Shortcuts are great when they're actually short.
Personas are just as important in the mobile world because of their focus on understanding the traits of on-the-go consumers. No matter what your reason for using them is, you believe that they’ll yield better, more focused and strategic thinking…thinking that you can return to later to ensure that the experience you’ve cooked up make sense for the target(s).
The misconception about personas is that they need pithy names and planner-flare. They don't. But they DO need to be easy to understand. REPEAT: EASY TO UNDERSTAND. I think that's the key. Using personas is meant to make understanding and communicating large amounts of consumer data easier. If the personas themselves don't immediately speak to you and/or others, then they're probably not very going to be very helpful.
Remember that personas are simply shortcuts that will ultimately lead to decisions about design and experience.
