Persona Development in Washington State: Mixed Methods Approach Using Statewide Survey Data

Personas, fictional profiles representing user segments, play an important role in human-centered design, ensuring tools are tailored to the needs of users. Although public health organizations often develop information systems to promote population health, human-centered design methods and personas are generally underused in public health informatics projects.

This study aims to present a novel, mixed methods approach to developing data-driven personas for use in public health information system design, leveraging 2 statewide surveys conducted in Washington State. The aim is to produce realistic, representative, and actionable personas that reflect the diversity of a state population and support user-centered design in public health initiatives.

Quantitative (cluster analysis) and qualitative (thematic review and quote extraction) methods were applied to 2 statewide survey datasets: (1) a statewide knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey (N=1103) which used random, address-based sampling, and (2) a subset of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices respondents (N=143), which included more targeted questions on opinions and preferences related to public health information systems. Characteristics examined included demographics, technological readiness, opinions about public health policies, and experience using online health tools.

K-prototype clustering resulted in 5 clusters. These 5 clusters were studied using both quantitative and qualitative analysis of key factors of the Washington State population to build 13 personas. Each persona represents a different population demographic, varying levels of technological readiness and attitudes toward public health policies, and differing experiences with online health tools. Persona descriptions are further elucidated with a short profile and 2-3 quotes.

This study offers a scalable and adaptable framework for persona development in public health, demonstrating how existing datasets can be transformed into effective design tools. Through a mixed methods approach, personas that reflect the diverse needs, preferences, and behaviors of Washington State residents were created. These personas can enhance the design, development, and evaluation of public health information systems by centering on user experience. Persona development and the methods described here can be used in future public health informatics projects to assist in formative research, guide design and development, inform usability testing, and shape communication strategies. By bridging the gap between large-scale data and user-centered design, this approach provides a practical model for making public health technologies more aligned with community needs.