How to create a persona
Build a customer persona from a template, set its layout, and start filling in their story.
Build a structured profile for a customer archetype you can assign to journey map cards, use in emotion charts, and filter your maps by.
How to create a persona from scratch
Personas live at the workspace level. Create one from the Personas list in the workspace sidebar.
Open Personas in your workspace
In the workspace sidebar, click Personas. The list shows every persona in the workspace.
Click + Create persona
In the top right, click + Create persona. The Customize persona modal opens with a suggested name, a layout picker, and the template card checklist.
Name the persona
Type a name in the Name field, replacing the suggested one. A name your team will recognize reads better on a card than "Persona 1", so something like "Sofia the first-time saver" works well.
Pick a layout
Under Layout, choose how the persona page splits into two columns. All three are starting points; you can change the layout later from the editor.
Thin/Thick - A narrow left column and a wide right column. Selected by default, and a good fit for short cards (image, name) on the left with longer-form content (bio, goals) on the right.
Equal/Equal - Two columns of the same width.
Thick/Thin - A wide left column and a narrow right column.
Choose your template cards
Under Template cards, check the cards you want added to the new persona. The nine recommended cards are checked by default; uncheck any you don't need, or check Motivations and Demographics to include them.
See What each template card covers below for a description of each one.
Click Create
Click Create at the bottom right of the modal. Smaply opens the new persona in the full-page editor with your layout and template cards in place.
Fill in the cards
Click any card to add its content. Add a photo or avatar from the Image card with Add image, set the name and tagline on the name card (shown as "Persona Name" until you fill it in), drag the Personality slider, and write into Bio, Quote, and Goals. Changes save as you type.
Template cards aren't the only way to add content. Click + Quick add in the header for more template cards, or use the card-type picker to add any supported card type: Image, Text, Slider, Icons, Embed, Metric, or Planning. See How to edit a persona for the full set of editing options.
You can also create a persona while working in a journey map. Open a card, and in its Personas section click + Create new persona. See How to assign a persona to a card.
What each template card covers
Template cards are pre-built sections Smaply can drop into a new persona so you start with structure instead of a blank page. Nine arrive checked (badged Recommended); the last two are off by default.
Profile picture
An image or avatar to humanize the persona
Yes
Name with tagline
A fictional but representative name with a tagline
Yes
Needs
Unmet requirements or expectations
Yes
Channels
Preferred communication or engagement platforms
Yes
Journey Stage
Current stage in the buying process
Yes
Bio
A brief story about their background, work, and lifestyle
Yes
Quote
A direct quote reflecting their perspective or mindset
Yes
Personality
Key traits that influence their behavior and decision-making
Yes
Goals
Primary objectives they want to achieve
Yes
Motivations
What drives them to take action or make decisions
No
Demographics
Key attributes such as age, location, education, and background
No
You don't have to settle the full set at creation. Anything you skip is one click away later from + Quick add in the editor.
What happens after you create a persona
The persona lands in the workspace Personas list and is ready to use wherever personas appear:
Assign it to journey map cards so each card shows which persona it applies to. See How to assign a persona to a card.
Filter a journey map by persona to focus a map on one persona's experience. See How to filter a journey map by persona.
Use it as a line in an emotion chart lane to plot that persona's sentiment across the journey.
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