Interview: Projective techniques
TL;DR
Qualitative techniques where users express subconscious perceptions through linguistic or visual associations.
Detailed description
Projective and Association Techniques are qualitative methodologies that use indirect stimuli to help users express subconscious perceptions, emotions, and associations they might not articulate directly. These techniques, rooted in psychology, allow exploring underlying attitudes and mental models through linguistic or visual associations. Research demonstrates their value for uncovering emotional and symbolic dimensions of user experience (Nielsen Norman Group). They are particularly useful for understanding brand perception and emotional responses to products.
Main objective
Discover emotional perceptions and subconscious associations that users may not explicitly articulate.
Use cases
When to use it
Exploratory research to understand brand perception or when accessing deeper motivations is needed.
Effort level
Medium to HighRecommended number of users
8-15 participants, in one-on-one sessions or small groupsAdvantages
Disadvantages
When to use
Metrics
Practical example
Ask users to associate animals, colors or adjectives with different banking apps.