well, especially when he is on his out and about on his mobile. Having a label on colour swatches does help - if it doesn't suit him, his partner will soon tell him anyway!

Lee plays in a fantasy football league with his friends. Sometimes there can be problems with the strip colors but fortunately the description usually makes it clear which team is which.

It's hard to distinguish required fields and error messages on forms when they are identified by color (often red).

Online scenarios

  • Shopping for clothes and considering the color of items
  • Online sports
  • Playing first person shooter with friends
  • Filling out forms - spotting required fields and errors/error messages

Problem: When I select a color choice there is nothing to help me differentiate between the colors.

Works well: The color choices are shown with a descriptive name. The good sites have a link to a slightly longer description of the colour.

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

  • Color blind does not mean no color perception at all
  • Red/green isn't the only type of color blindness

Needs or barriers to be included

  • Don't use color alone
  • Good contrast
  • Poor colour choices for adjacent colors

Impact of barriers

  • Filling out forms can be tedious
  • Hard to choose the right shirt/necktie/top/jacket
  • Note that if Lee were female, we might be able to say more, e.g.,finding shoes or a purse to go with an outfit, finding the right shade of lipstick

Technologies or adaptations used

  • High contrast mode/Dark mode
  • Zoom
  • Color filters

Related resources

Related principles/success criteria

Alex

Quote ideas

It's not like I can't use a keyboard or mouse, I just can't use it for long periods and really like to keep my use to a minimum. I don't want my condition to get worse

Short description

Alex is a data entry clerk working for a high street bank. He has repetitive strain injury. She finds it tiring and painful to use a keyboard and mouse for extended periods. She often needs to save her progress and return to it at a later time when she is less tired. If he perseveres and tried to work through the pain, this can result in him having to call in sick for a day or two until he can rest up and recover. Because he is not paid for sick days, this can impact his monthly income.

Personal details

  • How did he develop his repetitive stress injury? (common condition, very painful, can come on suddenly)
  • Young, often in a hurry, does a lot online - banking, booking travel...., plus his job - need to watch the stereotype of young = digitally savvy
  • Because he can use a mouse, he's not very adept at knowing keyboard commands for everything he wants to do - this might be more historically, learned to use a mouse with limited keyboard shortcuts, needing to relearn how he does things
  • Mobile is easier - no pointing device, limited navigation, hand-held so can find a comfortable position, comes with it's own limitations
  • Because mobile is often easier, wishes his employer would create a mobile-friendly/responsive site (would fit well for someone who does data entry) - mobile friendly work environement, digital workplace tooling

Online scenarios

  • Submitting a story via his newspaper's online portal
  • Submitting a timesheet
  • Long online form - tax, health, etc
  • Poor visible focus for links

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

  • Not everyone navigates the web using a mouse.
  • Keyboard navigation is only important to people who can't use a mouse/pointing device.
  • We'll get around to developing a mobile-friendly site when the schedule/budget allows it.

Needs or barriers to be included

  • Control over or no timeouts
  • Keyboard navigation
  • Limited typing and scrolling
  • Modal windows work properly (currently not included)
  • No keyboard traps (currently not included)
  • Saving during long, multi-step processes (currently not included)
  • Visible skip links
  • Focus visible
  • Meaningful sequence

Impact of barriers

  • Websites time out and he has to start over
  • Doesn't know where he is on a page (focus visible)
  • On new page, has to navigate through long menus (skip link)
  • Takes a long time to get through all content, especially if the link he needs is at the bottom
  • Loses work
  • Link he wants is at the top, on the right but he has to navigate through the entire page to get to it because of where the link is in the tab order.

Technologies or adaptations used

  • Alternative Keyboard
  • Vertical Mouse
  • Speech Recognition Software
  • Assistive Touch on mobile

Related resources

Related principles

  • Text alternatives for non-text content (Perceivable)
  • Content can be presented in different ways (Perceivable)
  • Functionality is available from a keyboard (Operable)
  • Users have enough time to read and use the content (Operable)
  • Users can easily navigate, find content, and determine where they are (Operable)
  • Content appears and operates in predictable ways (Understandable)
  • Users are helped to avoid and correct mistakes (Understandable)
  • Content is compatible with current and future user tools (Robust)

Martine

Quote ideas

Most people don't realise that sign language is a completely different language. I can read text but it is hard as I am always translating from my native language

Short description

  • Highlights broader benefits of captions and transcripts - possibly, but it might be better to stick to the individual
  • Deaf since birth
  • Learned sign language as a young child, also reads lips

Personal details

  • Works out at a gym
  • Doesn't feel different/disabled when on the treadmill because she notices other people watching TV just like her
  • Loves the glamour of Hollywood and grew up watching TV with her parents who would simultaneously sign for her
  • Availability of captions for many shows has given her a sense of independence, doesn't have to rely on someone else to sign - reading speed?
  • Smart appliances with mobile apps that alert her through vibration, visual signals increase her independence - physical example
  • Maybe she lives with roommates who don't like the same shows that she does so she retreats to her room to watch TV on her computer or mobile device
  • Impact on learning
  • How auto-captioning has changed things but still not ideal

Online scenarios

  • Watches TV and movies
  • Video conferences with colleagues/friends/family
  • Reading long blocks of text

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

  • Only people who are deaf benefit from captions and transcripts, vibrating alerts - covered in perspective videos, think this needs to stick to the individuals
  • Sign language is a different language and needs to be translated to the local written language
  • Not all people who are Deaf use sign language

Needs or barriers to be included

  • Captioning for videos
  • Glossary of technical terms (currently not included)
  • Heading structure (currently not included)
  • Plain language (currently not included)
  • Sign language
  • Transcripts for audio and video
  • Use linear, logical layout (currently not included)

Impact of barriers

  • Can't watch her favorite shows
  • More importantly, doesn't know about audio alerts
  • Can't participate in unsigned lectures
  • Long texts can be tiring
  • Complicated or unusual words may not translate to sign language that well
  • Would a young version of Martine have more difficulty with language - less time learning second language?

Technologies or adaptations used

  • (Auto) captions
  • Transcripts

Related resources

Related principles

Ilya

Quote ideas

My mobile phone is great - I can do so much because the accessibility and screenreader are all built in. Shame I can't access our corporate systems with it!

Short description

Senior staff member who is blind

Personal details

  • Senior accountant
  • Staff training
  • Presentations
  • Enjoys travel and holidays
  • Hobby with online community - knitting, cooking, ?

Online scenarios

  • Workplace software - accountancy package/time tracking/holiday booking
  • Video conference chat interface
  • Flight bookings
  • Uses transcripts to listen to content more quickly with screen reader
  • CAPTCHA

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

  • Blind people can't use digital technology
  • Transcripts can be useful for more than just deaf and hard of hearing

Needs or barriers to be included

  • Alternative text
  • Audio and video transcripts (currently not included)
  • Consistent layout and navigation (currently not included)
  • Good semantic mark up
  • Heading structure (currently not included)
  • Keyboard navigation (currently not included)
  • New content appearing on-screen (currently not included)
  • No image based CAPTCHA (currently not included)
  • No keyboard traps

Impact of barriers

  • Missing things in meetings
  • Takes longer to use work systems - frustration, irritation
  • Tries hard to avoid being a burden to colleagues

Technologies or adaptations used

  • Screen reader
  • Screen magnifier
  • Mobile screen reader
  • Mobile voice assistant

Related resources

  • Perspective video:

Related principles

Preety

Quote ideas

The screen reader helps me focus on what I am reading. I don't use it all the time but for long text it is super helpful

Short description

Middle school student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia

Personal details

  • Anxiety around using online services
  • Support from friends and family
  • Headaches from high contrast colors with white background - worse on mobile?

Online scenarios

  • Digital libary
  • Colour
  • Extensive text
  • Confusing heading structure
  • Plain language

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

  • Only blind people use screen readers

Needs or barriers to be included

  • Clear logical process (currently not included)
  • Controls to adjust content presentation (currently not included)
  • Don't underline, capitalise or use italics (currently not included)
  • Good contrast (currently not included)
  • Good semantic mark up
  • Good use of whitespace (currently not included)
  • Heading structure (currently not included)
  • Icons with associated text (currently not included)
  • No distracting or moving content
  • Plain language (currently not included)
  • Provide spelling suggestions
  • Simple design (currently not included)
  • Use images to support text (currently not included)
  • Use simple sentences and bullets (currently not included)

Impact of barriers

  • Frustration
  • Anxiety at doing the wrong thing, particularly with financial interactions
  • Unable to complete forms

Technologies or adaptations used

Related resources

Related principles

Yun

Quote ideas

I love all this new technology. It is great to be see my grandchildren. It takes me a bit to find all the controls and sometimes they are a bit of the small side, but I get there in the end

Short description

Retiree with low vision, hand tremor, and mild short-term memory loss

Personal details

Online scenarios

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

  • Old people don't/can't/won't use digital technology

Needs or barriers to be included

  • Controls to adjust content presentation (currently not included)
  • Good contrast
  • Plain language (currently not included)
  • Audio and video transcripts (currently not included)
  • Captioning for videos (currently not included)
  • Clear error messages and support to fix (currently not included)
  • Consistent layout and navigation (currently not included)
  • Content zooms
  • Good sized controls
  • Good sized text
  • No image based CAPTCHA
  • Space between controls (currently not included)
  • Well positioned labels (currently not included)

Impact of barriers

Technologies or adaptations used

Related resources

Related principles

Luis

Quote ideas

Short description

I love to do my shopping. It is good to go into my shop but there are too many choices. Using my phone means I only see what I like.

Personal details

Online scenarios

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

Needs or barriers to be included

  • Plain language (currently not included)
  • Consistent layout and navigation
  • Content zooms (currently not included)
  • Good sized controls (currently not included)
  • Icons with associated text (currently not included)
  • Provide spelling suggestions
  • Clear instructions
  • Present information in different ways

Impact of barriers

Technologies or adaptations used

Related resources

Related principles

Kaseem

Quote ideas

Short description

Kaseem is a teenager who is deaf and recently became legally blind too, which means she can see only small portions of a screen and read text when it is significantly enlarged.

Personal details

Online scenarios

Problem: Some shopping sites I visit have completely different styles for different sections. It takes me a while to work out where everything is in each section which is really frustrating.

Works well: The shopping website I use has the same layout on all of it's sections which makes it easy to work my way around pages

Problem: Some videos only have embedded captions which I can't access easily

Works well: Having a transcript is a big help. It is much easier for me to read with my Braille device

Problem: If a site has a CAPTCHA that uses images or audio then I just can't use it - it can take me ages to work out the image and I can't hear the audio alternative

Works well: No CAPTCHA is best but sometimes there are simple things that ask a really easy question

Problem: A date picker that pops up when I tab to a date entry field but I can't use the date picker as it doesn't work with the keyboard.

Works well: I can tab through dates in a date picker using my keyboard. -- Might be better with an alternative scenario as this is more easily addressed by allowing text entry (KW)

Problem: I needed to add my previous address into an application form, but nothing happened when I pressed the 'Add new address' button. I don't know where the new address fields might have been added to the page.

Works well: When I press the 'Add new address' button, I am taken to the form fields that have just been added above the button.

Problem:

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

Needs or barriers to be included

  • Consistent layout and navigation (currently not included)
  • Content zooms
  • Audio and video transcripts (currently not included)
  • No image based CAPTCHA (currently not included)
  • Good semantic mark up
  • Keyboard navigation (currently not included)
  • New content appearing on-screen (currently not included)
  • No keyboard traps (currently not included)
  • Visible skip links (currently not included)

Impact of barriers

Technologies or adaptations used

Related resources

Related principles

Name

Quote ideas

Short description

Personal details

Online scenarios

What myth or stereotype does this persona address?

Needs or barriers to be included

Impact of barriers

Technologies or adaptations used

Related resources

Related principles