Transcript Document

HCI445 TEAM PROJECT 1:
COUCHMOMENT.COM
FOCUS GROUP & REPORT
Ara Berberian
Jayne Spottswood
Nicole DiCesare
Executive Summary
•
6 participants took part in a focus group led by two moderators regarding
CouchMoment.com, – a concept for a website focused on providing people a way to
give and receive advice in real-time on a wide range of topics. Since prior research led
to a set of findings through direct interviews, the purpose of the focus group was to
help drive further insight into user opinions, habits and contexts to help guide a
successful user-centered design. The focus group environment provided the ideal
approach for participants to build on each other’s thoughts and opinions, leading to
clearer findings on key questions asked throughout the session. Key findings included
the following:
•
Participants thought there was definite value in a service such as this for general
advice but less so for personal issues where they would prefer talking with someone
they know
Participants indicated that it’s often hard to give truly honest advice to people close,
especially family.
A few participants indicated this site would be desirable for venting and that it would be
a way for people to just get things out.
Participants felt that it’s often mutually beneficial to give advice through the opportunity
to feel good about helping someone
Participants agreed that there would be a greater desire to share information and use
the site repeatedly if there was a way to ensure and monitor the quality of the content
and the website users.
•
•
•
•
Introduction
People’s lives are stressful these days, let’s face it. Between work, recreation and
trying to maintain a personal life, it can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it’s nice to just
have a kind ear, or someone to offer some words of wisdom. This is where
CouchMoment.com is making strides. While some people can afford expensive
therapists and professional guidance, CouchMoment supplies users with a more
accessible option, their peers. CouchMoment is an online chat room where users can
log in and discuss their stresses in real time with other users anonymously.
This study intends to elaborate on views raised during our previous round of
interviews, including:
◦What are the most desired features for a site like this one,
◦What are users' biggest concerns about this web site concept,
◦Why potential users would desire a service like CouchMoment.com, and
◦How the site could provide users with a safe and familiar experience.
Approach
• An online chat room (Chatzy.com) was used as the forum of the
focus group. This allowed us to recruit participants from various
locations and also simulate the online, real-time chat aspect of
CouchMoment.com.
• Six participants were recruited for the focus group, and equal
group of both males and females ages 23-43.
• Beyond different login names, different font colors were used to
quickly identify participants throughout the online conversation.
• Two moderators were used for the session. The first moderator
lead with key questions and provided overall tone and pacing.
The second moderator asked follow-up questions and for
clarification from participants on certain responses.
• Questions during the focus group centered around findings from
the prior interview research, such as the most common concerns
and the most desired features.
• The total time of the focus group was approximately 65 minutes.
Key Findings
• All participants use Google or other related search
engines to search for information that they are looking for
in addition to talking with their friends.
• All said when they have personal questions they tend to
turn to their closest friends first as well as look online for
advice from people who may have had the same
experience.
• Resources used included:
o
o
o
Forums
Blogs
Generic Google searches
• Two participants stated however that that some
discussion forums can be counter-productive because
people giving advice use it for personal gain like
promoting their website or answering with vague answers
to get answering points.
Key Findings
• Participants stated they would all be willing to discuss
information with people they don’t know about lifestyle related
advice such as:
o
o
o
o
o
Sports
Fitness
Product comparisons
Travel advice
Design
• It was unanimous that exchanging information with strangers
can be very valuable because they offer very different opinions
from the people that one is close to and knows. These topics
are also impersonal enough so they don’t care about
discussing them with a stranger.
• However, all participants choose to speak to their family and
friends and people they respect to exchange personal
information and relationship advice because they feel those
people know them and what they have been through in the
past.
Key Findings
• Participants were asked to reflect on sites they visit the
most often and what keeps them coming back.
Responses included:
o
o
o
o
A valuable service
Ease of use
Efficiency
A good spin on a popular topic
• When asked what turns them away responses included:
Failure of the people running it to monitor for
illegal/inappropriate stuff and kick off creeps
o Requiring too much information to sign up
o Lack of security
o
• Participants felt that sharing information online can be
very useful to them when monitored properly.
Key Findings
• Participants were asked the question:
• “When have you found yourself giving advice to someone
and for what? How does it make you feel to give advice?
How does the person typically respond?”
• Responses included:
Giving advice is mutually beneficial
People give advice about things they are passionate about
I like giving advice it makes the person receiving it feel
better and like someone cares.
o Offering advice helps me reflect on my own circumstances.
o Sometimes just listening helps get things out.
o
o
o
• Participants agreed that they enjoy giving advice to
people who ask for it, however only 3 participants stated
they would give advice when they were not asked.
Key Findings
• Participants all agreed they would benefit from
some type of rating system on the site to rate
other user’s advice.
• Scales either consisting of
o Very helpful <------------------> Not all Helpful
o Star ratings (similar to Netflicks and Amazon)
o Ability to rate a variety of metrics like honesty,
knowledge on the topic, and ability to articulate
• Everyone would want the ability to see what
other users thought of people’s advice in order to
know who was good and who to avoid.
Conclusions
•
Primary User Goal: Communicating About Romantic and Interpersonal Advice
o The website must include a section for users to both give and receive advice
pertaining to both romantic and interpersonal relationships, including advice for
people that are married, in a long-term relationship or dating, as well as advice
regarding family, friends and social situations in general. In order to do this, the
website should subcategorize the “relationships” category into these things or
offer all of these as their own categories.
o Observations supporting this conclusion:
 All seven interview participants responded that they would like advice
pertaining to romantic and interpersonal relationships.
 All seven interview participants said they would use this website to both give
and receive advice.
 Four out of seven interview participants expressed an interest in advice topic
categories.
o Additional observations from the focus group:
 All said when they have personal questions they tend to turn to their closest
friends first as well as look online for advice from people who may have had
the same experience.
 However, all participants choose to speak to their family and friends and
people they respect to exchange personal information and relationship
advice, because they feel those people know them and what they have been
through in the past.
CouchMoment.com
Conclusions
• Primary User Goal: Using an Alias or Username to Log On
o
The website must have the ability for users to log on using an anonymous alias or
username. In order to do this, the website should require the user to log on with a
username and password combination that is connected to their email address, at
a minimum. The email address is used to verify the account and send any
necessary information to the user from the site, while keeping the user somewhat
anonymous.
o
Observations from the focus group:
 Participants said they may be turned away from the site if too much
information is used to sign up, but at the same time a lack of security could
also scare them off.
 Participants also expressed that sharing information online can be very useful
to them, when monitored properly.
 They also unanimously agreed that exchanging information with strangers–
which can be accomplished if users are not directly identified in any way –can
be very valuable because of their divergent opinions.
CouchMoment.com
Conclusions
• Secondary User Goals:
o Ability to Browse Additional Advice Resources
 Focus group participants elaborated that a good spin on a popular topic will
attract them to a site and keep them coming back. Some lifestyle-related
advice topics they were drawn to included:
 Sports
 Fitness
 Product comparisons
 Travel advice
 Design
o
Receive Positive Feedback Directly from Another User
 Focus group participants agreed that the site would make them feel good
because giving advice is a mutually beneficial experience that arouses
passion and makes people feel better about themselves and others.
 All focus group members went on to say they would like some kind of a rating
system to give and receive feedback directly with other users, since it shows
everyone that uses the site what other users thought of people’s advice,
providing general knowledge about which users give good advice and which
ones to avoid.
CouchMoment.com
Recommendations
•
Based on the interview and focus group data, the following recommendations are
included for consideration to design CouchMoment.com:
o Categorical menu
 The website should provide the user a home screen with a number of advice
category destination pages, any of which they can select to potentially either
give or receive advice. The purpose of this is to show users all the advice
categories they can choose from, so as to give them a complete view of the
site’s content.
o Social networking component
 The website should add a social networking component, similar to MySpace
in that users can pick their own unique username and do not have to provide
any identifying information publicly. This will help users feel more comfortable
using the site, as they would have the ability to connect and ask advice of
their closest family and friends as well as strangers.
o Ratings system that allows for reports of abuse
 A metric of ratings in quantitative form, based on both the perceived amount
of helpfulness as well as the category into which the advice question falls,
should appear and be filled out by users after the advice receiver decides
(s)he is finished with the conversation with the advice giver. This will provide
all users with information about how good any other user is at giving advice in
a variety of topics, allowing them to make more informed decisions about who
to engage with for advice. For security reasons, users should also have the
ability to report abuse during any given conversation, both for reasons
regarding self-promotion/spam and written harassment of any kind.
CouchMoment.com
Appendix
I: Focus Group Moderator's Guide
II: Focus Group Chat Log
III: Consent Form
IV: Team Contributions
I. Focus Group Moderator's Guide
Introduction
[Moderator 1 to announce Introduction information to the chat room.]
Hello! First off I want to thank you for participating in our study.
We’re students of DePaul University’s M.S. program in Human-Computer Interaction
(Nicole, Jayne, and Ara), and we’re conducting this focus group to understand user needs
as they pertain to a possible website called CouchMoment.com, where people can give
and receive advice in real-time.
This focus group will take about 60 minutes. It is important that throughout this discussion
everyone answer honestly and to the best of their ability.
Here’s how this testing procedure will work: We’ll start with a few warm up questions to
get everyone talking, then the team members will be asking main questions and everyone
will have a chance to respond. Some additional questions will be asked based on your
feedback, everyone will have a chance to respond again, and then we will proceed to the
next question. There are no right or wrong answers here, however, we’d like to know
about your thoughts, so please tell us if you have any questions or want us to elaborate
on anything.
Since this is a focus group, we want this to be an ongoing conversation between all of
you. As such, we would really like to encourage you to look at each others’ responses
and build upon them either by agreeing, disagreeing, adding a new viewpoint, etc.
Moderator's Guide (cont.)
Just as a reminder, as a participant of this research:
•
You may stop at any time
•
You may ask questions at any time
•
You may leave at any time
•
There is no deception involved
•
Your answers are kept confidential
Any questions before we begin?
[Allow any necessary time for participant questions, then proceed to Preliminary Interview/Warm Up.]
Let’s get started!
Preliminary Interview/Warm Up
[Moderator 2 to announce Preliminary Interview/Warm Up information to the chat room.]
Before we get going, we’re going to ask you a few simple questions:
•
What is your age and sex?
•
What topics of advice interest you?
•
How many hours a week do you surf the web? Your best guess is fine!
Main Questions[Moderator 1 is to ask the “Moderator 1 Questions” list below, in order. Each question
must be discussed for five minutes before moving on to the next question. Moderator 1 will use a
stopwatch to time, starting immediately after each question is asked.]
[Moderator 2 is to ask questions of participants that will keep the discussion going for five minutes and
probe further into participant responses.]
I.Moderator's Guide (cont.)
Moderator 1 Questions
1.
Who do you typically talk to or where do you turn to when you run into a problem, say a relationship problem and want
advice? (and why?)
1.
What are the times (if any) where you wish you could talk to someone that could offer real help but didn't know you or you
asked anonymously? How knowledgeable would they have to be? How helpful?
1.
When have you found yourself giving advice to someone and for what? How does it make you feel to give advice? How
does the person typically respond?
1.
What kind of advice giving or receiving would be most important to you, and why?
1.
What tools or websites out there have you ever used to get advice? How was your experience? What could be done
differently?
1.
Think about websites that you visit frequently. What is it about them that makes you like them and keeps you coming
back? Is it that they offer you a valuable service? They are fun to use? Which is more important?
1.
What would you need to see on a website that discusses peoples personal lives, that would make you feel that the website
was safe and secure? What is the most information you would be willing to give?
1.
How do you feel about exchanging advice with strangers? Do you think it is strange because they do not know you or
useful because they have no bias?
1.
Would you prefer using something like instant messaging or more of a chat room style, like this, for giving or receiving
advice? Why would you prefer using one over the other?
1.
If you were to give or get positive feedback directly for good advice, what kind of rating system do you think would work
best for this site?
1.
What types of additional resources on help topics might you find helpful, and why?
1.
What would turn you away from a website like this? What is a situation you can think of?
I. Moderator's Guide (cont.)
Wrap Up
[Moderator 1 to announce Wrap Up information to the chat room.]
OK great, that is it for our questions. Do you have any final questions or comments?
[Allow any necessary time for participant questions or comments.]
Thanks to all of you for participating! You will receive a $10 Amazon gift card shortly. If
you have any other thoughts or ideas on your way home or tomorrow, or even next week,
please feel free to send an email to [email protected] or
[email protected]. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
[Moderators 1 and 2 save the complete chat log before leaving the room for good.]
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Moderator1 started chat and sent out an invitation 93 minutes ago
Moderator1 sent out an invitation 91 minutes ago
Moderator1 sent out an invitation 90 minutes ago
Moderator1 sent out an invitation 90 minutes ago
Moderator1 sent out an invitation 89 minutes ago
Moderator 2 joined the chat 89 minutes ago
Moderator1 sent out an invitation 89 minutes ago
Moderator 2: testing testing...
Moderator1 sent out an invitation 88 minutes ago
Moderator1 sent out an invitation 87 minutes ago
Moderator1: 1 2 3
Mr. E joined the chat 85 minutes ago
Moderator 2: Welcome Mr. E
Mr. E: Heelllllooooo
Moderator1: we're going to wait for everyone for five minutes, just a heads up!
Linda Luo joined the chat 82 minutes ago
toast joined the chat 82 minutes ago
Linda Luo: hi
Moderator1: welcome!
Moderator 2: Welcome Linda
Linda Luo changed name to LL 81 minutes ago
toast: hi
Moderator 2: Welcome toast
Moderator1: thanks for joining us!
Mara Colon joined the chat 80 minutes ago
Moderator 2: We'll wait another few minutes before beginning to make sure everyone gets in
Moderator1: Welcome Mara!
Moderator 2: Welcome Mara
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Mara Colon: Hello!
Moderator1: thanks again for joining us!
Mara Colon: Thank you
Moderator1: Some people are taking longer to join us, so we're going to wait another few minutes.
Thanks
for your patience! We'll be getting started soon.
Mark T. joined the chat 74 minutes ago
Mark T.: howdy
Mara Colon: hello
toast: hi (this is Charlotte :-) )
Mara Colon changed name to Evora 72 minutes ago
LL: sllrrrrrppp
Evora: Hi toast!! I like your name:))
Moderator 1 joined the chat 71 minutes ago
toast: thanks. was eating breakfast when I chose it. haha
Moderator 2: Welcome Evora
Evora: Good thinking!!
Moderator 1 sent out an invitation 70 minutes ago
Evora: Thank you! Moderator 2
Moderator 2: Welcome Mark T
Moderator 1: Welcome, everyone! Let's get started.
Moderator 1: First off I want to thank you for participating in our study.
Moderator 1: We're students of DePaul University's M.S. program in Human-Computer
Interaction (Nicole, Jayne, and Ara), and we're conducting this focus group to understand user needs
as they pertain to a possible website called CouchMoment.com, where people can give and receive
advice in realtime.
Moderator 1: This focus group will take about 60 minutes. It is important that throughout this
discussion
II. Focus Group Chat Log
everyone answer honestly and to the best of their ability.
Moderator 1: Here's how this testing procedure will work: We'll start with a few warm up
questions to get everyone talking, then the team members will be asking main questions and
everyone will have
a chance to respond. Some additional questions will be asked based on your feedback,
everyone will have a
chance to respond again, and then we will proceed to the next question. There are no right or
wrong answers
here, however, we'd like to know about your thoughts, so please tell us if you have any
questions or
want us to elaborate on anything.
Moderator 1: Since this is a focus group, we want this to be an ongoing conversation between
all of you. As
such, we would really like to encourage you to look at each others responses and build upon
them either by
agreeing, disagreeing, adding a new viewpoint, etc.
Moderator 1: Just as a reminder, as a participant of this research:
Moderator 1: You may stop at any time
Moderator 1: You may ask questions at any time
Moderator 1: You may leave at any time
Moderator 1: There is no deception involved
Moderator 1: and
Moderator 1: our answers are kept confidential.
Moderator 1: sorry, Your answers
Moderator 1: Any questions before we begin?
toast: no
Evora: no
LL: niet
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Moderator 1: anyone else?
Mr. E: nope
Mark T.: no
Moderator 1: great! let's get started
Moderator 1: Before we get going, a few simple questions:
Moderator 1: What is your age and sex? For research purposes only.
Mark T.: 30 M
Evora: female 36
toast: female. will be 29 in 10 days
Mr. E: 43 M
LL: female 30
Moderator 1: thank you!
Moderator 1: What topics of advice interest you?
toast: product comparisons
LL: places to buy certains things, travel advice
mlbellez joined the chat 63 minutes ago
Mark T.: fitness
Mr. E: design
Moderator 2: Welcome mlbellez
Evora: sports
Moderator 2: feel fre to join right in
toast: also travel advice
LL: clarifying question: advice i would be comfortable to solicit online or regardless in life?
Moderator 1: And also feel free to read the chat log from the top, to get caught up.
Moderator 2: Yes LL
mlbellez: male 23 - technology
Evora: I agree with toast. I o
Moderator 1: Ok great! On to the next question
Moderator 1: ow many hours a week do you surf the web? Your best guess is fine!
Moderator 1: *how many...
II. Focus Group Chat Log
mlbellez: 80
mlbellez: (part of my job)
Mr. E: 20+
toast: 5 but depends on the week
Evora: 20 or more
LL: 10 hours or so
Mark T.: 15 or more
Moderator 1: Great! Let's get going with some more probing questions.
Moderator 1: Who do you typically talk to or where do you turn to when you run into a problem,
say a
relationship problem and want advice? (and why?)
LL: friends...i.e. people that have a context of who i am
LL: that's if i really want to know an answer
toast: friends. I will also spend time analyzing it on my own
Mr. E: a close friend, or
online.
Evora: I talk to my good friends. Real friends are supportive and accepting of who we are
LL: if i'm really seeking an audience to air frustration and not really interested in the answer, i
would say...more
acquiantances...
mlbellez: Close friends. Because they understand me and have seen most of the relationships
which have been in and can compare
Mark T.: one or two close friends
Moderator 2: Mr. E - can you elaborate what you mean by "online"?
LL: but i think the critical difference if i am really interested in knowing the truth --if yes, then
friends, if
not....then anonymous is okay too
Moderator 1: Thanks! On to the next question.
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Moderator 1: What are the times (if any) where you wish you could talk to someone that could
offer real help
but didn't know you or you asked anonymously? How knowledgeable would they have to be?
How helpful?
Moderator 2: So...LL would you say that you generally like to air frustrations online over inperson?
Mr. E: i'll google the problem i'm having and look for articles.
mlbellez: Wouldnt want that... if I am looking for opinions i want someone who understands
where i am
coming from
toast: same
toast: I meant same to Mr. E's response
LL: perhaps, but i generally air frustrations to acquaintances (vs friends)...i've rarely sought
out relationship
advice online
Evora: Same
LL: i've aired political frustrations onlien
Mark T.: Its hard for me to think of a situation where I would want advice from someone who
doesnt know me
or, more importantly, from someone I dont know
Moderator 1: Please feel free to agree with each other, disagree, and build on other responses!
mlbellez: agreed depends on the context
Moderator 2: Is it that you've never had the need or is it that there's never been the
appropriate/suitable
website for it?
mlbellez: i will review opinions on topics online in some situations
LL: i agree, w. mlbellez
Mr. E: the times? that's hard to say b/c i may want to talk at moments notice.
LL: i will peruse other people's opinions on a topic
Mr. E: i'd say 'website'
Moderator 2: Mr. E where who or where would you turn to to talk with someone at a moments
notice?
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Mark T.: Well, the value of the advisor's opinion hinges on the depth of their understanding and
insight of the
problem/persons involved.
Mr. E: my close friend.
Moderator 1: Good responses! On to the next question.
Moderator 1: When have you found yourself giving advice to someone and for what? How does it
make you
feel to give advice? How does the person typically respond?
Evora: close friend or spending time reflecting
LL: i think giving advice is mutually beneficial -- it helps you feel that you're sharing a moment with a
close
friend, it assures myself that we're not alone in this world, and i think there's a human desire to help
other
people...it feels good to know you've helped somebody....
Evora: I agree, it is in giving that we receive...
LL: but because it's time consuming, i think giving advice is sometimes relegated to closer friends or
things one
is passionate about (e.g. travel advice)
toast: I usually give advice when friends ask it on any subject. I'm happy to give advice but if I don't
think I have a good answer I usually think it's more helpful to just say that up front
Mr. E: i've given relationship advice. I feel pretty good. the person feels a little better after talking
about it.
Moderator 2: Toast- have you found that it doesn't really matter to the other person that you may not
have a
good answer?
Evora: Sometimes just listening helps get things out
Mark T.: I offer professional advice daily, personal advice less frequently....only when asked. Offering
personal
advice makes me reflect on, and analyze my own circumstances
Moderator 1: Toast, are you there?
toast: yes, hi
Moderator 2: Does anyone here often find themselves giving advice to someone (a friend) when NOT
asked?
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Moderator 2: or does everyone here generally only give advice when asked
LL: generally when asked
toast: I will give advice when not asked if I think it could help
LL: but i'm sure online you find loads of people who like giving advice
Mr. E: it would depend how close i am to them.
Evora: A general conversation can lead to advice without directly asking and it depends on
how deep the
friendship is
Moderator 1: Thanks! On to the next question.
Moderator 1: What kind of advice giving or receiving would be most important to you, and
why?
Evora: Honesty in all
Mark T.: what do you mean by "what kind of advice giving"
Moderator 2: Do you ever find that it's hard to be trully honest with a close friend or family?
Mr. E: i would say financial advice, or art&design advice.
Mark T.: on what subjects?
toast: specifically in terms of online advice? Advice that I can't usually get asking my circle of
friends. Stuff
that they don't have experience with. Like, for example, what to do for fun in a city none of my
friends has
been to before.
LL: for online advice, i agree with toast
Moderator 2: to clarify...less about things like "what to do in the city" advice and more about
personal advice
Evora: Usually, family is complicated
Mr. E: Yeah it can be difficult to be brutally honest to someone near.
toast: like relationship stuff? I would say that getting advice from a variety of sources to
compare is helpful
Moderator 2: yes toast
Mark T.: advice on how to improve interpersonal relationships
II. Focus Group Chat Log
LL: i think i distrust online advice / forums about personal relationship type of stuff - 1) I fear they
don't have
the right context 2) I fear that I would solicit, or give leading questions/context/answer s so that I
can hear
what I really want
Moderator 1: OK, next question...
Moderator 2: LL- you mean so that you wouldn't hear what you really want?
Moderator 1: What tools or websites out there have you ever used to get advice? How was your
experience?
What could be done differently?
LL: and maybe some people are okay with that -- my hunch is a lot of people just want to be
heard....but me
personally, i shy away from it
Evora: I prefer face to face
LL: mod 2 - i don't like advice forums, because to me...i don't think they're useful to me personally
because of
the points i listed, but i do think a lot folks out there use forums because they don't want to know
the truth...
toast: I've used yahoo answers but I didn't like that some people would leave vague statements
just to get
answering points and also that people will try to sell stuff or promote their websites in the
answers
Mark T.: agree LL
Moderator 2: Ok....let's say it was possible for a "stranger" to have a good idea about the context
of your
situation, would your opinions change?
Mr. E: I use Google if i'm looking for something specific. I found the experience to be satisfying.
toast: I also like to use Google to look for something written by an expert
LL: i use google, LP travel forums for travel advice,
Mark T.: if we're talking about the big issues in life, I would never accept advice from someone I
dont know. If
we're talking about a new route to work, of course I'd accept advice
Mr. E: I would keep an open mind, but i don't know if my opinion would change.
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Moderator 1: Thanks! Next question...
Moderator 1: Think about websites that you visit frequently. What is it about them that makes you like them
and keeps you coming back? Is it that they offer you a valuable service? They are fun to use? Which is more
important?
LL: valuable service, entertaining
LL: ease of us is also important
Mr. E: Valuable service for me.
LL: use..
toast: valuable service and efficiency in getting what I'm looking for whether it's a product or advice
Mark T.: their either provide information that is faster or more in-depth than other mediums, or they provide
"spin" or a new way of looking at a topic.
Evora: I like to google to learn about topics
Mark T.: they
Mr. E: like craigslist, definitely not fun to use, but offers an invaluable service.
Moderator 1: What would you need to see on a website that discusses peoples personal lives, that would
make you feel that the website was safe and secure? What is the most information you would be willing to
give?
LL: FB = entertainment; and because they're my friends, i find myself clicking on their posting of articles and
given the amount of people i have on FB (who are like minded)....it has now evolved into (ironically) my fun
"news" source
LL: well if there's a website which is somehow subgrouped into pockets which i can feel aligned with (e.g.
urban liberal yuppie who have a passport...haha), i would feel like i can relate to that person
Mark T.: agree with LL.....
LL: and would solicit opinions on certain topics
Mr. E: i wouldn't give any financial information, but otherwise i'm comfortable giving my info.
Moderator 2: so...LL...would you feel those people would better understand the contexts of the advice you
may seek better?
II. Focus Group Chat Log
LL: in a way, yes
LL: not all type of advice
LL: but at least a similar world view on some stuff
Moderator 1: How do you feel about exchanging advice with strangers? Do you think it is strange
because they do not know you or useful because they have no bias?
toast: in terms of safety I think you just have to not share certain info or if you want to then don't use your
name
LL: but perhaps sometimes for some questions, i'm purposely seeking a different demographic....which is
good
too
toast: I think even if they don't know who you are they will often still have a bias about personal questions
because it may remind them of something that happened in their own life
LL: no problems with exchanging advice with a stranger -- depends on topic i think. it's creepy when the
stranger feels more "connected" and would want to contact me though. As a female, i think that would make
me very wary about sharing more info than my gender and age
Moderator 1: Only 10 minutes to go! Speak now or forever hold your peace. =)
Mark T.: exactly....isnt advice only valuable if you have some level of respect for the person offering it?
Evora: Strangers could be cons
LL: agree with evora, i would be paranoid that some strangers would be shady
toast: true
Mr. E: at times i've found it more comfortable asking a stranger for advice than
my own friends.
Moderator 1: If you were to give or get positive feedback directly for good advice, what kind of rating system
do you think would work best for this site?
Moderator 2: (and would a rating system help with your concerns?)
LL: 1) knowledge on topic 2) honesty 3) ability to articulate thought in a written language (cuz i hate peeps
who kant right)
Mr. E: Very helpful <------------------------------------> Not all Helpful
Mr. E: a rating scale like that perhaps.
II. Focus Group Chat Log
toast: I would probably like using a similar rating system to amazon or netflix etc. Giving a certain
number of
stars for how good a peice of advice was
LL: ok, my #3 was more tongue in cheek comment
LL: ;-)
Evora: :-)
toast: basically something similar to stuff I already use
Mr. E: '
Not at all Helpful' i meant
Moderator 1: What types of additional resources on help topics might you find helpful, and why?
Mark T.: so a ranking system that advises others to take that advice......
Mr. E: None i can think of.
Mark T.: soemthing simply; I like Mr. E's suggestion
LL: i would want a set of metrics, not on just "helpfullness"...
toast: me too
LL: i think that is fairly relative
LL: knowledge on a topic is important
LL: relevance to questions asked is also another metric (I think)
LL: there's probably more....but i would have to think about it harder
Moderator 1: OK, next question...
Moderator 1: What would turn you away from a website like this? What is a situation you can think of
that would turn you away from a site like this one?
LL: normally, i wouldn't get onto a website like this. But in this situation, i was invited by a known
entity so my
assumption is that the people on this forum are all sane, nice individuals
toast: failure of the people running it to monitor for illegal/inapropriate stuff and kick off creeps
LL: agreed
Mr. E: i agree
Moderator 2: Going back to a previous question, does anyone feel that there may be situations where
it would
be helpful to chat with a stranger because they would be non-biased?
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Moderator 2: (because they didn't know you and your past behavior, etc)
toast: Especially on relationship stuff I assume people will be biased by their own situations even if
they don't
know you which is why I will still seek the advice but seek it from multiple sources to compare
Mr. E: Absolutley
toast: for example, it you have a break up question maybe they are still upset about a break up they
had and
this can affect the answer
LL: yes, i think there would be moments, but there's a few things I would like to be assured of: 1) no
creeps
allowed, or a moderator would kick them out 2) I'm soliciting advice from a set of like minded people,
or at
least a set of people I want advice from (e.g. maybe I want advice from a person older than me if I
wanted to
know more about how to talk to my parents, for example) 3) the person providing the advice is
somehow
"qualified"
Mark T.: maybe on some medical condition
Moderator 2: for those that find it hard to give really honest advice to close friends and family, where
would
you try to point them to?
LL: agree with mark...some medical issues, but usually from a set of people with those conditions
Mr. E: good points toast and LL.
Moderator 1: Thanks, everyone!
Moderator 1: The questions are finished.
Moderator 1: Do any of you have any final questions or comments?
Mr. E: I don't know.
LL: mod 2 - i think there are quite a few online forums for various issues, i may direct them
there...these
forums are very targeted (e.g. cancer survivors, political activists on a specific cause, etc)
toast: for the last question, I would try to point them to an expert or someone I thought they would be
willing
to listen to.
toast: also, what LL said
II. Focus Group Chat Log
Moderator 1: Thanks to all of you for participating! You will receive a $10 Amazon gift card
shortly. If you
have any other thoughts or ideas on your way home or tomorrow, or even next week, please
feel free to send
an email to [email protected] om or [email protected]. Enjoy the rest of your
weekend!
Moderator 2: Thank you so much everyone for participating!
toast: thanks! enjoy the rest of your weekend too!
LL: thanks....good luck!
Evora: ))
Moderator 1: That was our way of saying you all are free to leave. We're sticking around so we
can save the
transcript!
Moderator 1: =)
III. Consent Form
What is the purpose of this research?
We are asking to include you in a data conference focus group, because
we want your feedback to help us develop a new web site concept called
“CouchMoment.com.” You are invited to participate in this study because
you have expressed interest in the concept and have experience with
using web sites. This study is being conducted by Ara J. Berberian, Nicole
DiCesare and Jayne Spottswood, as a requirement to obtain their Master’s
degrees. Their instructor, Craig Miller, is supervising this research.
How much time will this take?
This interview will take about 60 minutes of your time.
What will I be asked to do if I agree to participate in this study?
If you agree to be in this study, you will be asked to participate in a 60minute focus group online. Your interviewers will save the transcript of the
data conference session when it is completed.
What are the benefits of my participation in this study?
You will receive a $10 Amazon gift card via e-mail for being in this study.
We also hope that what we learn will help us to better understand User
Experience as it pertains to our major.
III. Consent Form
Yes, you can choose not to participate. Even if you agree to be in the focus
group now, you can change your mind later and leave the study. There will be
no negative consequences if you decide not to participate or change your mind
later.
How will the confidentiality of the research records be protected?
The records of this study will be kept confidential. In any report we might
publish, we will not include any information that will identify you. Research
records will be stored securely and only the researchers will have access to the
records that identify you by name. Some people might review our records in
order to make sure we are doing what we are supposed to. For example, the
DePaul University Institutional Review Board may review your information. If
they look at our records, they will keep your information confidential.
Whom can I contact for more information?
If you have questions about this study, please contact Craig Miller (Associate
Professor). If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, you
may contact Susan Loess-Perez, DePaul University’s Director of Research
Protections at 312-362-7593 or by email at [email protected].
You will be able to save a copy of this information to keep for your
records.
III. Consent Form
Statement of Consent:
I have read the above information. I have all my questions
answered. (Check one:)
__ I consent to be in this study.
__ I DO NOT consent.
Signature: _______________________________________________
Date: _________________
Printed name: ____________________________________________
IV. Team Contributions
Nicole
—Contributed to focus group moderator’s guide
—Final report template
—Findings
—Edited final report
Jayne
—Contributed to focus group moderator’s guide
—Consent Form
—Moderator 1
—Conclusions
—Recommendations
—Appendix
Ara
—Contributed to focus group moderator’s guide
—Moderator 2
—Executive Summary
—Approach