Conservationist Nick, Post-doc Paul, Institute Director Ines and Data Manager Doro – behind these names are not real people, but a communication method introduced in 1999 by the US software expert Alan Cooper. Originally, it was used as a tool in the field of human-computer interaction, where it was used in demand and target group analysis.

The idea: instead of assuming an anonymous mass, people with concrete names, professions, hobbies, habits, values, etc. are invented who can function as realistic test users in the future. Doro, Ines & Co. do not really exist; they are hypothetical characters who, with their specific interests, values and ways of using NFDI4Biodiversity, are true-to-life representatives of the various identified target groups of the consortium (nature enthusiasts and volunteers, early and mid-career researchers, senior researchers, data managers).

Information – be it on the website, in publications, presentation slides or teaching sessions – can be viewed through them from new angles to anticipate and respond to expectations and needs. 

The four NFDI4Biodiversity personas were developed in 2021 by the Special Interest Group Public Relations in the sense of target group-oriented project communication.

Slides for PowerPoint presentations (16:9)

Overview slide (all personas)
(English | German)

Profiles (English)
Profile Nature lover Nick
Profile Post-doc Paul
Profile Institute Director Ines
Profile Data Manager Doro

Persona Pictures single
Download (Owncloud)

Name
Nick 

Title
/

Age
34

Profession and position
Media designer, employed; various clients; particularly enjoys taking on commissions for scientific institutions and nature conservation organisations.

Family environment
Lives with girlfriend and 3-year-old daughter in Cologne, has a balcony and an allotment garden with an insect hotel.

Interests
Walking, his allotment, insect watching (notices there are fewer and fewer to see), films & series, social media, photography.

Typical daily routine
Takes child to daycare, drives to work, does home office one day a week, does sports (jogging, Pilates), spends time with his family (dinner together), sofa and relaxation if possible.

Values
Living sustainably, appreciates the proximity to the Eifel National Park; would like to make a contribution to nature conservation, but has little time; is therefore a supporting member of BUND and enjoys taking part in action days such as "Stunde der Gartenvögel" or the Ocean Sampling Day.

Frustrations
Litter in green spaces; reports about the extinction of species; impression that not enough is being done to protect nature; would like his child to still have something of the nature he loves so much.

Habits
Being outdoors, (nature) photography, Netflix, weekly market, too much on the mobile phone

Technical equipment
Mobile phone, tablet, notebook

When/how is NFDI4Bio of interest? How are offers used?
Heard about NFDI4Biodiversity and got hooked on the "biodiversity" part; visit the website to find out what NFDI4Biodiversity is and how it contributes to species conservation. 

Characteristic quote
"Is that organic?"

Stands for the following target groups
Interested public, Citizen Scientists, Press representatives, Environmental policy representatives

Name
Paul

Title
Dr.

Age
32

Profession und position
Biologist, post-doc, lecturer at a university

Family environment
Has a partner who also works in science but on another continent; lives further away from his parents 

Interests
Travelling, hiking, climbing, reading, swimming

Typical daily routine
In the morning to the lab, lunch break with the colleagues, then care for the outdoor areas (Jena experiment), then back to the lab or lecture hall, then home (friends & beers).

Values
Is close to nature and likes to be outdoors and in nature; believes in the good in people

Frustrations
Few real social contacts, too much work, too many projects running in parallel; always looking for tools that make his work easier, but often experiences that new tools make much more work than they take away. Is frustrated by the ever-increasing number of tasks and obligations (DMPs, (partly) published documentation (e.g. with ELNs), metadata standards, licences, teaching, module requirements, science communication, etc.), which keep him from his actual task and passion - research. In addition, he is stressed by the pressure of having to find a permanent position within six years - or having to look for positions outside the university (WissZVG).

Habits
Hectic eating at the desk, regular lateness

Technical equipment
Own laptop with Excel, mobile phone

When/how is NFDI4Bio of interest? How are services used?
Data Management Plan (DMP) before/during his projects (considers DMPs a necessary evil as funders require it), data submission system after projects, slide sets on data management for his students. Also likes to look for training and education on data management

Characteristic Quote
"Home is where the heart is."

Stands for the following target groups
Mid-career Researcher/Teacher, Individual Researcher, User of GFBio Services

Name
Ines

Title
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c.

Age
55

Profession and position
Director of a research institution

Family environment
Has adolescent children and a straggler in second marriage

Interests
"Her" research/institution, (international) reputation, research policy, money, nature and nature conservation (idealistic), classical music, red wine

Typical daily routine
Typical manager: tight deadlines, has to make quick decisions, starts early, travels a lot. Juggles many topics throughout the day, has various project involvements and also a teaching business (lectures, seminars, AG meetings). She is in close contact with "her" Ministry of Science.

Values
Power and performance (h-index)

Frustrations
Doesn't really get to work on the content because of all the deadlines; the rules/regulations around them are becoming more and more complex 

Habits
Improvise, delegate, check mails

Technical equipment
Top lab; has an IT department that provides local customised solutions. Personally, she organises herself via mails and uses one or the other (intern.) database

When/how is NFDI4Bio of interest? How are the services used?
Not directly, more by way of delegation – input, workshops etc. for their people; is a multiplier. 

Characteristic quote
"Where do I sign?"

Stands for the following target groups
Senior researchers/teachers, members of the management level of project and coordination partners, science policy representatives

Name
Doro

Title
/

Age
41

Profession and position
Data manager for a third-party funded research network, technically skilled all-rounder, learned her trade in the digitisation of a natural history museum, among other things.

Family environment
Single, lives alone with dog; meets her mountain bike troupe at weekends.

Interests
Open source software, her mountain bike, video games, image and video processing, Arthur C. Clarke

Typical daily routine
Arrives at the office at 10am, works through 5-6 helpdesk calls. Likes to stay in the office until about 8pm and educate herself on the topic of RDM. After 10pm, she writes Anaconda packages or plays video games online.

Values
Good work is important to her, as well as good software and good data. Gets things done, likes to just do things herself (tools).

Frustrations
What gets them down: unclear instructions and faulty tools

Habits
Provides detailed explanations in response to simple questions 

Technical equipment
Linux laptop (with self-compiled kernel), iMac

When/how is NFDI4Biodiversity of interest? How are the services used?
Interfaces to GFBio services, writes her own scripts that query terminologies, submit data automatically, avid user of the subject info in the public wiki

Characteristic quote
"There's got to be a better way."

Stands for the following target groups
Professional data managers, operators of network-capable data infrastructures, representatives of the professional community in the field of standardisation and policy, service personnel