The Saturday Paper by Kara Redman

The Saturday Paper by Kara Redman

Are personas dead?

Not the actual people, obviously. Just the stock images of Sarah, 34 from Austin.

Kara Redman's avatar
Kara Redman
Jun 21, 2025
∙ Paid
Share

Remember when we used to go in front of our bosses all happy with the stock photos of people we picked out like… “Meet Sarah, 34, Marketing Manager, drinks iced coffee, shops at Target.”

Personas used to be essential marketing fodder. Today they feel disconnected from how real decisions are made. I find them to be empty and contain very little actionable…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Saturday Paper by Kara Redman to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Kara Redman
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture