Please write 1000 words on how it feels to squeeze the handle.

November 21, 2007 7:44 AM

I'm testing a mechanical device (something like a can opener) and I'd like to get people to give me more than comments like "convenient" or "comfortable".

Yes, it's good to know that it is comfortable, but I want to dive more into the emotional responses to using the product. How does it feel? (solid, like a toy, etc.) How do they feel using it? (in control, embarrassed, etc. )

I know that with branding it helps to have people visualize the brand as a person. This makes the brand more concrete, so you can ask detailed questions, such as: Is it a man or a woman? How old? How do they dress? etc. It taps into people's immediate, less conscious impressions. Visualizing a product as a person, can work well, but when the participant isn't quite playful enough, it's a wipeout.

Anyone have some tricks to get people talking about these low-level, emotional reactions?

posted by kamelhoecker to society & culture (15 comments total)

Are you getting people to test the device, and then asking them questions about it? Why don't you just ask them the same questions you mention here? (How does it feel, how does it make the user feel, how would you feel if you received this as a gift, how would you feel about giving this as a gift, etc.?)
posted by LN at 8:10 AM on November 21, 2007

Give them a list of adjectives, perhaps, and ask them to complete the sentence with as many choices as they feel are appropriate.

Using this product makes me feel: powerful, masculine, silly, weak, etc.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:13 AM on November 21, 2007

Ask them specific questions.
posted by kindall at 8:17 AM on November 21, 2007

You could put together a series of questions, and a 1-5 scale.
Does the device feel completely like a toy (1), somewhat like a toy (2), neither like a toy nor completely solid (3), more solid (4), completely solid (5).
I'm not sure what this is called, but I'm sure you've seen examples before. That way you can prompt people to consider many different aspects and get a feel for where their opinions fall.
posted by Coffeemate at 8:17 AM on November 21, 2007

Questions ask for specific answers, yet demand some level of creativite thinking:

"What other objects have similar look/feel/experience as this one?"

"What memories does this tool remind you of?"

"If you had to choose someone in your life who you would envision using this regularly, who would it be?"
posted by jpdoane at 8:24 AM on November 21, 2007

Questions *that* ask
posted by jpdoane at 8:25 AM on November 21, 2007

You'll learn more by watching how people react to the device than by asking them questions about it. As House says, "everybody lies". If the user feels uncomfortable with the product, they aren't necessarily going to tell you, but you'll probably be able to get a feel for their emotions by watching their face. They're worried they'll seem technophobic or dumb if they react negatively, but I'll be their reactions still show in their face.
posted by cosmicbandito at 8:44 AM on November 21, 2007

I'm no expert, though I've done my share of focus groups over the years, and I think an interesting approach might be to ask what else the tool could be used for. These can range from the practical to the absurd, like "how well would this work for pulling a nail?" or "I'd like to have one of these in my glove compartment at all times," or "Might work to trim some flowers in a pinch," or "My grandma/nephew could use this." Things like that. I know you want more anecdotal answers, but those can be more difficult to get if people can tell what the thing is supposed to do on their own.
posted by rhizome at 8:49 AM on November 21, 2007

LN: I love the gift question. It gets people thinking like the designer — trying to make somebody happy with the product.

faintofbutt: sentence completion... i like it. Although I might not give them any words to keep it open.

coffeemate/kindal: i don't want to be too leading in my questions. If someone said, "it feels cheap. like a toy" unprompted, then that is good stuff. But, I wouldn't want to give them the 'toy' idea to put on a scale. (Besides I'm not interviewing enough people to make survey answers statistically relevant.)

jpdoane: yes, i've been asking these types of questions with varying degress of success. Some people play along, others simply don't get it.

cosmicbandito: so true. i video to look for those details later. but, part of me feels that we always make stuff up to rationalize things - I guess i'm interested in how to get people to make up some good lies!

rhizome: i like the alternate uses approach. It gets into the realm of stories/anecdotes which is usually a good place to go.

I think I'm less in need of specific questions, and more interested in any creative exercises. Something like, "here's 5 magazines, make a collage about the experience of using this product."

Any more thoughts on those lines?
posted by kamelhoecker at 9:01 AM on November 21, 2007

What about something in the vein of the Apples to Apples game? Select a half-dozen words (a lawnmower, a fishing rod, a camera, a rubber duck, etc.) and say "Which one of these is most like the product?" Of course, as much value would come from their thinking out loud about which to choose as from the actual choice. Repeat with different sets of options, subtly and carefully selected to tell you about the different questions you have.
posted by pocams at 9:21 AM on November 21, 2007

If you have more than one version of the product you can get people to say a lot about specifics by contrasting details about the two. "I like the thick handle because it feels safer." "The little switch is cuter than the big one," or "the little switch makes it look flimsy, like a toy."
posted by selfmedicating at 9:24 AM on November 21, 2007

The other thing that crosses my mind, given that you're looking for emotional response, is the extent to which the tester thinks they could form an emotional bond with the object. I'm thinking here of things that eventually end up as antiques, like tin toys from the '30s and '40s, cobalt, cranberry and milk glass, etc... Does the object have design qualities that would endure over time? Does the tester think that the object has potential to become an antique or a collectible in the future, or just be a piece of junk someone throws away? Is the object the kind of thing that the tester thinks would be handed down through generations?

Although I'm not sure how you would ask this as a question, or get a decent response.
posted by LN at 9:28 AM on November 21, 2007

Maybe you can think of it in terms of "Lost" or some other reality TV show. "You're stuck on a desert island with this object and a screwdriver. How long will you live?"
posted by rhizome at 9:58 AM on November 21, 2007

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had some Eames picture cards which I've wanted to use for ages, so I made a variation on the apples-to-apples game.

I took 16 cards and made them into four groups. I placed the first group of four cards face up and asked my interviewee to select the card that reminds them of the product they just used. The cards are images of random objects (a metronome, marbles, a measuring tape...) so they usually have to be a bit creative to explain their choice.

After doing this four times, there are four selected cards, and then there is a chance to pick the best card or summarize the choices. I haven't analysed the results, but as a way to move away from pure literal comments, it seemed to work ok!
posted by kamelhoecker at 3:29 PM on November 22, 2007

yeah, i'm blathering on in my own question. but just in case anyone tries the photo exercise i describe, after looking at the results, i have to admit: it kinda sucked. The pictures were too literal - people always asked what it was if they couldn't tell (they weren't inspired to make a creative guess) and then people often made the laziest choice, like picking the card with a photo of a boat on it because the boat is the same colour as the prototype. Boring! Maybe it would better with something more abstract like ink blots.
posted by kamelhoecker at 3:34 PM on November 30, 2007