[Sigia-l] User Testing Vs. Focus Groups

[j berzowska]

A little late chiming in here... I've found focus group testing helpful to
evaluate process and wording - also when reaching out to stakeholders. You
can use a pretty low-fi method where everyone gets a device, is asked to
perform some tasks and keep notes about each one. After a small number of
tasks, you facilitate a discussion about what went well, poorly and what
was missing. It can help direct a rapid prototyping process. I've also
gotten unexpected feedback on why a mechanism might not work for a
particular audience (great when entering a new domain).

It's very different from the more automated analytics you can do in
individual user testing (a/b, clicks, time, conversion, eye tracking,
etc.). It's more for ensuring that the business processes, content and
language reflect the user needs, and providing a forum for community
consultation.

Best,
Justyna