Let's be clear — a persona isn't a single-use tool to get a primary understanding of your users and call it a day. It should become the only and permanent source of truth guiding your team's decisions along the way. For example, if you stumble upon a problem, keep the persona in mind and try to answer the question, "What would Mark think of this design?" or "What would Jane do if she accidentally deletes her profile?".

Before diving into research, gather your team for a brainstorming session, put yourselves into your users' shoes, and try to answer the essential questions:

• Who are your typical users?

• Why would they use your product in the first place?

• When and how often do they usually use your product?

• What do they see, hear, think, and do when they have a problem that your product can solve?

These questions will teach your teammates to empathize with users and get everyone on board so the persona isn't just a piece of wall decoration in the office.