Focus Group Discussions

Use when

• You need to understand how a relevant user group talks about an established feature, offer, package, or product idea.
• You want reactions to positioning, value perception, or trade-offs after the team already understands the basic context.
• Participants can be selected deliberately, such as experienced users for mature features or priority segments for a new offer.

Do not use when

• You need to know whether individuals can complete a flow without social influence.
• You need direct behavioral evidence, usability evidence, or reliable prevalence estimates.
• The participant mix is too broad for the discussion to produce meaningful signal.

Best for

• Language and perception around established features
• Pricing, packaging, and value proposition reactions
• Comparing segment expectations before deeper research or rollout

How to design it

• Recruit participants who match the decision, not just whoever is easiest to reach.
• Use FGDs as one evidence source, then compare findings with analytics, surveys, usability tests, or support signals.
• Watch for dominant voices and group agreement that may hide individual behavior.

Suggested sample size

Often 6 to 8 participants per focused group, with separate groups for meaningfully different segments.