When we started to develop Susie's personality, our main concern was that she needed to be a friendly, reassuring presence that would make people comfortable with the Writing Center. That meant we needed someone friendly and low-key. At the same time, she also needed a consistent and recognizable personality.

In part, this second concern arose to solve the technical problems associated with having multiple tutors who would interact with writers using Susie’s persona. If Susie didn’t have a consistent, recognizable voice, then the whole experiment would fall apart. Instead of being an engaging spokespersona, she would be just a (well-drawn) picture, but we discovered that these two goals are related. The consistency of Susie’s voice helps to build trust with the writers she interacts with: they can count on her to respond with the same cheerful manner from session to session.

In this section, you can read more about Designing Susie's Voice and its Characteristics, or view the Being Susie Guide.