People often confuse focus groups and usability tests.

Focus groups are small groups of people (5-8) that sit around a table and react to ideas and designs shown to them.  Since this is a group process, people tend to react to other’s opinions. Focus groups are great for quickly getting a sampling of users’ opinions. Marketers love focus groups, and these sessions should be done EARLY in the process of development in order to determine what people like - NOT how they use something.

A usability test is one user who is shown something and asked to either figure out what it is or try to use it for a typical task.

Focus groups are really meant for determining what your audience wants in the abstract.  Is the product useful?  Would they buy it? Does the brand resonate?

Focus groups should be used EARLY in the process to answer those types of questions.  Focus groups should not be used after a site is developed - they will not tell you whether people can use your site.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 12:09 am and is filed under Usability. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.