Okay, that is quite interesting and I'm all for say, improving design to make people happier when they are using a product. I like being happy. But I don't thi

Okay, that is quite interesting and I'm all for say, improving design to make people happier when they are using a product. I like being happy. But I don't think this addresses what I see the real shortcoming of using focus groups at all - an over-reliance on the first impressions. A good example for this is drinks. If you go into Starbucks and get a premixed drink (say, their Strawberry Creme), it tastes good for the first few sips. By the time you are getting down to the bottom of the cup you realise it is disgustingly sweet. I think what happens in that situation is that they try all these formulations on some people, but it is just a fleeting taste that they are comparing. The real question for me is not how people feel about your product on the first try (as long as they don't hate it!). The question is how they feel after after they have used it for a while. It is difficult to see how measuring microsmiles gets you any traction on such a problem.