FOCUS GROUPS

What are they

• NOT group interviews• Focused discussions, small group,

physically co-present• Used a lot in market research

What are they most useful for

• in-depth understanding – WHY• Speculation (what you would like?)• reaction to proposals, ideas, prototypes

– Can show them designs, have them try out prototypes

• group synergy

Caveats

• conceptual/retrospective not actual/activity

• only what they can and will articulate• may be the response in the moment –

which may change over time• strong personalities are a hazard• groupthink

Participants

• Number: 5 to 9• Qualities of participants

– Outspoken enough (but not dominating)– Homogeneous group, but heterogeneous

views– Beware of power relations

• For multiple types of participants need multiple groups

• Recruitment– Paid; ‘professional’– As you would recruit other subjects

Logistics

• 1- to 1 1/2 hours• round table, chairs in circle• comfortable room, good sightlines,

acoustics• Food and drink with care – they have to

be able to talk!

Guiding the discussion

• know your objectives• don’t try to do too much – 2-4 major

topics is probably all• have an outline of how you want to

proceed• be ready to be flexible if need be – or to

rein in the discussion• Stick to the time limit

Moderator’s role

• encourage discussion • encourage them to talk with one another

not you• bring in people who aren’t speaking• Reduce influence of people who

dominate• Bring out a variety of viewpoints• keep on discussion track w/o stifling• allow silence• avoid premature closure

Moderator, cont.

• Ensure safety• Listen and regroup as needed• Do NOT act as a leader but DO keep the

discussion on topic• Preferably someone not connected with

the topic– However, for some topics, really need

someone who understands topic, terminology

• Use 2 people if possible – one to guide, one to take notes

Introducing the process

• Introduce purpose, sponsorship if applicable

• Lay out guidelines, e.g. time• Be clear on the topic(s) of discussion• Make introductions• Specify that you are interested in

thoughts not decisions

Observing and Recording

• videotaping• audiotaping• note-taker

– Has to be someone other than moderator

• One-way mirrors

Reporting

• fast• synthesis of important issues• Key quotations useful but NOT a

transcription– Though use a transcription to create report

if at all possible

Criticisms of focus groups

• Participants not representative• Dominated by few people or topics• Limited to what people can talk about

CHI 2002 PanelFocus groups in HCI: Wealth of Info or

Waste of Resources?

Key Issues

• Focus groups are small numbers, not random, not statistically valid

• Focus groups are a lot of work• How best to use limited resources?• Answer (in part): can get insights from

focus groups that can’t get in other ways

• Know their limits

Broad definition of focus groups

• Traditional focus group responding to a design– Often paired with user testing:

• Pair members of panel with developers, do something behavioral and come back and discuss

• Usability roundtable• Pluralistic walkthrough• Participant heuristic evaluation

Some uses of focus groups

• Validating high-level strategy, goals• Capture user roles, tasks, workflows• Generate and evaluate design ideas• Identify customer expectations• Get user language, terminology• Increase customer involvement, buy-in

Vs. other methods -- Pros:

• Methods without users are suspect• Lab methods only answer the questions

we know to ask; decontextualized• Field methods have their uses but…• Reach lots of people in relatively short

time• Useful when people are gathered from

various locations, e.g., conference

Pros, cont.

• Observing behavior is very useful but need some way to understand users’ interpretations, intentions, as well

• When you want insight, not statistics, focus groups are the way to go

Cons

• Respondents only report what they remember and deem important enough to mention

• Self-reported data• Focus groups lack the statistical validity

of larger tests• Limited group• Need some way to study behavior, too• Strong participant sways the group

Challenges

• Need skilled facilitator– Hard to do!– Anything you say has effect; vs methods

where all you have to do is be quiet

• Costly to schedule groups• Sometimes people feel like they have to

say something – talk about features haven’t tried

On-line focus groups

• Method– Real time conferencing – appprox. 90 minutes– Asynchronous conferencing over several days

• Benefits:– Distant participants– Convenient for participants– Immediate transcript

• Difficulties– below

• All the usual pros and cons of electronic communication

• Example: http://www.surveycompany.com/onlinesurveys/focusgroup.html

– [this is not a recommendation; just one you can observe]

Ex: Online Focus Group for Hard of Hearing

Sapient Health Network (SHN) - is an informative health site for people with chronic and serious illnesses. SHN is currently trying to conduct an online focus group of moderate to severe hearing impaired individuals.

If you have a hearing loss that significantly impacts your life SHN is very interested in your participation in our "Hard of Hearing Focus Group". Technically, the focus group will require only that you use standardInternet chat software and visit a special Web address. SHN will guide youin both of these activities as they confirm your participation. The focus group will require no more than two hours of your time and ** You will becompensated for your participation **.

If you are interested you can fill out the registration for at:xxx <<All information shared is confidential and identities will not be shared with any third party without expressed consent>>

Problems with ONLINE focus groups – from

http://www.groupsplus.com/pages/qmr0601.htm

• Traditional focus groups offer the benefits of face-to-face interaction. This enables a skilled moderator to utilize the group dynamics to explore an issue, and allow the participants to discuss the topic among themselves, which normally will result in a much more in-depth exploration of the topic.

• An experienced focus group moderator will use non-verbal reactions of the participants both to direct the nature of the discussion but also as a part of the ultimate analysis process.

• In traditional focus groups the moderator is an authority figure that can direct the flow of the discussion to ensure that the most productive use of time is made, elicit comments from all participants in the group, and

minimize the influence of one or more people.

Problems with ONLINE focus groups (cont)

• The security of the Internet focus group is not nearly as tight as it is with live sessions.

• The Internet approach to focus group relies on an individual's ability to type effectively to participate fully.

• One of the most important benefits of the traditional focus group is the ability of the clients to be involved in the research real-time by observing from behind the one-way mirror.

• Traditional focus groups have the ability to show "external stimuli" to groups in order to obtain their reactions.

Added problems with online

• Comments likely to be short• If asynchronous, loss of thread of

discussion• The usual chat room problem of lag in

responses• Lack of interaction, synergy• Easy for participants to NOT participate• Rude/extreme behavior?