Targeted Focus Groups in Product Development

The use of targeted focus groups employing purposive sampling, rigorous primary and secondary recruitment screens, and state of the art product and feature demonstrations early in the design process allow new product developers to obtain specific design functions and features for the product being developed directly from the product’s targeted end users. Farther on in the product development process these same targeted, educated, end users are reconvened to review functional prototypes of the new product prior to its initial production run. This paper will present a method that has been repeatedly successfully employed in developing new mainstream consumer products in conjunction with a University based partner organization.