¹Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Correspondence: Kev Hilton, Director of Research, The Centre for Design Research, School of Design, Squires Building, Northumbria University, Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK. E-mail: k.hilton@northumbria.ac.uk

Abstract

This paper describes a pilot study of a "criminal personas" approach to countering criminal creativity. The value of the personas approach has been assessed by comparing the identification of criminal opportunity, through "traditional" brainstorming and then through "criminal personas" brainstorming. The method involved brainstorm sessions with Computer Forensics Practitioners and with Product Designers, where they were required to generate criminal scenarios, select the most serious criminal opportunities, and propose means of countering them. The findings indicated that there was merit in further research in the development and application of the "criminal personas" approach. The generation of criminal opportunity ideas and proposal of counter criminal solutions were both greater when the brainstorm approach involved the group responding through their given criminal personas.