Focus Groups | Usability.gov

A focus group is a moderated discussion that typically involves 5 to 10 participants.  Through a focus group, you can learn about users’ attitudes, beliefs, desires, and reactions to concepts.

How a Focus Group Differs from a Usability Test or Contextual Interview

Focus groups are a traditional market research technique. Marketing departments are often more familiar with focus groups than with usability testing or contextual interviews. However, the techniques produce different kinds of information.

• In a typical focus group, participants talk.  During the focus group users tell you about their experiences or expectations but you don’t get to verify or observe these experiences.
• In a typical usability test or contextual interview, users act.  As a result, you are able to watch (and listen to) them and draw conclusions from that.

Choosing Participants

An important aspect of focus groups is getting the feedback from your target audiences/ demographics. 

When recruiting, researchers usually select participants based on specific traits or characteristics, including:

• Age
• Occupation
• Experience
• Education
• Ethnicity

Conducting Focus Groups

When conducting a focus group:

• Decide on the range of topics you would like to cover before the session
• Pretest questions to ensure they are clear and logical
• Develop open-ended questions to encourage discussion
• Arrange questions in a way that flows naturally
• Hire a skilled moderator to facilitate the discussion
• Create a script so the moderator knows what to ask and which topics to cover
• Allow the moderator to change the order of questions and topics to keep the discussion flowing smoothly
• Plan to spend about two hours with the group
• Tape the sessions
• Have one or more note takers to ensure everything is captured