Design research overview from AIGA
This AIGA article introduces a number of design research techiques, including some from the usability side of the spectrum. A full paragraph is devoted to the pitfalls of focus groups, with the usual suspects rolled out to make the case: New Coke, Absolut Vodka and Henry Ford’s “faster and stronger horse”.
Worth bookmarking for sending to clients. I’ve always liked the New Coke example because it doesn’t deal with the details of implementation, but gets to motivation. Of course none of this helps explain why focus groups are culturally successful within organisations, but I quite like the blunt instrument approach to dealing with it!
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