Interview: Focus groups

Discovery / ExplorationqualitativeBeginner

TL;DR

Moderated sessions with multiple users simultaneously to collect collective perceptions on a topic.

Detailed description

Focus Groups are a qualitative methodology that facilitates structured discussions among 6-10 participants to explore perceptions, opinions, and attitudes toward specific products, concepts, or experiences. This technique allows capturing group dynamics, consensus, and divergence of opinion, revealing how individual perspectives are influenced by social interaction. Research demonstrates its effectiveness for generating ideas, evaluating concepts, and understanding cultural context (Nielsen Norman Group). It is especially useful in early exploration phases to understand the target market and validate strategic directions before significant development investments.

Main objective

Collect diversity of opinions and attitudes about a product or concept.

Use cases

Internal workshopsArchetype definition for later research

When to use it

Early stages to explore a concept or general expectations.

Effort level

Medium

Recommended number of users

5–10 participants per group (3 groups recommended)

Advantages

✓Efficient for detecting common patterns
✓Stimulates ideas through group interaction
✓Useful for validating early ideas

Disadvantages

✗May have social pressure or participant dominance
✗Less individual depth than interviews

When to use

•To quickly explore collective perceptions
•When product impacts specific social groups

Metrics

Number of relevant associations/metaphors
Number of latent themes identified
Diversity of projective responses
Level of emotional depth achieved

Practical example

Discuss with delivery app users their expectations and usage problems.

Free tool by UXR — UX Research Consulting in Chile