Problems and Personas

Introduction.

This is an assignment I completed for Praxis. My objective for the first section was to start with a product that solved a problem and then create a collection of personas that would be potential buyers for the product. The second portion of the assignment was to work backwards of that. Starting with a collection of simple problems, I was supposed to come up with a selection of reasonable solutions.

These exercises were intended to demonstrate the proper relationship between a salesman and a client. The goal is not to force a product on someone who doesn’t want or doesn’t need it. The goal is to find out what problem the client has and provide them with the best solution possible.

Project One: AirPods Pro

Solution to Problem/ Product: Apple AirPods Pro

Potential Customers/ People in need of a Solution:

Annie Aryuokay:

Annie Aryuokay is a 26-year-old receptionist. She is also an aspiring writer and lives in a small New York apartment. She is single and lives alone. She loves listening to music, especially while she’s writing in the evenings. But recently, there was a break in at her home and due to her music playing too loud that evening, she didn’t hear the smooth criminal slip in through the window. The man attacked her but luckily, she was able to escape to her bedroom and lock the door. She was bleeding but fortunately the assailant retreated, and she was able to make it to the hospital. She’s okay now and has had bars installed on her windows but she still likes to be very alert about her surroundings.

Susan Cash:

Susan (Carter) Cash is a 32-year-old construction worker from Kingsland, Arkansas. He’s your typical blue collar, good ole’ boy. In what little free time, he has he enjoys hunting, watching football, and spending time with his wife and their son, Bill. Sue had a rough life growing up as I’m sure you can well imagine. His dad ran out on his mom and him when he was very young, so he was forced to grow up very fast. As if all of that wasn’t enough, being named Sue certainly did not make his life any easier. He held a lot of resentment towards his father for many years for not only leaving but also for the part he played in naming the poor boy.

Fortunately, he was able to find his father and reconcile with him sometime along in his twenties. Since then, he’s gone by his middle name, Carter, and was able to find a good wife. He’s very happy now, however he’d sure like to find a convenient way to listen to music while on the job.

Morgan Waylon:

Morgan Waylon is a retired country music superstar who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Some of his biggest hits include “Dust in my Croots”, “Bourbon Oculus”, “You Evidence”, and “That One Song about my Alcohol Problem”. He’s 84 years old and even though he has technically retired twice now, he is back on the road again, touring, and writing songs with his buddies Hardly and Urn. In his free time, he enjoys wondering about the wind, fishing, and regretting past life decisions. Something that really helps keep Morgan young and keep his creative process alive is listening to music from other artists. He’s always used old fashioned wired headphones but is very intrigued by the thought of going wireless. He’s tried different brands of wireless headphones but pairing them was just too complicated and the touch controls were very difficult and foreign to him. He’s looking for an easy and simple solution.

Karl Nicodemus:

Karl Nicodemus is 24 years old and single. He’s currently unemployed and lives at home with his mom. He is mildly handicapped and is afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder. His mother suffered from a series of psychotic episodes when he was younger which caused his trauma. Fortunately, she was able to get the help she needed and is now in very stable condition. Unfortunately, he began to neglect proper nutrition and care for his body to cope as a result of his conditions. However, he recently overheard his mom listening to a Jordan Peterson podcast and became convicted to turn his life around. He began going to therapy and things are getting better. He has made some significant breakthroughs and recently began searching for a job so he could help out at home and even started going to the gym. Something that he’s found to be very motivating for him is music, so he is interested in finding a convenient way to listen while working out.

Barney Jekyll:

Barney is 42, single, and lives in rural Mississippi. He works at a local grocery store and is very dedicated to his work. He has not missed a day of work in 13 years! You might consider him a pretty “regular” guy. He keeps his lawn in pristine condition, drives a classic 1979 baby blue A.M.C pacer, volunteers at the local fire department, loves bowling and playing canasta. He also drives a bookmobile for the local library. He does have a bit of a wild side on the weekends but he’s an all-around decent guy. He spends a lot of time working and finds that the stress really gets to him and makes him just want to let loose. He noticed that listening to the sound of hummingbird wings fluttering and sad whale songs, really helps him relieve stress and make it to the weekend. He’d like to find a way to discreetly and conveniently listen to them throughout his day without bothering others.

Thoughts.

Who are these people?

Mostly just everyday people. All walks of life.

Are there common themes?

They are all a little weird. They are also all looking for a solution to their music consuming issues, whatever they may be.

How might you find and reach these people?

Possibly a mail or television ad. Most likely word of mouth from existing customers though.

How much is the problem likely worth to them?

Hopefully about $250

Why is solving this problem important to them?

A whole plethora of different reasons.

How well does the solution you’ve chosen address their problem?

Very well. There may be other solutions out there for some of them but mine is definitely the most convenient and easiest.

Project Two: Problems and Solutions.

Problem #1: You find that you are wasting too much time on your phone and you want to change that so you can be more productive.

Solutions:

Turn on “Do Not Disturb” or even set your phone in another room whenever you have a specific task that you need to complete. Don’t forget to set important contacts as exemptions to the “Do Not Disturb” setting if you go that route!

Turn off notifications for unimportant apps. Apps such as games, social media, anything that doesn’t actually need your specific attention at a certain time. This will make it so your phone doesn’t light up as much, making you curious about what’s going on.

If you still find that you are spending too much time on your phone and don’t want to completely give up some of your apps, another option might be to try a time limit app. Apple has a program like this built into their phones called “Screen Time” but there are many third party apps as well such as “Space”, “Flipd”, and “Forest”. These apps employ different methods for helping you spend less time on your phone. They vary from locking you out of your apps completely for a certain amount of time to a visual of a beautiful tree that thrives when your screen time is low but begins to die if it increases. These apps might be a good option if you are struggling to get away from the screen by willpower alone.

Problem #2. You run out of syrup for your pancakes.

Solutions:

While nothing can really beat good old fashioned syrup on your pancakes, if you are unfortunate enough to be stuck in this sadly un-sticky situation, don’t despair! There are some alternatives to that delicious maple nectar that will definitely get the job done and save the day!

Peanut Butter. This option is great whether you have syrup or not, really. Peanut butter AND syrup can be a match made in heaven but if you are lacking in the syrup department, just slather your favorite brand of PB on there and give it a try!

Butter, Cinnamon, and Sugar. This combo give’s elephant ear vibes and is not nearly as rich as the peanut butter but just as tasty! Melt some butter over the pancakes then sprinkle some regular table sugar and cinnamon over top! It’s delicious and you’ll soon forget you even forgot to buy syrup…might want to write that on the grocery list before you start eating.

Blueberries, Bananas and whipped cream. Banaberries n Cream may seem like a bit of an odd combo but don’t knock it til you try it! Just throw some fresh blueberries and bananas on top with some whipped cream! It’s a bit on the healthier side but you’d never know from the taste!

Problem #3: You don’t know where to put your TV.

Solutions:

Set it on the ground. This is for those who aren’t really going for “looks”. This is the functionality, efficiency, and budget friendly solution.

Purchase a TV stand or table. This is a bit of an outdated solution but depending on the size of your screen, it could be the easiest/most effective solution if you care about what other people think about you. This is for mid to small TV sizes mainly. You can use really any sort of table or dresser but what I would recommend is looking for a used TV stand/cabinet especially if you have other devices plugging into it.

Purchase a TV wall mount. This is also a great solution. TV wall mounts have become very affordable and can even save you some space. This solution works well for any size TV. And if you want to get super fancy you can mount the TV on the wall and STILL get a TV stand to put under it but not use it for anything.

Problem #4: Looking for healthy alternatives to drinking water.

Solutions:

Sparkling Water. This is a great alternative for those who also enjoy soda or other fizzy beverages. It contains 0 calories and can be drunk straight if you like it that way or could be flavored with juices, low calorie drink packets, or honey.

Unsweetened Tea. This is a good alternative if you’d also like to get a little bit of energy as well. You can flavor it or sweeten it however you like but I personally prefer it plain. It is extremely low in calories and provides a refreshing change of pace from simple water.

Juices. While juices are many times pretty high in calories, they can also offer good health benefits in the form of the nutrients they contain. While I wouldn’t recommend drinking it often or exclusively, it can be another great way to mix things up with something sweeter.

Problem #5: Your automobile’s headlights are foggy and dim.

Solutions:

Buy new Headlights. This option is probably the best out of all of them if you have the money for it. It will be the most effective and you can even select aftermarket options to customize the look of your vehicle. However installation can be tricky so paying to have a body shop or mechanic do it might be a good option.
Buy a headlight restoration kit. You can find these at most supermarkets and automotive stores. They are relatively cheap and should walk you through the process of restoring the lens of the headlights.
Buy a rubbing compound. Using a rubbing compound on your headlight lens to remove the crusted lens coating or remove surface scratches is an excellent solution and is basically what a headlight restoration kit will do. But it may be cheaper to purchase just the rubbing compound.
Toothpaste. This is by far the cheapest option, but results are mixed. Using toothpaste as a rubbing compound, you simply scrub it onto your headlight lens and similarly to the rubbing compound, it should help bring the clarity back to your lenses. Worth a shot before investigating other things in my opinion!

Travis McCoy