Focus groups bring together a small number of participants to discuss a topic or respond to a design stimulus as a group. The collective dynamic is the point: participants build on each other's ideas, challenge assumptions, and reveal social norms that a one-on-one interview would never expose. For designers, focus groups are particularly useful for exploring how people talk about a problem domain and what language they use to describe their needs.
Focus Groups
Harnessing collective insight through group dynamics
A
Designers Academy
14 January 2026 · 4 min read
ResearchMethods
In brief
Focus groups bring together a small, moderated group of participants to discuss a topic, revealing collective insights, social norms, and user language useful for designers.
