Persona 4: Maureen Smith (75)

Name: Maureen Smith
Age: 75
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White British
Marital Status: Widowed
Children: Two Sons, Two Daughters
Location: Manchester
Occupation: Retired Nurse/Part-Time Home-Help
Hobbies: Photography, Watching Television

"I've never used the interweb before. I think that kind of thing is for the younger generation. It's all very confusing..."

Background

Maureen is a 75-year-old retired nurse. Since the death of her husband several years ago she has lived alone in a terraced house which is her own. She is close to her immediate family and regularly visits them during the daytime. Despite her age, she remains fiercly independent and enjoys new challenges.

In the latter stage of her career she had ascended to a senior level and helped coordinate the patient care performed by other members of health care teams, such as physical therapists, medical practitioners, social workers, and dietitians. Consequently, she is a very outgoing person and socialises easily. This was instrumental in her obtaining a part-time voluntary position as a home-help for local 'elderly' residents, some of whom are now close friends.

Typical Day

A typical day for her would involve performing daily chores until about 11am, after which she visits one of her granddaughters who has recently given birth. From the hours of 2-6 she acts as a home-help to less-mobile elderly people in the community. Recently, both to pursue a personal interest and exapand her social life, she has enrolled on a photography course at night school. Once the course commences, this will occupy her time between 7-9 every Tuesday and Thursday. Every night she either receives phone-calls from members of her family who, despite her independence, worry that she may become frail and forgetful in her old age.

Computer Proficiency

Has never used a home computer.

Attitude to Internet

Unsure of what the internet actually is. Thinks the technology is for younger people but wouldn't mind hearing more about why it might be of use.

Attitude to Technology

Is comfortable using general household appliances but sometimes gets confused with all the buttons on her TV remote. She tends to use 2 remote controls when using SKY: one for the volume on her TV, and the other to change channel. She thinks that "things should be more easy to use".

Goals

Would like to learn how to use Netbox so that she could use the internet and a digital camera (she is planning on upgrading from a traditional film-based model).

Persona 3: Derek Wilkins (61)

Name: Derek Wilkins (61)
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White British
Marital Status: Married to Beryl
Children: Two sons, one daughter, two grandchildren
Location: Reading
Occupation: Librarian
Income: £1100 per month
Hobbies: Woodworking, Walking, Reading, Gardening

Background:

Derek lives in a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in the town of Reading. He owns the house outright and lives a comfortable life, taking 2-3 holidays abroad per year, owns two cars, and has an extensive library at home.
Derek has a fairly negative outlook on things despite living fairly comfortable. He is some what of a hypochondriac and tends to worry a lot about his health. He is thinking of retiring from his job, or going part-time as he is finding it increasingly tiring. He would also like to spend more time at home, to work on his latest woodwork project, which is an ornate set of bookshelves for his office at home. He would also like to spend more time with his grandchildren and he is thinking of buying a caravan in the new forest so that his family can holiday together.

Typical Day:

Derek gets up at about 7 o'clock so that he can be ready to leave the house for work at 8.15. He arrives in work at about 8.30. He usually takes his lunch at 12.30 and takes a walk around the local shops to get a bit of exercise. He finishes work at 5pm, and when he arrives home usually potters around in the garden, or works on his woodwork project in his shed. After eating, he usually checks his email and watches some tv.

Computer Proficiency

Derek recently acquired his own computer after his son upgraded his and donated his old computer to his father. As he uses a computer as part of his job, he is acustomed to the basics of using a computer. He uses the computer mainly to research topics of interest on the internet, and emailing his family, in particular, his grandchildren which he enjoys a lot. His wife has also started to use the computer and enjoys playing solitaire and looking for holidays on the internet. He also enjoys using the computer with his grandchildren and is amazed by how easy they do things on it. Derek finds that he can only use the computer for short periods of time as it gives him eye strain.

Attitude to Internet

Derek is very untrusting of the internet. He refuses to use it to do banking or purchase goods, because he is afraid of cyber criminals stealing his details. His pc also became infected with a virus recently and so this adds to his worry of internet use.

Attitude to Technology

Derek is ok with new technology. He usually seeks his grandchildrens advice with new purchases. He has a number of 'gadgets', such as a digital radio, dvd recorder and a digital camera. He also enjoys watching tv and has subscribed to sky television. He is comfortable using the additional features sky provides, such as setting reminders and anything to do with the red button.

Goals

Derek would like to use the internet more but is not really interested in researching anything to do with computers. His next computer project is to get a web camera so he can communicate with his family over the internet. He would also like to start using the internet to make purchases if he could be sure that no-one will steal his details.

Persona 2: Rebbecca Green (68)

Like the gadget my daughter bought me for my phone, I think some things are just too complicated for me. The instructions don't help either...

Full Name: Rebbecca Green
Age: Sixty Eight
Ethnicity: Afro Caribbean
Marital Status: Divorced
Children: Two Daughters
Occupation: Retired cleaner
Income: £ 950 per month

Background

Rebbecca lives in a council flat in the Perry Barr area of Birmingham. Couple of years ago she started to wear glasses and lately her hearing's become somewhat weak. Also for years she takes medication for arthritis.Both of her daughters are married, one lives in New Castle and the other in London. Busy with successful careers they only visit Rebbecca once a month. Rebbecca has three grandchildren one aged twelve and the other two below the age of ten. Like all grandmothers she loves her grandchildren very much. She complains that she doesn't get to see them very often.Sometimes she wishes that she could move back to Caribbean to live among her relatives of whom she's hardly seen since she moved to UK over thirty five years ago, but her daughters would not allow her (fearing for her health).

Typical Activities

Rebbecca loves playing bingo but she doesn't goto the local bingo parlour. She complains that the place is too noisy for an old lady like herself.She enjoys her trips to the market. These days that's the only opportunity she have to meet up with her old friends. They spend hours talking and catching up old times. Rebbecca also attend the church several times a week.

Computer Proficiency

Rebecca has never used a computer.She worries about the amount of time her grandchildren spend playing computer games. It doesn't help that she doesn't know anything about computers and games.

Attitude to Internet

She has heard of the internet via her grandchildren and general media. However, she doesn't understand what it actually is or how it may be of use to her.

Attitude to Technology

Rebbecca is not very keen on technology. Recently one of her daughters bought her a hands-free phone kit, but Rebbecca refused to accept it, claiming "It's too complicated for me." In fact that sums up her view of technology. She argues for sixty odd years she survived without having to depend on gadgets, she doesn't want to make any effort now to change her lifestyle. She thinks some of the technology is innately evil. However there's one technology she has happily integrated into her life: Television. She's very proud of brand new flat screen HD TV, and she has mastered the remote controller. In particular she's very fond of "pressing the red button".

Goals

She may be interested in using the internet if it could provide information similar to that obtained via "pressing the red button". Sometimes she is frustrated by the lack of video content available via BBCi, so she would be interested in learning how to view video via the internet (if it doesn't require too much learning). Additionally, she does not want to be made to feel stupid or patronised by using the technology

Persona 1: Norman Collier (85)

Name: Norman Collier
Age: 85
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White British
Marital Status: Widower
Children: One Daughter, One Son
Location: Douglas, Isle of Man
Occupation: Retired School Teacher
Hobbies: Walking, theatre, natural history, model railways, pub quizzes, reading and chess

I don't want to have to learn how to use a computer at my age. I just want to be able to send e-mails and learn more about the subject of my favourite TV programmes by visiting their website, just as they say at the end of the show. It does frustrate me that I can't.

Background:

Norman lives alone in a 3 bedroom terraced house on the outskirts of Douglas, a property that has served as the family home for four generations. Widowed for 10 years, following the passing of his beloved wife Emily, Norman continues to enjoy a fulfilling social life, attending church every Sunday and remaining an active member of his community. As a retired school teacher, Norman worked in the same area in which he still lives, and is considered to be quite a character, remembered fondly by everyone he taught. He is consequently well known, liked and respected in his local area, having taught several generations of the same families before retiring at the age of 68.

Norman was born on the Island and has lived their his whole life except for a number of years during the Second World War where he served overseas with the Royal Navy, during which time he met Emily, a Lancashire girl, who was serving as a Wren. After the war Emily returned to the Island with Norman, where they married and moved in to the family home with his parents while looking for work and preparing for their new life together. Norman's parents passed away three years later, a year after the birth of their first grandchild, Elizabeth, and it is at this address where Norman and Emily lived and raised their family.

Description:
Following their retirement, and with a keen interest in geography and history, Norman and Emily travelled to several countries, mostly in western Europe, but also to the US a few times to visit Norman's sister, Barbara, who emigrated there after the war with her American husband. They also visited New Zealand twice to visit their daughter and her family, who moved there in 1980. Norman's son, Kenneth, and his wife still live on the Island, working in investment banking, while Kenneth's three daughters are currently studying at university in Bangor, Edinburgh and Birmingham.

Consequently, while still having many friends on the Island and a relatively active social life for his age, the majority of Norman's family lives overseas and he can occasionally feel quite isolated and lonely, despite talking to them fairly regularly on the phone.

For an 85 year old Norman is in very good health. He attributes this to living by the coast, where he enjoys the fresh sea breeze while walking along Douglas promenade each day for exercise, which he does with the use of a walking stick, although he admits it takes him much longer than it used to because of his osteoarthritis. He also still enjoys visiting Laxey Wheel and walking the surrounding countryside, but tires very easily and now visits far less often than he'd like. His eyesight is also very good, requiring glasses only to read, having had cataracts removed from both eyes during the last 5 years, which has improved his vision greatly. He admits that he is becoming slightly deaf but does not require any additional support for this.

He is very interested in natural history, Manx national heritage and has recently started researching his family tree. He enjoys visiting the theatre and has always had a keen interest in model railways and steam locomotion. He also used to contend in the TT Races in his youth, after the war, and still enjoys visiting the festival each year for its lively and welcoming atmosphere.

Norman likes to keep his mind active by attending quizzes at his local pub, over the odd pint of course, and doing crosswords. He enjoys playing chess, too, but plays less often now following the death of his childhood friend, Fergus, 3 years ago, with whom he enjoyed a regular game, as he now finds it difficult to find an opponent who matches his level and experience.

Computer Proficiency

Norman has never used a personal computer. Furthermore, he is not interested in learning how to do so "at [his] age"

Familiarity with Internet

Is aware of its existence and wishes he could visit some websites he often sees advertised on television (see below). However, he sees his lack of computer proficiency as a barrier.

Attitude to Technology

Norman owns a mobile phone and sends the occasional text message but only really uses it in an emergency. He is fascinated by technology but often finds it confusing and overwhelming. He likes to read and watch TV to relax but can only receive reception for 4 channels on the Island and does not have digital television. He is not a fan of soaps, hospital dramas, talent shows and reality TV and so finds there is little on television that he actually wants to watch, although he does like murder mysteries, documentaries and, in particular, Time Team.

Goals

He "would like to find out more" about his favourite programme by visiting the website, as he is invited to, but is frustrated that he does not have the means.

He would like to have access to the internet so that he may research his family tree further and send/receive emails to his sister, daughter and 5 grandchildren, but is not interested in learning how to use a computer "at [his] age".