Focus group discussion guide: template and worked example
A focus group discussion guide is the script the moderator follows: it splits the session into acts, each with its objective, its questions and its minutes. A good guide starts from the decision behind the study, has everyone write before they talk, and leaves room for what nobody expected.
What should a discussion guide include?
Before any question, the guide writes down three things: the decision the study has to inform, the objectives that follow from it and the profile of each group. Every question in the guide should trace back to an objective. If a question serves none, cut it.
Then come the acts. Each act has an objective, a time box, the main questions, possible follow-ups and, where needed, the stimulus to show. We recommend three rules:
- Individual before group. On every key topic, each person writes their answer on a card before anyone speaks. This is the core of the nominal group technique, and it stops the first opinion from pulling everyone else along.
- Open questions, one idea each. "What did you think of it?" rather than "Did you find it practical and cheap?".
- From general to specific. First the category and people's own experience; then the brand, the concept or the price.
What does the template look like?
Copy this structure and fill it in with your study. Minutes are a guide for a 90 to 120 minute session with 6 to 8 people.
| Act | Objective | What happens | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Welcome | Build trust and explain the ground rules | Consent already signed, recording, no right answers, short introductions | 5 to 10 |
| 2. The category | Understand habits and people's own words | How they buy and use the category today; individual card first | 15 to 20 |
| 3. The experience | Find friction and key moments | Last purchase, what annoyed them, what surprised them | 15 to 20 |
| 4. The stimulus | Capture the gut reaction and the reasoned one | The concept, product or ad is shown; everyone writes before commenting | 25 to 30 |
| 5. Price and choice | See what changes the decision | Price, alternatives, what it would take to switch | 15 to 20 |
| 6. Wrap-up | Prioritise and close | The most important point of the session in one sentence, thanks | 5 to 10 |
What does a complete example look like?
A fictional study: a laundry detergent brand wants to launch a refill pouch and has to decide whether to sell it under the current product name or as a separate line. One group of 7 people who buy detergent for their household, in a 110-minute session.
- Welcome (8 min). The moderator reminds everyone the session is recorded, that each opinion matters and that disagreeing is fine. Each person gives their first name and says who does the laundry at home.
- The category (17 min). Individual card: "Which detergent did you buy last time, and why that one?". Then the conversation: where they buy, how often, what they look at on the pack.
- The experience (15 min). "Tell me about the last time a detergent let you down." Follow-ups: what did you do next, did you buy it again, who did you tell.
- The stimulus (30 min). The real refill pouch is shown, with no price. Individual card with three questions: what is it, who is it for, what worries you about it. Then each card is discussed. Finally, the two candidate names are shown and each person picks one in writing before explaining why.
- Price and choice (25 min). The relative price is revealed: cheaper per wash than the rigid bottle. Would you buy it next time? What would keep you on your usual bottle? Where would you store the pouch?
- Wrap-up (15 min). Final card: "If you were the brand, what would you change before launching it?". One sentence per person, and thanks.
Total: 110 minutes. The individual cards are kept and read alongside the recording: a card often says something different from what that person ended up saying in front of the group, and that gap is a finding.
Which mistakes should you avoid when writing the guide?
- More questions than the time allows: with ten questions per act, the moderator rushes and nobody goes deep.
- Showing the stimulus at the start: the whole conversation then revolves around it.
- Leading questions, or questions that bundle two ideas.
- Asking about future intentions without anchoring them in real experiences.
- Using the brand's internal jargon instead of people's own words.
How does WAV use the guide in a study?
At WAV the guide is written with the brand, starting from the decision, piloted before fieldwork and used the same way in every group so the groups can be compared. Because each act is marked in the recording, every finding in the report can be traced back to the act and the minute where it came up. You can see what that looks like in the sample report, built from a fictional study. To bring the right people into the room, use our recruitment screener template as well.