Focus groups: supporting effective product development

✍ Scribed by Joseph D. Langford, Deana McDonagh

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 237
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The focus group is widely used to as a tool for increasing the understanding of users and their requirements, and identifying potential solutions for these requirements. Its main value lies in the conveyance of less tangible information that cannot be obtained using more traditional methods. Eliciting user needs beyond the functional is crucial for effective product and system development. This approach offers one way in which such needs may be elicited. While most texts in product development cater to marketing, political and social science research, this book describes the way focus groups can be applied particularly to ergonomics (human factors) and design-related projects. The book demystifies the subject and includes practical guidance for setting up and running focus group sessions to enable the professional (and novice) to employ these techniques usefully and with confidence. An ideal book for the professional to the undergraduate student, Focus Groups: Supporting Effective Product Development is written for ergonomists, designers and anyone running product related focus groups or involved in product research.

✦ Table of Contents

Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
Acknowledgements......Page 7
Contributors......Page 8
1.1 ABOUT THIS BOOK......Page 12
1.3 WHAT IS A FOCUS GROUP?......Page 13
1.4 THE ADVANTAGES OF FOCUS GROUPS......Page 14
1.5 THE DRAWBACKS AND LIMITATIONS......Page 16
1.6 FOCUS GROUPS IN HUMAN FACTORS/ERGONOMICS AND DESIGN......Page 17
1.6.1 Understanding Users, Tasks and Behaviours......Page 18
1.6.2 Identifying Problems and Establishing User and Task Needs......Page 19
1.6.3 Establishing Frameworks for Further Research......Page 20
1.6.4 Evaluating Existing or Proposed Designs......Page 21
1.6.5 Generating New Design Concepts......Page 23
1.6.6 Influencing and Supporting Decision-making......Page 24
1.6.7 The Focus Group as a Multi-purpose Tool......Page 25
1.7 CONCLUSIONS......Page 26
1.8 REFERENCES......Page 27
PART I Organising and Conducting a Focus Group: The Logistics......Page 29
2.1 INTRODUCTION......Page 30
2.2 WHAT ARE FOCUS GROUPS?......Page 31
2.3 FOCUS GROUPS AS A BASE METHOD INCORPORATING A RANGE OF TECHNIQUES......Page 32
2.4 PLANNING THE RESEARCH......Page 34
2.5 RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS AND PLANNING SESSIONS......Page 36
2.6.1 The Moderator’s Guide......Page 39
2.6.2 Discussion Contents for Design Research Applications......Page 40
2.7 PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR SETTING UP FOCUS GROUP SESSIONS......Page 42
2.8 CONDUCTING FOCUS GROUPS......Page 44
2.9 DATA ANALYSIS......Page 49
2.10 CONCLUSION......Page 53
2.11 REFERENCES......Page 55
PART II Focus Groups in Human Factors/Ergonomics and Design Case Studies......Page 56
3.2 THE CHANGING CLIMATE......Page 58
3.3.1 Flexibility......Page 59
3.3.3 Holistic Approach......Page 61
3.4.1 The Research Brief......Page 63
3.4.2 Research Stimuli......Page 64
3.4.4 Moderating Guide......Page 65
3.4.6 Reporting......Page 66
3.5 FOCUS GROUPS—WHERE ARE THEY RELEVANT?......Page 67
3.7 RELATED READINGS......Page 68
4.1 INTRODUCTION......Page 70
4.2 DESIGN RESEARCH AS PART OF THE DESIGNING PROCESS......Page 71
4.3.1 Three Case Studies......Page 74
Designers’ reservations towards focus group activities......Page 75
4.3.3 Undergraduate Feedback......Page 76
4.4 CONCLUSIONS......Page 77
4.5 REFERENCES......Page 78
5.2 FOCUS GROUPS IN SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT......Page 79
5.3 FOCUS GROUPS IN USER REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS......Page 81
5.5 GROUP FOCUS: CURRENT ACTIVITIES AND NEEDS......Page 82
Session format......Page 83
Comments on method......Page 84
5.6 GROUP FOCUS: NEW DESIGN CONCEPTS......Page 85
Structure of groups......Page 86
Results......Page 87
Comments on method......Page 88
Description and purpose......Page 89
Session format......Page 90
Comments on method......Page 91
Structure of groups......Page 92
Results......Page 93
Description and purpose......Page 94
Results......Page 95
Comments on method......Page 96
5.8 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS......Page 97
5.9 REFERENCES AND RELATED READINGS......Page 98
For visually impaired groups:......Page 100
(Used within case study on biometrics for verification)......Page 101
6.1 INTRODUCTION......Page 102
6.2.1 Participants......Page 104
6.2.3 Findings......Page 105
6.2.4 Summary......Page 108
6.3.1 Method......Page 109
6.3.4 Findings......Page 110
6.4 USE OF MEDICATION IN THE WORKING POPULATION AND EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE......Page 112
6.4.2 Findings......Page 113
6.5 CONCLUDING DISCUSSION......Page 116
6.6 REFERENCES......Page 117
7.2 AGEING AND DISABILITY......Page 119
7.4 EFFECTS OF AGEING ON VARIOUS ABILITIES AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FOCUS GROUPS......Page 120
7.4.2 Attention......Page 121
7.4.4 Memory......Page 122
7.4.5 Speech Processing......Page 123
7.4.6 Language Production......Page 124
7.5 GUIDELINES......Page 125
7.5.1 Question Design......Page 126
7.5.3 Moderator Skills......Page 127
7.5.5 Environment......Page 128
7.5.7 Duration of Discussion......Page 129
7.6 CONCLUSIONS......Page 130
7.7 REFERENCES......Page 131
8.2 SOME BACKGROUND ABOUT IDEO......Page 133
8.3 FIRST AND FOREMOST, USE FOCUS GROUPS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS......Page 134
8.4 ASSIGN HOMEWORK BEFORE THE SESSION......Page 136
8.5 DO NOT JUST ASK PARTICIPANTS TO TALK—GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EXPERIENCE......Page 137
8.6 LET PARTICIPANTS TAKE THINGS ‘HOME’ WITH THEM......Page 138
8.7 CONCLUSION......Page 139
9.1 INTRODUCTION......Page 140
9.2 PROCEDURAL APPROACH......Page 141
9.3.3 Results and Discussion......Page 143
Access......Page 144
9.4 CONCLUSIONS......Page 145
9.5 REFERENCES......Page 146
10.2 THE CURRENT SITUATION......Page 148
10.4 THE OPPORTUNITY: HARNESSING PEOPLE’S CREATIVITY......Page 149
10.5 DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO LEARNING: WHAT PEOPLE SAY, DO AND MAKE......Page 150
Send a camera home......Page 151
Collages......Page 152
Cognitive mapping......Page 154
Velcro-modelling......Page 155
10.7.1 Selecting Tools......Page 156
10.7.2 The Discussion Guide......Page 157
10.10 REFERENCES AND RELATED READINGS......Page 158
11.2 PARTICIPATORY DESIGN—A BRIEF OVERVIEW......Page 160
11.2.3 Some Pitfalls and Problems......Page 161
11.3.2 The Use of Group Discussion Methods in Participatory Design......Page 163
11.3.3 Thinking Tools......Page 164
Background......Page 167
The approach......Page 168
The outcome......Page 169
The approach......Page 170
The outcome......Page 172
11.5 CONCLUSION......Page 173
11.6 REFERENCES......Page 174
PART III Focus Group Tools......Page 176
USING THE METHODS IN THIS BOOK......Page 177
HOW TO USE THIS CHAPTER......Page 178
12.1 TOOLS FOR IMMERSION AND WARM-UP......Page 181
12.1.1 Workbook......Page 182
12.1.3 Photographic Record......Page 183
12.1.4 Video Record......Page 184
12.1.5 ‘Day-in-the-Life’ Exercise......Page 185
12.1.7 Collages and Mood Boards......Page 186
12.1.8 Cognitive Maps......Page 188
12.1.9 Round-robin Questionnaire......Page 190
12.1.10 Thought Bubbles......Page 191
12.1.11 Word Map......Page 192
12.2 PROBLEM ANALYSIS......Page 193
12.2.1 Cause and Effect Analysis......Page 194
12.2.2 Why-why Diagram......Page 195
12.2.3 Force Field Analysis......Page 196
12.3 IDEA GENERATION AND DEVELOPMENT......Page 197
12.3.1 Brainstorming......Page 198
12.3.2 Nominal Group Technique......Page 199
12.3.3 How-how Diagrams......Page 200
12.3.4 Drawing......Page 201
12.3.5 On-line Illustrator......Page 203
12.3.7 Two-dimensional (Layout) Modelling......Page 204
12.3.8 Three-dimensional (Form) Modelling and Mock-ups......Page 206
12.3.9 Design Decision Groups......Page 207
12.4.1 Scenario-based Discussion......Page 209
12.4.2 Visual Evaluation of Products or Systems......Page 210
12.4.3 Product Handling......Page 212
12.4.4 Product and System User Testing......Page 213
12.4.5 Simulation and Role Playing......Page 215
12.4.7 Association......Page 216
12.4.8 Conceptual Mapping......Page 219
12.4.9 Attitudinal Scaling......Page 221
12.4.10 Questionnaire......Page 222
12.4.11 Decision-making Analysis......Page 223
12.4.12 Balance Sheets or +/− Charts......Page 225
12.4.14 List Reduction......Page 226
12.4.15 Voting and Ranking......Page 227
12.5 CONCLUSIONS......Page 228
12.6 REFERENCES......Page 229
Author Index......Page 230
Index......Page 233