It’s best not to look over people’s shoulders when you are asking them to pick something out…
I’ve been doing some pack research. I wanted to test what people ‘see’ in the new packaging designs rather than get them to judge a beauty contest, so I’ve been asking them to pick out packs that are right for them (including competitors).
Day one of the research… I stayed in the room and watched respondents do this. Something wasn’t right. They were self-conscious, they didn’t seem to get what I wanted them to do.
Day two, I left the room and let them get on with their decision making.
So obvious, so simple! It was so much more like real decision making when I left them to it, as these are the choices we tend to me on our own and in our own time.
There’s a lot to be said for leaving respondents on their own – it’s not cheating the client out of your time, it’s getting the insight right