# Persona-Based Design Testing

Test the interface through the eyes of 5 distinct user archetypes. Each persona exposes different failure modes that a single "design director" perspective would miss.

**How to use**: Select 2–3 personas most relevant to the interface being critiqued. Walk through the primary user action as each persona. Report specific red flags, not generic concerns.

---

## 1. Impatient Power User: "Alex"


**Profile**: Expert with similar products. Expects efficiency, hates hand-holding. Will find shortcuts or leave.

**Behaviors**:
- Skips all onboarding and instructions
- Looks for keyboard shortcuts immediately
- Tries to bulk-select, batch-edit, and automate
- Gets frustrated by required steps that feel unnecessary
- Abandons if anything feels slow or patronizing

**Test Questions**:
- Can Alex complete the core task in under 60 seconds?
- Are there keyboard shortcuts for common actions?
- Can onboarding be skipped entirely?
- Do modals have keyboard dismiss (Esc)?
- Is there a "power user" path (shortcuts, bulk actions)?

**Red Flags** (report these specifically):
- Forced tutorials or unskippable onboarding
- No keyboard navigation for primary actions
- Slow animations that can't be skipped
- One-item-at-a-time workflows where batch would be natural
- Redundant confirmation steps for low-risk actions

---

## 2. Confused First-Timer: "Jordan"

**Profile**: Never used this type of product. Needs guidance at every step. Will abandon rather than figure it out.

**Behaviors**:
- Reads all instructions carefully
- Hesitates before clicking anything unfamiliar
- Looks for help or support constantly
- Misunderstands jargon and abbreviations
- Takes the most literal interpretation of any label

**Test Questions**:
- Is the first action obviously clear within 5 seconds?
- Are all icons labeled with text?
- Is there contextual help at decision points?
- Does terminology assume prior knowledge?
- Is there a clear "back" or "undo" at every step?

**Red Flags** (report these specifically):
- Icon-only navigation with no labels
- Technical jargon without explanation
- No visible help option or guidance
- Ambiguous next steps after completing an action
- No confirmation that an action succeeded

---

## 3. Accessibility-Dependent User: "Sam"

**Profile**: Uses screen reader (VoiceOver/NVDA), keyboard-only navigation. May have low vision, motor impairment, or cognitive differences.

**Behaviors**:
- Tabs through the interface linearly
- Relies on ARIA labels and heading structure
- Cannot see hover states or visual-only indicators
- Needs adequate color contrast (4.5:1 minimum)
- May use browser zoom up to 200%

**Test Questions**:
- Can the entire primary flow be completed keyboard-only?
- Are all interactive elements focusable with visible focus indicators?
- Do images have meaningful alt text?
- Is color contrast WCAG AA compliant (4.5:1 for text)?
- Does the screen reader announce state changes (loading, success, errors)?

**Red Flags** (report these specifically):
- Click-only interactions with no keyboard alternative
- Missing or invisible focus indicators
- Meaning conveyed by color alone (red = error, green = success)
- Unlabeled form fields or buttons
- Time-limited actions without extension option
- Custom components that break screen reader flow

---

## 4. Deliberate Stress Tester: "Riley"

**Profile**: Methodical user who pushes interfaces beyond the happy path. Tests edge cases, tries unexpected inputs, and probes for gaps in the experience.

**Behaviors**:
- Tests edge cases intentionally (empty states, long strings, special characters)
- Submits forms with unexpected data (emoji, RTL text, very long values)
- Tries to break workflows by navigating backwards, refreshing mid-flow, or opening in multiple tabs
- Looks for inconsistencies between what the UI promises and what actually happens
- Documents problems methodically

**Test Questions**:
- What happens at the edges (0 items, 1000 items, very long text)?
- Do error states recover gracefully or leave the UI in a broken state?
- What happens on refresh mid-workflow? Is state preserved?
- Are there features that appear to work but produce broken results?
- How does the UI handle unexpected input (emoji, special chars, paste from Excel)?

**Red Flags** (report these specifically):
- Features that appear to work but silently fail or produce wrong results
- Error handling that exposes technical details or leaves UI in a broken state
- Empty states that show nothing useful ("No results" with no guidance)
- Workflows that lose user data on refresh or navigation
- Inconsistent behavior between similar interactions in different parts of the UI

---

## 5. Distracted Mobile User: "Casey"

**Profile**: Using phone one-handed on the go. Frequently interrupted. Possibly on a slow connection.

**Behaviors**:
- Uses thumb only; prefers bottom-of-screen actions
- Gets interrupted mid-flow and returns later
- Switches between apps frequently
- Has limited attention span and low patience
- Types as little as possible, prefers taps and selections

**Test Questions**:
- Are primary actions in the thumb zone (bottom half of screen)?
- Is state preserved if the user leaves and returns?
- Does it work on slow connections (3G)?
- Can forms use autocomplete and smart defaults?
- Are touch targets at least 44×44pt?

**Red Flags** (report these specifically):
- Important actions positioned at the top of the screen (unreachable by thumb)
- No state persistence; progress lost on tab switch or interruption
- Large text inputs required where selection would work
- Heavy assets loading on every page (no lazy loading)
- Tiny tap targets or targets too close together

---

## Selecting Personas

Choose personas based on the interface type:

| Interface Type | Primary Personas | Why |
|---------------|-----------------|-----|
| Landing page / marketing | Jordan, Riley, Casey | First impressions, trust, mobile |
| Dashboard / admin | Alex, Sam | Power users, accessibility |
| E-commerce / checkout | Casey, Riley, Jordan | Mobile, edge cases, clarity |
| Onboarding flow | Jordan, Casey | Confusion, interruption |
| Data-heavy / analytics | Alex, Sam | Efficiency, keyboard nav |
| Form-heavy / wizard | Jordan, Sam, Casey | Clarity, accessibility, mobile |

---

## Project-Specific Personas

If `RULES.md` contains a `## Design Context` section (generated by `impeccable teach`), derive 1–2 additional personas from the audience and brand information:

1. Read the target audience description
2. Identify the primary user archetype not covered by the 5 predefined personas
3. Create a persona following this template:

```
### [Role]: "[Name]"

**Profile**: [2-3 key characteristics derived from Design Context]

**Behaviors**: [3-4 specific behaviors based on the described audience]

**Red Flags**: [3-4 things that would alienate this specific user type]
```

Only generate project-specific personas when real Design Context data is available. Don't invent audience details; use the 5 predefined personas when no context exists.
