What Is the Role of Personas in Environmental Sustainability Studies? A Systematic Review of 36 Research Articles

Abstract

User personas are important tools for user understanding in human-computer interaction (HCI), and understanding how personas contribute to environmental sustainability across research and practice contexts is increasingly important. Our systematic review of 36 articles on persona research in environmental sustainability reveals four key patterns. First, persona research in environmental sustainability primarily focuses on the SDGs of industry innovation, consumption, and climate change, with other SDGs, such as clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) and life below water (SDG 14), not represented in any of the reviewed studies. Second, research is concentrated mainly in the Global North, with 77.8% of articles originating there; this concentration shapes which environmental sustainability priorities, methodologies, and stakeholder perspectives are represented. Third, the main challenges in implementing personas in environmental sustainability research are technical issues (34.6%), reflecting structural challenges. Fourth, methodological adaptations (39.13%) are the primary strategy for overcoming implementation barriers, whereas knowledge sharing and collaboration (4.34%) remain rare, indicating opportunities to leverage collective expertise to advance environmental sustainability goals through persona-centered methodologies.