Persona Exercise

The following profiles make up the group of personas that I developed as potential visitors to my Muir Woods Summer Solstice mini-site. I actively tried to vary their levels of interest in nature, technology, and consumption, to better understand what universal thread could be used to appeal to these disparate types of consumers.

But another take on this is maybe that I don't need to appeal to all of these groups. My contact at the National Park Service indicated that both Solstice-related events are often crowded and sold-out, so they would like to promote thematically similar events at parks inside the city. I think that an information campaign that explains the significance of the main celebration, and borrowing from the high profile that Muir Woods already enjoys would help to drive traffic to these derivative events. 

Teresa Morales, 18, of San Francisco is a fan of stories and mythology. She attends SFSU, taking classes in sociology and English. A fiction buff, she enjoys going to the movies. Teresa hasn’t been camping a lot, but likes the idea of being outdoors. Yoga is a major part of her life, and her choice to be dressed mostly in fitness apparel reflects this. Unfortunately for her social development, she doesn’t know the area that well (being that she is a recent transplant from Stockton, California). A resident of the outer Sunset, she lives in a greener, quieter part of the city but still sees the gridlock along 19th avenue as an unfortunate side effect of urbanism. Her outsider status leaves her wondering how anybody knows what cool stuff is going on in such a busy albeit small city. She misses her friends back home.

Sonny Chiarelli, 33, is a financial planner. He finds himself so busy with work that he has only enough time to take short vacations. This leaves him feeling trapped in an urban jungle, since he only sees the outdoors while walking to and from BART which takes him to his Daly City home. He would love to go hiking in Yosemite, but his schedule means that a day trip to the woods would be far more practical and convenient. Even walking around Golden Gate Park for a short while would probably improve his outlook on life. Given his lifestyle, any simplicity in his life is very welcome. To this end he buys all his clothes at Brooks Brothers twice a year, in the name of efficiency. His social life consists of a weekly visit to happy hour at the local pub, or his monthly poker games. He is starting to find this lifestyle somewhat frustrating.

Rufino Rodriguez, 13, is a carefree teen who likes playing video games and riding his bicycle. The youngest of three sons, he lives in the Inner Richmond. Rufino has never been camping, and only goes to the park for the occasional barbecue. His more oblique interests are graffiti, fireworks and horror movies. Last week, he asked his mother to buy him the newest pair of collectable Vans slip-ons, customized by a famous graffiti artist. She wonders if they are worth the price, or if he is just following the whim of his friends. This is a charge he does not deny. His friends have similar interests and all live on the same street, so they end up joining in with whoever suggests an activity first.

Diondra McKesson, 25, is a substitute teacher for a middle school in Pacifica. She and her husband are saving up money for the down payment on their dream home. Consequently, they don’t go on many trips or splurge on expensive dinners. Instead, they will spend a lot of time at home making dinner and watching Netflix movies. They have heard of Muir Woods but would rather find green spaces within walking distance of their NOPA apartment. They do have the luxury of a small Volkswagen Jetta station wagon, which enables their habit of driving to the Colma Target where they do a majority of their non-food shopping. Neither active followers or leaders of trends, Diondra and her husband would describe themselves as patient, humble, and content.

Dale Marsh, 45 years old, is a lifelong environmentalist who is dedicated to the preservation of public spaces. He loves to go backpacking or on day hikes with his girlfriend. He buys most of his clothes at REI, which suits his vocation as a rock climbing instructor. His time is very flexible. As his job is seasonal, he also has an off-season job as a dog-walker. His friends have similar interests, but they don’t often have time to plan large trips together. Of these friends, Dale is the most bold and confident of his opinion, which makes him the de facto leader of his group.