I’ve always been fascinated by email and how others manage it. The process of clearing and responding to email is a very personal one. We do it during our quiet time without others watching “how” we do it.
Some of my older posts like Email Overwhelm and Making the Invisible, Visible have explored the idea and suggested we talk more about the processes we use.
So, when I saw the article, The Four Faces of Email, I was immediately drawn in. Yahoo! had done some research to better understand this invisible work. The purpose of the research was to develop additional tools within the Yahoo! platform to support customers.
The Four Personas
I found the four personas to be interesting and aligned with the conversations I’ve had with others on the topic. Take a look at the summary of the four below and see which one you resonate most closely with.
The Mover. This persona represents 35% of the population. Movers constantly check their inbox but always feel overwhelmed. They feel like they can never get ahead.
The Smooth Operator. Smooth Operators represent 28% of respondents. They are highly organized and deal with emails immediately by filing, deleting, or taking action. These people are the ones who actually sit at inbox zero.
The Inbox Improviser. Representing 26% of people, they are neither managing their inboxes nor avoiding them. They don’t think about it. Instead, they check when they have to but basically have no system.
The Overwhelmed Optimist. This final persona represents 11% of the population. This type craves a clean inbox more than the other groups, but they can’t make it happen. They are overwhelmed and feel stuck.
Gamifying the Inbox
What I found just as interesting as the dive into the personas was what Yahoo! did with the information. They added gamification to the platform. Streaks and challenges are incorporated targeted at “Gen Z and Millennials”.
The app (features are currently only on the mobile experience) also provides an email “Catch Up” feature that allow users to quickly decide if they keep or delete. Then, a message board pops up announcing how many emails you cleared and how long it took. A mini celebration!
My Perspective
This project really demonstrates how you can take research insights and turn them into product features that will resonate. I’m excited to see companies using gamification in ways that enhance the brand and provide value to customers. A win-win!
I also think the personas themselves are interesting. As with any personality or tendency quiz, personal insights can be gained that enable you to understand your approach. With that understanding you can embrace it or ask questions about how you could you shift your tendency.
Your Turn
When you read the email persona types, which do you resonate with?
What do you think of the new Yahoo! email features?
Does the article inspire any ideas on other ways to use gamification?