Observers are briefed about the goals of the Innovation Games® sessions, and their role and contributions to the design research effort. The client organization (not named here, but shown as [Client]) is building software to help individuals manage their activity levels and dietary changes. Observers are employees or supporters of the Client. Participants in the sessions were recruited specifically for the occasion.

1. Innovation Games
Focus Groups
Briefing for [Client] Observers
Prepared by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. – January 2009

2. Feedback from Users Is
• Helpful to improving products
• Surprising in content
• Easy to collect
• Challenging to interpret
• Worth gathering at every stage of
product development
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 2

3. Traditional Focus Groups
• Moderator uses script to stimulate discussion
• Participants report their behavior and preferences
– We find out how they want to appear
– They influence one another
– Vocal participants stifle less assertive ones
• Ideas which are not in the script may be missed
• Observers sit behind mirrored glass with no direct
contact with participants
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 3

4. Design Games
• Games can shed light on issues such as
– What customers donʼt like about your product
– Customerʼs definitions and dimensions of success
– Time of day and context of use
– Priorities for features
– Important artifacts created using your product
– Hidden needs and essential functions
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 4

5. Goals for the February 2 & 3
Design Games
• Present proposed features of a cellphone + web plan
to support personal program for weight loss and
increased physical activity
– Which combination of features is desired?
– Which are higher priority, which are less preferred?
• Invite participants to project themselves into a
successful future and describe their steps to success
(in an imagined progress through the program)
– Learn about their ideas of key milestones, barriers
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 5

6. Participants
• All ages (20’s - 60’s), diverse professions, mix of men
and women in all groups
• All have stated desire to lose weight and increase
physical activity
• Two groups Spanish-speaking (probably bilingual,
Mexican or Mexican-American); two group English-
speaking (unknown other languages, cultures)
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 6

7. February 2009 – 4 Sessions
• Monday, February 2
– 8:30 - 11:30 am (English Speakers)
– 5:30 - 8:30 pm (Spanish Speakers)
• Tuesday, February 3
– 8:30 - 11:30 am (Spanish Speakers)
– 5:30 - 8:30 pm (English Speakers)
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 7

8. Agenda for a Session
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 8

9. Game: Buy a Feature
• Divide group into 2 for • Results expected
each session – Assess which features to build or
– Get more data about offer first; which to offer later or
willingness to invest in not build
features
– Understand multiple motivations
• Dollar amounts assigned for preferring the same feature
to each feature – Predict usage patterns for
– not directly tied what the product as contributed by cross-
program will cost cultural, age, sex (and other
• Observe order of demographic) factors &
purchase by whom individual behaviors
– Collaboration & reasoning
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 9

10. Game: Remember the Future
• People work individually • Results
• They contribute items – [Client] understands more
about changing habits of diet
phrased in the “past tense” and exercise from the
to describe participant’s perspective
– progress toward goal – Participants begin to visualize
– specific difficulties in making success in steps rather than
changes solely a start and an end point
• Items are placed on timeline – Dimensions introduced in
previous game are re-mixed by
divided into monthly intervals participants
“Tried a new fruit this week” • Technology involvement
• Timing of prompts
“Missed my treadmill
• Peer support
appointment, but took a • Professional guidance
walk on the beach”
• Review at end of set time
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 10

11. [Client] Staff and Friends
as Observers
• In the room with participants
• No direct spoken interaction with participants*
– No corrections, clarifications, discussion
• Typically, one Observer plays role of “bad
wedding photographer” with digital camera
– We are limited to photos that do not identify
individuals
– We will document end results
* Ice-breaker game “Human Treasure Hunt” is the exception
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 11

12. Role of Observers
• Capture specific verbal and non-verbal behavior
– Quotes from participants
– Side remarks of participants
– Reactions to speakers
– Actions (including laughing, head-shaking, pointing, etc…)
• One observation per notecard
– You may need more than one notecard to record your
observations about a single interaction
– Let each card stand by itself (completeness)
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 12

13. Observers DO
• Identify who said what about which items
Donna: “I hate vegetables” (in response
to item urging her to try new foods)
• Record reactions by whom to what
Ramon grunted and shook his head
when Maria offered to buy “group
exercise sessions”
• Refer questions to Nancy (and Tyler) and/or Sarah
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 13

14. Observers DON’T
• Make interpretations
The daily reminders should be thrown out
because Group 3 hates them.
• Judge the participants
Jaime obviously has unrealistic weight-loss
goals, so why should we listen to him?
• Join the group to “help” or “fix something” or “just
explain a little”
• Wander in and out of the room
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 14

15. Expected outcomes
• Shared and deepened understanding of consumer
engagement with digital technology (cell phone, text,
web, photos) in service of self-reported goals
• Confirmation and surprises about beliefs, behavior,
and values related to weight-loss and exercise
• Differences and similarities among men/women;
English/Spanish speaker; age groups; occupations;
etc.
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 15

16. Debriefing
• Immediate (~30 min after each session)
– Quick impressions, review notecards, start to categorize,
note points of agreement and disagreement (both for
participants and observers)
• Soon thereafter (within the following week)
– Nancy will catalog all materials (cards, photos) and will
prepare summary for [Client] review
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 16

17. Questions?
Your turn…
Nancy Frishberg
nancyf@fishbird.com
Prepared for [Client] by Nancy Frishberg, Ph.D. 17