ASSIGNMENT The inability to ‘step outside oneself’ is one of the main objections of the use of personas. Our assumptions, cognitive bias, cognitive dissonance, heuristics and mental models all...

ASSIGNMENT The inability to ‘step outside oneself’ is one of the main objections of the use of personas. Our assumptions, cognitive bias, cognitive dissonance, heuristics and mental models all influence how we form opinions and process information. These unconscious influences impact all kinds of decision-making, including persona development whether it’s for product design, marketing campaigns or website usability. Our unconscious processes and assumptions even influence visual perception. History is littered with companies that made bad and sometimes fatal strategic decisions because they were unable to objectively evaluate their customers or the market. Kodak and IBM are classic examples. Interview someone who has recently made a “purchase” decision. It could be someone who bought a piece of technology, someone who decided to vote for a political candidate, join a group or program or give money to a cause. Use something that relates to the work you do or would like to do so you are expanding your professional expertise. Using the questions below as a guide, record their answers verbatim. Do not summarize. Their answers are the data you will use to draw conclusions as follows. Link their experience to what you have been reading about meaning, metaphors, attribution and various cognitive biases. (Be sure to cite the authors and theories). What might apply here? What insight about the decision and purchase process do you glean? Consumer audit questions (add others if you like): What research preceded the decision? How does the consumer use the “product”? (i.e. how does it matter in their life?) What type of relationship does the person have with the product/organization/cause? (i.e. emotional, practical.) What has their experience been since the decision? Is the person satisfied or unsatisfied? Any regrets, surprises or need to explain? What role did “brand” reputation and/or recommendations from others play in their decision relative to their expectations about the product/cause/etc. or their experience? READ Jansson-Boyd Chapter 3, 6 and 9. Mourali, Mehdi, and Zhiyong Yang. 2013. "The Dual Role of Power in Resisting Social Influence." Journal of Consumer Research 40 (3):539-554. Pronin, Emily. 2007. "Perception and misperception of bias in human judgment." Trends in cognitive sciences 11 (1):37-43. Pronin, Emily, Thomas Gilovich, and Lee Ross. 2004. "Objectivity in the eye of the beholder: divergent perceptions of bias in self versus others." Psychological review 111 (3):781. Optional Resources: Davies, Gary, and Rosa Chun. 2003. "The Use of Metaphor in the Exploration of the Brand Concept " Journal of Marketing Management 19:45-71. Pfarr, Nikki, and Judith Gregory. 2010. "Cognitive Biases and Design Research: Using insights from behavioral economics and cognitive psychology to re-evaluate design research methods." Please only use the references that I gave to you. Thanks Aline