Personas
The three primary learners My Coach is built for — each representing a distinct position on a wider spectrum.
These personas are not archetypes invented for the proposal. They are composite portraits drawn from the real communities NCCC serves — distilled from the NSW Foundation Skills priority groups and grounded in the specific barriers those learners face.
Every product decision — features, UX, language, avatar design — is tested against the needs of Deb, Marcus, and Alyssa. → See their full journeys
Persona 1 — Deb, the Low-Tech Learner
Deb, 54 — Small town, Far North Coast NSW
"I want to get better at the basics, but I don't want to look stupid trying."
| Priority groups | Low literacy (ACSF L1–2) · Long-term unemployed · Regional/remote |
|---|---|
| Background | Left school at 15 to work on the family farm. Decades of physical and seasonal work. Now looking to move into community services, but job application forms and workplace reading requirements feel out of reach. Unemployed for over 18 months. |
| Tech access | Shares a mid-range Android phone with her partner. 3G at home, better connection at the local library. Sticks to calls and Facebook. |
| English | First language. Strong spoken English; written literacy is the gap. |
| Goal | Improve reading and writing enough to complete job applications and feel confident in a workplace that uses written communication. |
| Barrier | Fear of being found out. She's hidden her literacy struggles for decades. The idea of something recording her reading aloud or grading her writing is confronting. |
What My Coach does for Deb
Meets her at her actual level without making a fuss about it. Private-by-default means no one sees her results. The paper-and-photo writing pathway means she doesn't have to type on a small screen. Short sessions at the library, when she has time and Wi-Fi, fit around her life.
Persona 2 — Marcus, the CALD Learner
Marcus, 34 — Regional NSW, ~90 min from a major centre
"I'm getting by, but I want to do more than get by."
| Priority groups | CALD / English language learner · Low numeracy (ACSF L1–2) · Long-term unemployed |
|---|---|
| Background | Born in the Philippines, moved to Australia at 24 for work. Long enough here to manage day-to-day life, but written English — especially numeracy in English and formal written communication — remains a real gap. Tried a TAFE course but struggled to keep up with the written components. |
| Tech access | Has his own mid-range smartphone on a standard data plan. Comfortable installing apps and using YouTube. |
| English | English as an additional language. Spoken English is functional and improving; reading, writing, and English-language word problems are harder. |
| Goal | Pass a job readiness assessment, understand workplace forms and signage, build enough literacy/numeracy to stay enrolled in a Certificate I course. |
| Barrier | Time and inconsistency. Family obligations and patches of casual work. He's tried apps before and dropped off after a few weeks when life intervened. |
What My Coach does for Marcus
Short, self-contained sessions that remember where he left off. The numeracy module's gamified approach fits the quick sessions he can squeeze in during downtime. The Coach's language is plain and free of idiom — it doesn't talk down to him or assume cultural context he doesn't have. Progress is visible and encouraging, not measured against an external standard.
Persona 3 — Alyssa, the Sceptic
Alyssa, 18 — Far North Coast NSW, small Bundjalung community
"School wasn't for me. I'm not sure this will be either."
| Priority groups | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander · Low literacy (ACSF L1–2) · Regional/remote |
|---|---|
| Background | Bundjalung woman. Attended school irregularly and left in Year 9. School felt alien — the curriculum had little connection to her community, her culture, or her life. She's not stupid and she knows it, but formal education made her feel like she was. At the Coach via a community worker she trusts. |
| Tech access | Has an older iPhone handed down from a cousin. Spotty mobile coverage; she tends to use Wi-Fi at the community centre. Uses TikTok and Instagram comfortably. |
| English | First language, though her community uses a mix of English and Bundjalung expressions. Articulate and quick, but written English — especially formal register — is a gap. |
| Goal | Unstated and uncertain. If pressed: she'd like to be able to read things without asking someone, and maybe eventually do something in health or community work. She won't say this to the Coach until she trusts it. |
| Barrier | Systemic distrust of education. The school system failed her. She's also wary of anything that feels like it's been made by and for non-Indigenous people and dropped into her community. |
What My Coach does for Alyssa
The first session is a conversation, not an assessment. The Coach doesn't rush to evaluate or categorise her. It's curious about her, not clinical. The Barranggirra fee-free pathway means there's no financial barrier. Over time, if the Coach earns her trust, she'll start to set her own goals — but the Coach has to wait for that, not push for it. Culturally safe language, imagery, and tone are non-negotiable from the first screen.
Design considerations across all three
These three personas represent distinct positions on a wider spectrum. In practice the product will serve:
- Ages roughly 18 to 60+ — UX must work for older adults unfamiliar with app conventions and younger users who navigate TikTok with ease.
- A range of English language backgrounds — from first-language speakers with literacy gaps to EALD learners and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members using a mix of English and language. Plain language, warm tone, no idiom. Audio support is a priority, not an afterthought.
- Variable tech confidence and connectivity — 3G and shared devices are the baseline assumption. No feature should require high bandwidth, a recent device, or a continuous session.
- Cultural safety — for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners especially, the product must feel made with their community in mind, not just available to it.
→ Product Principles → Coach Personality & Interaction Model