Focus group
One group that gathers one or more times to discuss and collaborate on one challenge. The aim is to get a deeper understanding of the challenge, it can also be to create consensus around the challenge.
One group that gathers one or more times to discuss and collaborate on one challenge. The aim is to get a deeper understanding of the challenge, it can also be to create consensus around the challenge.
One group that gathers one or more times to discuss and collaborate on one challenge. The group needs a clear leader, preferably the one who organizes the occasion, who holds the discussion/the exercises.
A focus group provides the opportunity to gather relevant individuals to ask the basic questions about the challenge and create consensus. The group can, for example, consist of users/target groups to gain a deeper understanding of the challenge or to create consensus around the project together with partners.
This is a tool that we like uses as early as possible in examine-phase. Then can lay a good foundation for interviews on an individual level where you can delve deeper into the insights you get from the focus group.
Before you carry out a focus group requires you have a question/challenge ready and know who the users are, they can be collected in the same focusgroup.
The insights from a focus group often open up new questions, or more detailed ones why user interviews can be a natural next step in the research phase.
The content and the structure during a focus group can be varied as needed. It can, for example, be a combination of discussions and more traditional workshop exercises. Important as always, is to have a clear purpose for the focus group: why are we doing this? What do we want to know after this day?
A focus group does not have to take place in a physical environment; it is equally possible to do this in digital format, with or without specific exercises. Instead of thinking a little extra about the importance of the place, you can think a little more about perhaps creating a smaller focus group so that everyone can have a say. Alternatively, you can divide the participants into smaller groups that then work in different digital chat rooms. Feel free to consider having a mentor from your organization in each conversation room to support the participants.
There are several things to consider when planning a focus group. Sometimes it's the small details that make a big difference in the participant's experience.
Think about who is in the focus group. Adapt exercises so that participants feel as comfortable as possible. Then they will be more open in the discussions.
Do you want open conversations in a relaxed style? Then rather book a venue that opens up for this more than a formal meeting room does.
A focus group can take a few hours to conduct. Don't forget the coffee break! It's often intense and smaller breaks can do wonders.
Contact me if you want support in finding a more innovative and user-focused way of working in the development of your digital offers and services in health and welfare.
Process Development Designer +46 (0)73 028 81 68 marika.martin@compare.se
If you have questions, input or you are you interested in joining.
The regional project DigitalWell is financed by the European Union - European Regional Development Fund. The purpose of DigitalWell is that we will together develop digital solutions for needs in welfare with the user's own abilities in focus.