Mobile Ethnography and Personas to Bring Client Closer to Their Members

The Challeng​​​​​​​e

A large financial institution needed their designers to be grounded in a rich understanding of the customers they serve. 

This required analyzing all the different ways customers use credit cards, from small daily purchases to capitalizing on rewards programs. 

They turned to us to identify how the range of cardmembers differ in their use of credit cards and their overall relationships with finances.

The Process

I began by using mobile ethnography to capture everyday “credit card moments” from over forty participants across the United States.

I then selected twenty of those participants for in-depth interviews, some in-person, others remotely, and used their commentary to illustrate important details about their relationship with finance.

I then analyzed the data from both the virtual diaries and interviews to draw out key similarities and differences among types of users, which we aggregated into five unique personas. The affinity wall covered most of the office!

The Impact

I provided both topline and detailed profiles of the five personas, including specific design principles for each.

The personas were general enough to encapsulate the range of cardmembers, while still providing the necessary details to help design teams empathize with their users. I ensured the personas were quick, telegraphic, and compelling by illustrating them with images and quotes from live participants.

Overall, this research provided the personal context needed to inform their design and marketing initiatives ever since.

My Value

These personas represent real users. My research makes it easy for the designers to remember this, keeping the customer front-of-mind during the design process. 

I’ve continued to capitalize on our research in following years, as my now in-depth knowledge of these personas has informed my continued work with this client.

Reflection

Not only did this extensive research inform my understanding of this client, but it set me up to create personas for multiple other clients as well, each time honing the craft and becoming more efficient.