Method

Focus Groups

InformOnboardingUnderstanding & Gathering PerspectivesAnalogue1 - 3 HoursDirectly AffectedSmall Group up to 15Medium Group up to 30SimpleStructured

A Focus Group is a moderated group discussion, typically involving 5–8 participants, that is used to explore opinions, needs, experiences, and reactions to a particular topic. The value of the method lies not only in individual responses but also in the interaction between participants, which often reveals shared perspectives, differing viewpoints, and underlying motivations.

Goal

The goal of a Focus Group is to explore different perspectives and experiences and use them as a basis for developing or improving projects, services, or measures. The discussion helps identify both common ground and differing viewpoints while exploring participants' willingness to support or develop potential solutions.

When useful?

opinions, perceptions, or needs should be explored
early hypotheses need to be investigated
understanding how people respond to one another is important
the topic benefits from discussion, such as user experiences or service interactions

When not useful?

sensitive or highly personal topics are being explored (individual interviews are usually more appropriate)
representative or statistically valid data is required
strong hierarchies exist between participants, as these may influence the discussion

Process

Recruit 6–12 participants.

Whenever possible:

select participants with similar backgrounds or experiences related to the topic
avoid significant power imbalances (for example, supervisors and employees in the same group)

A well-structured discussion guide typically includes:

Introduction (Warm-up) "Please tell us briefly about your most recent experience with…"

Exploration "What worked well?", "What frustrated you?"

In-depth discussion "Why do you think that happened?", "What exactly was difficult?"

Comparison and prioritisation "Which would be more important to you: X or Y?", "What would you change first?"

Guidelines:

prepare no more than 6–8 core questions
ask open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions
avoid leading questions such as "Don't you agree that…?"

Plan the following:

Duration: 60–90 minutes
Venue: quiet and neutral
Recording: audio or video recording with participants' informed consent
Participant incentive: if appropriate

The facilitator remains neutral while actively guiding and structuring the discussion.

The facilitator's role is not to participate in the discussion, evaluate opinions, or act as the subject expert.

Facilitation techniques

Managing dominant participants "Thank you. I'd also like to hear some other perspectives."

Encouraging quieter participants "What's your perspective on this?", "Have you had similar experiences?"

Encouraging deeper responses "Why exactly?", "Could you give a specific example?"

Repeated follow-up questions often help uncover deeper insights.

Reflecting responses "So, if I understand correctly, you're saying that…"

Using differing opinions "That's interesting—you seem to have different perspectives. What do you think explains that difference?"

Welcome and introduction (5 minutes)

Warm-up (10 minutes)

Main discussion (40–60 minutes)

1. Opening the discussion

The facilitator introduces the first question or statement. Each participant is initially invited to respond.

2. Group discussion

Participants then engage in an open discussion. They are encouraged to comment on one another's ideas, add further perspectives and reconsider or refine their own views as the discussion develops

3.In-depth exploration

If time allows, several questions or topics can be discussed one after another.

4. Summary and final reflections (10–15 minutes)

The facilitator summarises the discussion and invites participants to share any final thoughts or observations.

Prepare:

a transcript or detailed notes
thematic clusters, such as: usability, trust, time and effort

Look for:

recurring themes ("This issue was mentioned five times.")
strong emotional responses
contradictions and differing opinions, which often provide valuable insights

Record particularly clear or representative quotations.

These are valuable for:

communicating findings
supporting recommendations
illustrating participant perspectives

Avoid reporting only observations.

For example, instead of writing:

"Participants found the process complicated."

Develop actionable conclusions, such as:

The onboarding process is too long and should be simplified.
Feature X is not well understood and should either be redesigned or better explained.

Source: https://mobilitaetsplanung-hessen.de/methodenkoffer-partizipative-planung/

Notes

Tips

Aim for a diverse participant group to capture a broad range of experiences and perspectives.
Ideally, participants should not know each other well in order to minimise group dynamics and social influence.
Formulate open, accessible, and non-leading questions. Fewer in-depth questions generally produce richer insights than many superficial ones.
Encourage respectful dialogue and prevent individual participants from dominating the discussion.
Whenever possible, avoid using microphones so that all participants feel equally involved.
Actively manage speaking time to ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
Critically reflect on participants' responses and be aware of potential social desirability bias.

Not suitable for

formal decision-making processes where clear majorities are required
situations in which concrete decisions or formal resolutions are expected
very large groups
venues with poor acoustics or limited audibility

Afterwards

Afterwards, methods that organise, deepen, or translate the gathered content into concrete steps are useful. Depending on the goal, the following formats can follow, for example:

Community Mapping (Map-Based Method)

Community Mapping is a participatory method that enables people to represent their perceptions of a place using maps or drawings. Participants identify important locations, frequently used routes, barriers, or everyday challenges by marking them on a map. This makes local knowledge, experiences, and needs visible in a spatial context.

PlayfulActivating

World Café

World Café is a participatory method that encourages the open exchange of knowledge, experiences, and ideas. Participants discuss prepared questions in small groups at several tables. By regularly moving between tables, new conversation groups are formed, allowing ideas to evolve, different perspectives to be connected, and shared insights to emerge. The atmosphere is intentionally designed to resemble a café—open, informal, and welcoming. This makes the method particularly effective for engaging large numbers of people in accessible dialogue and encouraging collaborative thinking. A World Café can be held as a standalone event or as part of a larger participation process.

StructuredActivating

Future Workshop

A Future Workshop is a participatory method in which participants collaboratively analyse problems, develop visions for the future, and translate them into concrete actions. The method combines creative thinking with practical planning and is particularly suitable for topics that require innovative ideas and long-term perspectives. A Future Workshop consists of three consecutive phases: the Critique Phase, the Vision Phase, and the Implementation Phase. This structured process encourages participants to move deliberately from identifying problems to imagining desirable futures and finally to developing realistic actions. The method often leads to creative, collaboratively developed solutions.

ActivatingCreative