Don't Move Too Fast


A colleague of mine is on a panel at this week's MRA conference discussing technology's impact on research, and specifically what the switch away from analog tv means for this industry.


In discussing the topic with him it dawned on me that as technology leaders rush forward with the latest and greatest, it is important to remember that researchers rely on normal consumers to feed us information and that they are who we should be focused on, not the small percentage of people who have pre-ordered the Blackberry Bold or bought the iPhone the week it came out.


Certainly the expectations of online interactions have changed. People expect to have a say and want the opportunity to express themselves fully through open-ended comments. They want to be a part of the conversation, not just listeners. They expect research environments to function smoothly and incorporate more than text.


But its important when you are desigining a study to think about the target audience and their comfort level with things like true interactivity and gaming style graphics and tasks. In short, just because you can doesn't mean you always should trot out the latest and greatest.


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