Personaer

Personaer is a plural noun used in Danish and Norwegian to mean personas or characters. The term can refer to fictional figures created for stories, plays, films, or other media, as well as to defined profiles used in research, marketing, and design.

Etymology and meaning: Personaer derives from the Latin persona, meaning a mask or character. In Scandinavian usage, the plural form is commonly employed when discussing multiple characters, voices, or identities that a creator or researcher distinguishes for analysis or storytelling.

Contexts and applications: In literature and theatre, a persona describes the voice or character adopted by a narrator or performer. In marketing, user experience, and product development, personaer refer to fictional representations of target users or customer segments, used to guide design choices and messaging. The concept helps teams empathize with diverse user needs and scenarios.

Related concepts: The English equivalent is personas, widely used in business and UX. The term can intersect with ideas such as character archetypes, narrators, or social masks, depending on the disciplinary context.

See also: Persona, Persona (psychology), Buyer persona, User-centered design.