5 Playful Projective Techniques for Qualitative Research That Make People Open Up

Ever sat in an interview or focus group where consumers go quiet, smile politely, give safe/ rational answers and you know there’s so much more beneath the surface? That’s where a passionate qualitative researcher’s secret stash of playful projective techniques come in.

They make people more open and speak through metaphors, games, stories, and imagination. By gamifying research, you can help consumers express themselves faster, deeper without them even realizing what we got out of them. 

Here are 5 playful projective techniques that I use to elicit responses from consumers because moderating with a standardized, serious, straight to the point, basic discussion guide is boring and not my style at all!

1. Hot Air Balloon Technique: 

• When to use: When you want consumers to prioritize attributes, features, products or anything in order of importance or appeal. 

• What exactly to add to your discussion guide: We are talking about Premium handbags, could you help list down all the things that are important when it comes to choosing a Premium handbag. Moderator to list down all the factors/features/attributes on showcards/sticky notes. Now imagine you are in Cappadocia, Turkey atop a hot air balloon ride with each of these showcard packets that weigh 1 kg each. You are rising up and floating over a scenic view when suddenly you are informed that the hot air balloon is running out of gas. You need to begin to offload some weight to stay airborne. You have these 15 packets (of attributes), could you tell me which are the ones that you will begin to throw away first… what next… finally which are the 3 packets that you will hold close to you till the very end. 

• What it gives you: Consumers subconsciously give you the order of importance of attributes/features without rationalizing every choice they make. 

2. Funeral Technique: 

• When to use: When you want consumers to tell you what makes a brand/product unique, its key differentiators compared to all the competitors in the market.  

• What exactly to add to your discussion guide: We spoke a lot about brand xyz, abc and pqr. Now this is going to get a bit dark and heavy. Imagine, one day, suddenly, you hear a breaking news that brand XYZ has unfortunately passed away/is no more. Thousands of people rush to the funeral, there are people who loved the brand, those who interacted with it a few times in its lifetime as well as all other brands – abc, pqr etc. What do you think people will be saying about brand xyz at the funeral. Is there something they will truly miss about it? Or are there enough other people to fill that void/gap. Will people move on easily or take time to heal? 

• What it gives you: Consumers pour out the key differentiators of the brand vs competition and if truly is irreplaceable or not.  

3. Myth Busters:

• When to use: When you want to understand a specific consumer cohort – say GenZ, Millennials, Mothers, Baby Boomers, Gym enthusiasts, etc.   

• What exactly to add to your discussion guide: We did some homework and collected some statements about what other people think about your generation/people like you Moderator to have all the myths/hypothesis statements on cards stacked up, face down and place it at the centre of the table. Now, let us go one by one, could each of you pick up one card and read out the statement aloud for the rest of us and tell us whether it is TRUE OR NOT and why/why not?

• Examples for a GenZ group: 
  • People say that GenZ are always stuck to their smartphones and do not like to interact with people socially. TRUE OR NOT?
  • People say that GenZ love only western foods/snacks and do not go for traditional home made snacks? TRUE OR NOT?
  • People say that GenZ snack all day long but do not eat proper meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner. TRUE OR NOT?

• What it gives you: Consumers do not feel attacked directly but provide reasons to explain or defend their cohort or people like them, not them personally. But what they are actually doing is projecting their own thoughts/behaviors onto a third party and spilling the beans. 

4. Speed dating: 

• When to use: When you have a lot of ideas, concepts, prototypes and need a quick screening/shortlist to take ahead to the next phase of development

• What exactly to add to your discussion guide: We are taking you into a Speed-dating. There are a lot of candidates (ideas/prototypes/brief concepts) but you will get only 1 minute per candidate. Quickly move around the room and move from one to the other (Read the idea, try the prototype, glance through the concept). Now that you have completed this speed dating round with all the 15 candidates, which are the ones that you found interesting? Which ones would you like to spend more time with and get to know them better? 

• What it gives you: A quick shortlist/screening from a huge number of ideas/brief concepts/prototypes. 

5. Storm and shelter technique:  

• When to use: When you wish to create a pen portrait of your target consumer and wish to deep dive into their life’s tensions, stresses and what provides them happiness and comfort. 

• What exactly to add to your discussion guide: Imagine all the things in your life currently… Now imagine that you need to narrate your life to someone like a weather forecast. So could you tell me, what are the little storms and the big storms in your life right now? Are there any storms that have been brewing for a while? Where do you take shelter? 

• What it gives you: Helps dig deeper and scratch beneath the surface and reveal their tensions, stressors and problems to solve in life as well as what comforts them – could be people and one could dig deeper to ask for product examples too that provide comfort. 

So, here’s wrapping up my little playbook of 5 projective techniques I love to use with consumers across Australia, Africa, MENAP, SEA, France, UK and India. These also ensure that clients do not keep checking their emails/phones or snooze in the viewing room – helps everyone stay engaged and awake! Which one do you plan on trying first?