Personas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona) is an interaction design technique with considerable potential for software product development. The idea of using personas as representing the voice of the customer was illustrated by Microsoft. They had developed complex personas of customers and based on these personas they had visualised their customers' needs and requirements which formed part of their software requirements for future softwares. Used alone personas can aid design, however the real power of personas lies in the fact that it provides a shared basis for communication. Avatars on the other hand are virtual characters that are created by users to represent them in a virtual setting. They are made popular with the advent of Yahoo messaging and chatting facilities where users usually choose avatars to represent them online. Online games also made avatar a household terminology. In fact any child who has been exposed to online educational material easily understands what an avatar is. A lot of information can be gleaned from the characteristics of avatars that are chosen by users. For instance firms can glean information pertaining to hair colours and styles as indicative of customer preferences and use them in hair care product development.
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