The New York Times has a new article about how Ford used personas to drive the design of the Fiesta in Europe.
I especially like Ford's acknowledgment that personas are a way to "get a common focus for everyone from the clay modeler to the chief executive" and that part of that focus wasn't just about "rational" profiles. As one executive notes, "In buying a car, you have to fall in love."
I wonder how effective they are? As the article notes, "So far, sales of
the Fiesta have been strong. It is Ford's best-selling car in Europe,
and it was the No. 2 seller over all in that market for the first half
of 2009."
--Gretchen Anderson
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