Personas for retail banking scenarios to help develop better customer-centric products.

1. Personas
dancingmango.com
Retail bank

2. Steve is 55. He is an architect working
for a small partnership. And earns £110k.
He is divorced – he sold the £600k
detached house and now lives in a more
modest semi. He considers himself
responsible and plans ahead before
committing. He can’t see himself retiring
for a while though
Steve
“I am good at savings money, I’ve got a few ISAs and have been known to
dabble on the stock exchange”
“When it comes to finances, I look for a good deal, and am not afraid to shop
around”
“I read the financial pages of my newspaper”
“I am comfortable with my current income”
“I try to keep up with developments in technology”
“I love to buy new gadgets and appliances”
“I like to take long haul holidays”
“I’m tempted to invest in property overseas”
He says
He needs He has
Investment advice
Home, car and contents insurance
To pay bills
To save money
To re-mortgage his house to buy
overseas property
To manage a euro account
Premier Account
Credit card
Investment account
Premier

3. Nick is 25 and works behind the bar
at the George and Dragon in Earls
Court. He enjoys the work – it’s an
extension of his social life. On
Sundays he plays five aside football.
He’s a Chelsea member and has
been known to travel to European
games
Nick
“Work is a means to an end”
“I tend to spend money without thinking”
“If there’s something I want I DON’T save up for it”
“I’ve no idea where my money goes each month. I get it – I spend it”
“I like to impress. I wear designer clothes”
“I’m finding old friends on Facebook that I’d forgotten about – I reckon I know
spend more time on the web than on the TV now!”
“I’m a member of Chelsea FC. I can’t afford the season ticket, but if they do
well in Europe I’ll want to travel to some of the away games. I’ll work out how
I can afford that when the time comes”
He says
He needs He has
To know where his money goes
To pay bills
To protect his gadgets
To save for European cup final
To borrow money
To be reminded of financial activities
Current Account
Credit Card
Overdraft
Big Brother Wannabe

4. Sally is 28. She’s an admin assistant at
a warehousing company. She worries
about the future and lacks confidence in
her ability to handle her financial affairs.
She is not very good at budgeting and is
an impulsive buyer
Sally
“Just getting by can be a struggle sometimes”
“I am no good at saving money”
“I tend to spend money without thinking”
“I’ve recently torn up my credit card, I was spending too much on it“
“I find it difficult to manage on my present” income”
“I’m easily swayed by other peoples views”
“I’m tempted to buy products I’ve seen advertised”
“I like to talk – the internet is great for this”
She says
She needs She has
Help in managing her money
Contents insurance
Car insurance
To borrow money
Extend her overdraft
Current Account
Loan
Overdraft
Skint

5. Chris is 35. He is an analyst at a
City brokerage firm. He is interested
in the environment, arts and
international affairs. He is reads
widely, is financially engaged and
confident. He is always looking for
ways to manage their money better -
particularly again through the
financial press
Chris
“I read the financial pages of my newspaper”
“I look for profitable ways to invest my money”
“I am comfortable on my present income”
“I prefer holidays off the beaten track”
“I am prepared to pay for environmentally friendly products”
“I'm prepared to pay more for good quality products”
“I travel a lot on business”
“I get fed up with junk mail, even from my bank. I do everything on-line, why
do they send me stuff in the post?”
He says
He needs He has
To do all his banking on-line
To make large payments on-line
To manage his account when on
business overseas
To send the bank emails, not talk on
the phone or visit the branch
Current account
Credit Card
Savings account
City Dude

6. Clare and Jody have been living
together since university. Clare works
in PR and Jody is a researcher at a TV
production company. They have
saved up a deposit and now want to
buy their first home – a two bedroom
flat in Streatham
“We went travelling after we graduated, we’re paying off the student loans, it’s
time to start settling down”
“With a bit of help from our families we’ve managed to put aside enough for a
deposit for a small flat”
“We’ve each got our own bank account – sometimes we wonder whether it
would make sense to pool our resources in the same account”
“We always shop around to find the best deal, neither of us buys on impulse”
“The internet is part of our lives”
They say
They needs They have
Help in understanding mortgages
Apply for a mortgage
Manage mortgage on-line
Insurance
No relationship with the Bank
Clare and Jody First time Buyers

7. Rob is 35. He is the director of a small
building firm with a turnover of £1m.
He is married with a young family. He
has a portfolio of properties that he
manages. He still has a small
outstanding balance on his personal
Halifax mortgage
He needs He has
Easy access to someone to talk to
To pay large invoices on-line
To know when money has arrived in
his account (on the move and on his
laptop)
Vehicle leasing
Business banking account
Business loan
Business overdraft
Business Credit Card
Personal current account
Personal Credit Card
Rob
“As the business expands I spend more time on my blackberry than on site”
“Managing cash flow is always a pain”
“I want to give my children all the opportunities I never had”
“I don’t trust stocks and shares. You can’t go wrong with bricks and mortar”
“I like to talk to my bank manager. I don’t want someone at the end of the
phone. I want an Overdraft facility, I’m willing to pay for it but no-one is willing
to come and see me”
“I’ve usually got a healthy balance in my current account, say £15k. You
never know what’s around the corner”
He says
Large Local Business

8. Sharon runs her own business as a
mobile hairdresser and stylist. One
day she will set up her own salon but
her clients keep her so busy she never
seems to find the time to do anything
about it
She needs She has
Self employed insurance
Business current account
Business everyday saver account
Current account
Sharon
“I love my job, I’ve got some great customers who I see on a regular basis”
“Doing my accounts is a real headache! My qualifications are in hairdressing
– not sums. I failed my maths GCSE”
“I’ve worked in salons in the past, but right now I prefer the flexibility of
working on my own. I’d love to set up my own salon but I don’t know where
I’d start”
“I try to save as much as I can, but I’m not the most disciplined of people”
She says
Small Local Business
Help in planning her business
finances
Business mortgage
Business loan
Manage her business account on-
line
Manage her personal account on-
line

9. Lucy is 23. She is just about to
graduate – and has a place on a
graduate trainee scheme. She is
going to move to London to live with
friends
“I’ve just graduated and I’ve got a mountain of debt. The student loan is OK,
but I’ve got to do something about the bank overdraft”
“I never seem to have any time to sort out my finances, I just ignore it”
“Yeah, I know I’ve got to save, but I’ll do it in the future”
“I’ve spent 4 years at uni living off tinned beans, now I can actually buy
things!”
“Right now it’s not buying a house, I don’t want to tie myself down. I want
luxuries. Like skiing holidays and decent bars and clubs”
“Living with my mates is all well and good, but it would be nice to rent a place
with my boyfriend”
She says
Her needs She has
Financial planning
Travel insurance
Student Account
Overdraft
Lucy Student / Graduate

10. Marjorie is the first female treasurer of
Chigglewick Bowling club. She’s been
a member since she moved to the
village in 1974. Before she retired she
worked in the local branch of Nat West
as a senior Cashier
“The club was founded in 1931”
“we’ve got around one hundred and sixty playing members plus forty social
members”.
“We have a very active social calendar; during the season we have monthly
social events, and during the winter regular meetings are held on Friday
evenings with various activities.”
“We play in all the County competitions and our A team are currently third in
Division One in the County league”
“Membership fees are £75 of which £30 covers green maintenance. Social
members pay £45”
“Sid Smith is the president of the club, he is a signatory on the account”
She says
Her needs She has
Save money
Set up and manage standing orders
and DDs
Pay bills
Manage the accounts (transfer surplus
funds)
Change signatories / mandate
Pre-order change for events
Business Current Account
Business Savings Account
Marjorie – treasurer of Chigglebrick Bowling
Club
Charitable Society

11. Derick has been retired for ten years
now. Their children have left the nest
and they are enjoying themselves.
Doris is not too well, but wants to keep
going and see the world.
“We want our savings to give us more income”
“We worry that we have our retirement planning sorted. And inheritance for
the kids? That’s a cause for concern”
“We enjoy ourselves in our retirement. It may not be the done thing but we’ve
both got cars and there’s the motorhome as well.”
We love going on Cruises, but it can be difficult finding travel insurance, what
with Doris’ dicky heart”
“We have banked with The Bank for 50 years, but you’d never have guessed.
We want to be made to feel important.”
“The internet is great. We’ve just got Skype and can talk to and see our
Grandchildren in Australia”
They say
Their needs They have
To save money
Retirement and inheritance planning
Insurance
More personalised service
Current account
Derrick and Doris Silver Surfers

12. Marek is from Poland. He has just
started a job as a software developer
in London. He is living with friends.
He needs a bank account to pay his
salary into and wants to send some
money home to Poland every month
“I’m going to be here for a few years, until I’ve saved enough to buy house in
Poland”
“I want to be treated as though I am a UK citizen”
“I don’t want to compromise on my lifestyle for saving, but I’m always looking for
a good deal”
“I don’t like to pay for stuff I don’t need”
“I want to be able to access the bank account when I am in Poland”
“I’m worried it’s going to be a real hassle to set up a bank account over here”
“I seek advice from friends who have already settled here”
He says
His needs He has
Open a bank account
A credit card
An overdraft facility
To save money
On-line access
Access his money abroad
Transfer money to overseas account
No relationship with Bank
Marek Ex-Pat

13. Marc McNeill
www.dancingmango.com/blog
Twitter: dancingmango