Focus Groups

1
Focus Groups

• Alfred Kobsa
• University of California, Irvine

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Pros and cons of focus groups

• Good for
• Generating ideas (? use brainstorming techniques)
• Gauging user opinions
• Collect multiple points of view in a short period
  of time
• Cons
• People may feel intimidated in group situation
• Individual participants may dominate
• ? Use a skilled outside? moderator

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Elements of a focus group

• 6-10 participants (possibly pre-interview them)
• Good participant mix (demographic, job profile,
  )
• Avoid including supervisors
• Use preferably more than one focus group (2-3)
  Make the group size smaller if needed
• Actors
• Moderator
• Note-taker (collects and posts ideas)
• Videographer
• Observers
• Activity materials
• White board or flip chart
• Computer/video projector, Powerpoint slides,
  videos
• Post-it notes

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Rules for Moderator

• Be personable
• Ask questions
• Have sufficient domain knowledge (what is
  important, what not?)
• Stay focused
• Avoid behaving like a participant
• Keep the activity moving
• Keep the participants motivated/encouraged
• No critiquing
• Everyone should participate (? use round robin)
  
• No one should dominate

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Special types of focus groups

• Assignment of tasks to groups (construction,
  testing,)
• Requires time, several facilitators and usually
  artifacts
• (Day-in-the-life)
• Iterative focus groups
• Focus troupe
• Computer-supported focus groups
• electronic whiteboard, (anonymous) chat-based
  conference system
• Tele-groups (usually phone conference)