It’s easy to fall into the trap of listening to your inner voice and thinking you’re the only person who will read your writing. It’s like you drop into an echo chamber. But their is an escape hatch: personas.

Personas are a way to identify EXACTLY who your audience is. Their name, their age, their hobbies. And while you’re writing you look at their picture and say “Would Kathy like this?”

Usability.gov is the Federal government’s website for all things web and online (your tax dollars at work.) The site has an excellent page about personas that is worth reading.

The next time you’re writing maybe you should think more about who you’re writing for by having a persona sitting across from. Ask them what it’s all about.