In the Design Thinking process, defining ideas is crucial to success. This involves considering what you hope to achieve, who will be involved, and how your ideas might impact others. It is essential to think about customer and user experiences in order to gain a deeper understanding of what needs to be accomplished.
To better understand this stage of the process, I explored the concept of personas and their importance in developing ideas for my wicked problem. As a reminder, my wicked problem involves creating a solution to standardized testing that involves collaboration between teachers and test creators to develop an exam that meets the needs of all learners.
Using SEMRUSH Persona, I created three personas to represent different perspectives on my wicked problem. The first persona was a teacher, whom I depicted as an upbeat educator with firsthand experience of the impact of standardized testing on students, families, and colleagues. The second persona was a parent, representing the concerns and worries of families regarding the impact of standardized testing on their child’s education. Finally, my third persona was a test creator, giving me insight into the perspective of someone responsible for balancing the financial and empathetic sides of testing.
Creating these personas allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the varying perspectives on standardized testing and develop new approaches to solving the wicked problem. By considering the needs and viewpoints of all involved parties, I was better equipped to develop ideas that would be effective and impactful.
