How to Lead UX Research Focus Groups
How To Lead A UX Research Focus Group - 1 Day Short Course (over 2 mornings)
(15% off for start-ups - please contact us)
Facilitator: Tremis Skeete
Who the training is for:
Our students come from diverse backgrounds but are aiming at careers in UX Research, UX Design, Business Analysis, Digital Strategy, Service Design, Product Management and similar. Other students are also interested in building digital products and starting their own business. Some are already in these roles and are looking to strengthen and advance their skills in focus group facilitation and UX research.
Why this topic is relevant:
As a product developer or startup founder, sometimes you need to generate opportunities to access large amounts of user feedback regarding different customer or user types. While user testing and observing users in their natural environments is a great way to gather valuable insights, sometimes you need to improvise and organize user testing activities as a group. With UX research focus groups, you can lead and moderate activities where users can interact with your products, and you can get critical feedback in the moment. As a focus group leader, to get valuable feedback, you will need to know how to ask the right questions. You'll need to be able to witness what users respond to, and how they respond. By asking the right questions and applying the right techniques, UX research focus groups can be a great way to bring users together.
Objectives:
- To understand in clear and practical details that a focus group that is steered through the lenses of UX design and user testing is guided by the product’s developers and attended by stakeholders, users, prospective users, and pretty much anyone else that can offer valuable feedback.
- To learn the differences between a UX research focus group and a Market Research focus group. With market research focus groups, the objective is to determine whether product ideas are valuable in the eyes of target customers. With UX research focus groups, the objective is to determine via user testing, which elements, aspects, or behaviours of a given product or feature can be improved or eliminated.
- To learn how to define UX research focus group questions, product hypotheses, focus group materials, how to prepare for leading the focus group.
- To build confidence as a focus group moderator and leader regarding planning and implementing a successful focus group session.
- To learn how to gain deeper insights during focus group sessions by spotting feedback patterns and generating opportunities to ask questions to understand how users are experiencing the product and their reasons why.
- To learn that there is an art to leading a UX research focus group, because if you’re clear about the assumptions you want to validate and ask questions designed to steer your group towards giving thoughtful feedback — you can gain actionable information that can help you design your product successfully.