re: setting up a focus group

From: John Walker <jcfwalker_at_home.com>
Date: Fri 25 Aug 2000 08:21:47 -0600

JENN WOOD <jenn_at_brandx.com> WROTE:

> We
> will be testing an online product's UI & usability
> on an existing customer group.

I went through this with a recent site redesign,
trying to mediate differences between our IT and
marketing sides; always interesting :-/ .
Talked it over with a friend who runs a market
research company. He has stopped doing focus
groups on Web sites, feeling the results are not
valid. Instead, he does one-on-one interviews with
a selection of users, focusing in on specifics. He
points out that Web use is very individual, and that
putting a group onto a site is not a normal viewing
environment. Email me directly if you want his
contact information.

Roger Black feels that focus groups can be especially
misleading on usability analysis, preferring to work
with experts. I agree. Encourage your marketing team
and designers to read Jacob Nielsen's book on web
usability. Good luck!

Regards,
John Walker
Boulder, Colorado USA




Received on Fri Aug 25 2000 - 09:21:47 CDT