Focus Groups

A focus group is a planned discussion with a small group of carefully selected people who reflect the target audience. It is a primary research method used to collect detailed opinions and reactions, rather than numbers.

How it is carried out

Choose participants who represent the audience you want to reach, then plan the questions and topics for the session. During the discussion, ask questions and record the responses so they can be reviewed later. Participants give their own views and respond to each other, which can reveal more than one-to-one answers would.

You can show a focus group an early idea, such as a poster design or a prototype app screen, and ask what they like, dislike or would change. This helps identify desirable features before time and money are spent on production.

For example, a youth theatre wants to redesign its booking page. It invites eight teenagers who already book tickets to discuss two early designs, and asks follow-up questions when someone says a design feels confusing.

Strengths

Focus groups give detailed information because people can explain their views and build on other people's comments. The discussion leader can ask follow-up questions to clarify an answer or find out why someone reacted in a certain way, so focus groups are useful for understanding feelings and opinions.

Limits

A focus group uses only a small number of people, so its views may not represent the whole audience. Setting one up may take a lot of time and money, especially if you need a venue, refreshments or payment for participants. A few confident people may dominate, while quieter people simply agree with them, which can make the views one-sided. The answers are qualitative, so they are harder to analyse than numerical survey results.