AIM​

 

The Persona Characterization Canvases are a practical way to help teams understand their stakeholders more deeply, building on the insights gathered in the Conservation Challenge Canvas. This tool uses “personas”—fictional characters representing real stakeholder types—to capture the main traits, goals, and needs of the people, non-human species, and organizations connected to the project.

 

Types of Personas

 

1. Human Personas: These are fictional profiles representing individuals within your stakeholder groups. Each human persona should include some details like age, role, location, motivations, and attitudes toward conservation. This helps teams understand what drives different people in the community and how they might interact with the project.

  

2. Non-Human Personas: These represent species, ecosystems, or other natural elements affected by the project. Non-human personas include scientific or common names, habitats, needs, and specific vulnerabilities, helping teams integrate a multispecies approach. While these personas will not have a “voice” in the projects, team members and specialists can be their advocates. Just like non-humans are gaining legal personhood in some countries, like Taranaki Maunga (Mount Taranaki) in New Zealand (REF), are seen as ancestors by indigenous peoples, and deserve the same respect and obligations as any human client. 

 

3. Organizations: Organizational personas represent real or fictional organizations that may play a role in the project. These profiles outline the organization’s type, role, motivations, resources they may contribute and level of commitment to the project’s goals. This information helps teams identify potential partnerships and leverage resources.

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STEPS

 

1. Define your key stakeholders and decide how many personas to create. Each persona should embody one type of stakeholder (e.g., local resident, native plant species, government agency). You can source some of the information from the Conservation Challenge Canvas. Ideally you’d have at least 6 personas, and up to as many as you want.

  

2. Fill out the template by answering key questions:

    - For human personas, consider their goals, needs, and relationship with conservation work.

    - For non-human personas, think about their ecological role, needs, and any special vulnerabilities.

    - For organizations, outline their motivations, potential contributions, and the role they could play in the project.

 

Risks:

Creating user personas can be incredibly helpful, but it comes with risks. If based on incomplete data or assumptions, personas might misrepresent users, leading to products that miss the mark. They can also oversimplify complex behaviors, reinforce stereotypes, or exclude marginalized groups. Teams might rely too heavily on personas, treating them as absolute truths and neglecting direct user engagement. To avoid these pitfalls, ensure personas are grounded in solid research, represent diverse experiences, and are revisited regularly as user needs evolve. Think of personas as a starting point, not the whole picture, and always pair them with real-world user testing.

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