Abstract Graduates must learn to present a version of themselves that aligns with the expectations and norms of their discipline or profession, organisations in which they might work and the public at large; and to be able to adapt as they change careers and workplaces. Persona studies offers a lens for reimagining more authen-tic forms of assessment design, ones where students can strategically construct their persona in different media and for different audiences through meaning making in relation to the worlds of work and study. We do this by mapping new possible path-ways of assessment as portrayal across dimensions of persona offering specific examples of design.