Archetypes are the embodiments of the universal stories that all human beings share, which means that they represent something that each of us has a mental model of.
Simply defined, Archetypes are typical examples of certain people and things. They can evoke our imaginations, our dreams and our aspirations. They encompass rich narratives and storytelling, and evoke the unique personalities of those they represent.
Archetypes are used in the Loft to represent a group of individuals responding to the focus each of our partner companies provided for their customers and/or employees. A visualization of the Archetypes chosen provides a quick visual glance into who these individuals represent, and allows workshop attendees to take a first step into empathic understanding.
Each Archetype is an amalgamation of several individuals, gleaned from the resources provided by both member companies and additional research completed by the Live Well team, and is represented by several common themes. The themes are aspects of their daily lives. The structure of information is the same across each Archetype to show how individuals vary in the focus of importance, issues, and activities of daily living for each theme.
Angela works as a nurse and has little time to take care of herself between juggling her work and family’s schedules.
Loretta’s body may be aging, but she refuses to age without dignity. Loretta enjoys keeping involved with her loved ones by staying connected, busy, and informed.
Carlos doesn’t let his Sickle Cell Disease or his low-income status impact his passion for life – he loves learning about maintaining his health so he can play basketball as much as possible.
Laura is a mother of four who struggles with housing and job insecurity. Her issues are compounded by a congestive heart condition.
Chris is a millennial who chooses to live in the moment through mental stimulation, ignoring the future health implications of his actions.
Nathan’s recent divorce has him struggling to learn to take care of himself. His health is getting out of control, and it is time to make a change.
Personas are thought to be the result of simplification, while Archetypes are the result of richness. Personas are more general, and include details such as age, sex, occupation, education, interests and more. They are fictional characters that represent a user base.
Archetypes, however, are modeled around a behavioral perspective, embodying the vision and attitudes of the person they represent. They are more detailed and descriptive, and allow you to create a more personal and empathic understanding.
For the Loft, it was important to develop Archetypes to exemplify the way different consumers, stakeholders, and users felt about their health and wellbeing. The narratives told through the Loft Archetypes allow participants the opportunity to learn about them as if they personally know them.
As the term Sonder explains, we need to be mindful that those around us are living lives as complex as our own. Watch the video from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows:
