- In this movie, we'll look
at another research tool, a focus group.
A focus group is a similar tool to an interview.
The main difference is that a set of questions
are asked to multiple people at once.
And this creates a couple of key distinctions.
The first is discussion.
Sometimes when people start talking through their ideas,
new topics can emerge.
All of a sudden one participant says something
that triggers a thought in another's mind,
and the conversation moves in a direction
that the researcher may not have anticipated.
Another distinction is that participants
may feel more comfortable talking
and being honest in a group setting.
However, you have to be careful.
Sometimes one participant may dominate the conversation
and influence the opinions and remarks of the others.
A good focus group should have been
with a small group of people,
usually no less than six and no more than 10.
And the discussion is led by a moderator.
I like to use a focus group in one of two ways.
It's a great tool for sensitive subject matters
that users might feel uncomfortable talking about
on a one-on-one basis.
And it's also a very effective tool
for evaluating designs,
asking users to provide feedback,
and their preferences towards a way something looks,
functions, or interacts.
Let's consider how a focus group helps
in a sensitive subject.
Let's say we've been hired by a local hospital
to redesign the visitor waiting rooms.
And we know it needs to be a comforting and calming space.
But aside from that, we really don't know
the best way to achieve this.
So we begin with some initial observations of the space
to help establish the context for this problem.
Through these observations we learn
that the current waiting room
has little sunlight and is very small
and has old looking furniture.
And we see multiple groups of families
clustered together, talking quietly,
trying not to disturb one another.
So we have something,
but we're still not really sure we understand
what users need from the space.
So we conduct a focus group with six different individuals
who have all spent time in the hospital waiting room
within the past month.
We set a maximum amount of two hours
for the group discussion.
Two hours is the longest I would have
for a discussion like this.
Anything longer can become tiring and monotonous.
And we also work with a moderator
who developed a script of questions
to ask our participants.
Here's some of what we found out.
"It would have been nice if there was something
"that could help distract from the anxiety
"of waiting for my dad to get out of surgery."
"It's hard to be calm when there isn't
"anyone there with you."
"Yes, I hate sitting there alone.
"I feel like everyone is watching me."
"I just sat and sat with no idea
"why it was taking so long."
"Wouldn't it be nice to have some kind of a message board
"that tells us where our loved one is?"
"When I've been there with my kids,
"there's nothing for them to do.
"And I feel like they're bothering
"the other folks waiting."
"I feel like I'm sitting trapped inside a cave.
"It would be nice to see some fresh light coming in,
"and I really wish they had a space
"where I could use my cell phone in private."
Okay, so you can see how some of our participants
have agreed with each other
and have taken the conversation in new places.
Participant B may have never admitted
feeling awkward in waiting alone
if participant A didn't say so first.
Now let's take a look at how a focus group
can be an effective tool to help evaluate
possible solutions.
Based on what we've learned,
part of our plan is to divide up the waiting room space
into four distinct areas:
A children's play area,
an area with fewer chairs and barriers
for people who prefer privacy,
a cell phone booth,
and an entertainment area with televisions and magazines.
This time we invite our six participants back
to be in another focus group
to provide some feedback on our ideas.
It's important to remember as they're giving feedback
to listen to what they say
and observe their body language and facial expressions.
These little details might provide
some extra insight into reactions
that may not fully be communicated to us.
It's also important to remember
that just because participant B didn't act
or comment positively towards the private waiting area,
doesn't mean that that solution isn't effective.
Sometimes participants may come to a focus group meeting
with frustration from something else.
And also, remember they can be easily influenced
from the opinion of another participant.
Because of this, it's a good idea
to use focus groups alongside other methods
to ensure your evaluations are accurate.
Here are some other tips for conducting
a successful focus group.
Have a list of open-ended questions
to ask your participants,
such as how would you redesign the hospital waiting room?
This might bring about a number of solutions
that you hadn't thought of.
Choose participants carefully.
Make sure your focus group represents
all the users in the problem.
Otherwise, the results may be skewed
towards one particular user's opinion.
Let the moderator ask the questions
while you or an assistant take notes,
observe, and ensure all the relevant information
is being recorded.
Focus groups are a difficult tool to master.
There are many variables to a focus group
that may affect the results,
such as the talent of the moderator,
the questions being asked,
the demographics of the participants,
one participant influencing
the opinion of the next and so on.
The bottom line, make sure you validate your findings
with additional tools.
And whenever possible,
seek the help of a professional moderator
for planning and assistance.