What is a Non-Human Persona?

If we want to design for a better planet, we need to include the voice of nature. One way to do that is by generating non-human personas.

What is a Persona?

As designers, you are probably familiar with personas—archetypes of users and customers created to understand better their needs, behaviors, challenges, and emotions. These are typically developed in relation to the product or service you are designing and the business you are working for.

However, I'm not a fan of how personas are often created today. In my work with clients and other designers, I frequently encounter shallow personas that barely scratch the surface, lacking deep insights into needs and behaviors or an emotional narrative. Under the pressures of design sprints and business efficiency, there is often little time or resources to conduct the participatory research necessary for meaningful, in-depth personas.

Designing Beyond Human Needs

If you are familiar with user personas and profiles, you may have also come across the concept of non-human personas—representing animals, plants, and environments impacted by our creations. But what exactly are non-human personas?

Non-human personas are a way to foster an emotional connection with nature and non-human entities through scientific research, creativity, and imagination. They help us understand the needs and perspectives of non-human actants and create designs that reflect their realities.

Done well, non-human personas go beyond academic papers and statistics, providing a rich, emotional biography of natural life—whether a plant, an animal, a village, a building, or even a legal entity. This approach blends scientific knowledge with narrative depth, creating personas that are both data-driven and emotionally compelling.

Quantitative research is crucial for understanding the state of our planet and humanity. However, many people struggle to emotionally connect with scientific data—especially in a world dominated by concrete and asphalt rather than rivers and trees. By using participatory research methods such as immersion and co-design, we can create narratives that give nature a voice and help us reconnect with the environment.

Why Are Non-Human Personas Important?

In a world where environmental concerns and social justice issues are more critical than ever, non-human personas bring nature to the design table. If you want to be a purposeful organization that delivers value sustainably and creates positive impact, you need to understand the natural environments and ecosystems you are affecting—including often invisible communities.

Non-human personas are more than just a design tool; they are a bridge to our natural world.

They allow us to cultivate empathy and responsibility, enabling us to design with a conscience. By including non-human actants in our work and organizations, we can make ethical design choices that address climate change, social injustice, and ecological preservation.

In today's fast-paced design industry, where user research is often deprioritized, taking the time to develop non-human personas may seem like a challenge. However, they are essential if we truly aim to design ethically and impactfully.

How to Create a Non-Human Persona

When creating a non-human persona, you craft a biography of a natural life form, ecosystem, or entity while adding an emotional narrative. This process goes beyond traditional personas, integrating scientific data and lived experience.

1. Understand the Ecosystem

Non-human personas exist within larger ecosystems—both natural and human-made. These ecosystems include:

• Biological elements: Natural life, habitats, resources

• Human stakeholders: People, businesses, policymakers

• Artifacts: The tools and systems used in the space

• Invisible communities: Those affected by but not typically included in design decisions

By identifying key beings and elements within this ecosystem, you can research their needs and impact using non-human personas alongside traditional user personas.

2. Conduct Scientific Research

A wealth of scientific information exists about plants, animals, and ecosystems. This data is often publicly accessible and can provide deep insights into the life, needs, and threats faced by different species.

Example Persona:

Norway spruce (Picea abies)is one of the most socioeconomically important tree species in northern Europe, yet its postglacial colonization history in Fennoscandia remains clouded in uncertainty with contrasting migration theories, Norway spruce is the main species in the Boreal and subalpine conifer forests, from Central (in mountains) to Northern and Eastern Europe up to the Ural Mountains, where the species merges with Siberian spruce (Picea obovata):

"I am an old species, and I am struggling with my identity. I am called Norwegian Spruce by the general public, but most of my kind are outside my own ecoregion. My surroundings are not very friendly as I spread easily into my neighbour's land.

I don't like to attack biodiversity, but afforestation puts me in that situation. I capture carbon but in the wrong location. You could cut me where I don't belong so I can give back to the world I grew up in. At least I am more helpful cut down than attacked by fungi and beetles and climate change in the areas where I don't belong. I don't intend to harm. 

People see me as the ideal Christmas tree, but I am not allowed to grow fully, and I erode the soil when my purpose is just to stand in a living room. "

- Created for Ope in 2022

Example Persona:

This persona was created with The Soil Association in October 2024.

3. Immerse Yourself in Nature

Immersion is a vital part of human-centered and nature-centered design. Too often, design happens in isolation—behind screens and far from the environments it impacts.

The beauty of creating non-human personas is that it encourages you to step outside—to the woods, the beach, the mountains, or even urban parks—and experience nature firsthand. By being present in these environments, in silence and observation, you create space for a deeper connection.

This is similar to the practice of forest bathing, which emphasizes mindful immersion in natural surroundings.

4. Create an Emotional Narrative

Once you have researched and gathered insights, the next step is to weave them into an engaging and empathetic narrative. This storytelling approach fosters emotional connections between your audience, your design project, and the natural world.

Seeing the World Through Different Lenses

When we adopt a life-centered design approach, our perspective shifts. We begin to see the world through new lenses, giving voice to ecosystems and stakeholders that have historically been excluded from decision-making processes.

This shift requires us to unlearn old design methods and embrace new ones—methods that honor the interdependence of all living beings.

When we design with nature, we begin to see through its eyes, feel its rhythms, and honor its stories—creating not just for the world, but with it.

If you want to learn more about Non-Human Personas check out our on-demand course here.

Jeroen Spoelstra