The purpose of the questionnaire is to segment the population and form different markets that I can target, for this reason the questionnaire will be quantitative. Questions will be quick and simple to answer, this will make it a lot easier to get a larger quantity of results. I initially want to get as many responses as I can as this will give me more data to work from as well as making any correlations more credible and valid. For the research to be effective, then ideally a diverse range of respondents will answer the questionnaire, I am aware that I do not have the budget nor the resources that a marketing agency would have however I want to do everything I can to make sure the questionnaire targets a range of people. I will go out on the streets of Leeds and ask the public myself, this way I know a range of people have had an input. It also means I can verbally ask the questions and be on hand to clarify their meanings.
This research will kick the design ball rolling, I want to use the questionnaire for two reasons: firstly, to get a brief overview of the respondents lifestyle and personality. After reading for my dissertation it has been apparent that the lifestyle and personality of the shopper does affect what products they are attracted to and then purchase. Secondly, part of the research will be specifically about soap - since this will be the practical outcome relevant questions will provide me with an insight into what products people use and what associations they have. The research questions will focus on these two areas and hopefully when all the questions are viewed I can pick up on beneficial correlations such as men of xx age tend to use xx product and have xx personality traits. Although qualitative research would be most appropriate for better understanding personalities and lifestyles, this questionnaire will give me a much broader range of results. The results will provide a good starting place and will allow me to conduct further in-depth interviews later on where I can focus on a smaller number of people but go more in-depth in understanding their lifestyle and personality and how this affects what they buy.
The first three questions will provide demographic information about the respondent. Providing their gender, age and occupation will give context to the other answers.
1. Male / Female
This is a simple start of question to help put the respondent at ease.
2. Age Category
18-24 25-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 60+
I've decided to use age categories instead of asking for an exact number because I think people will be happier, especially women, to circle a category rather than write a number. The age starts at 18 because although I do want to design a soap package for children the questions in this survey would not be appropriate. Partly because they aren't the buyer, they are just the consumer and whilst the design has to appeal to them it also has to appeal to the parents. I will write separate questions aimed at children or may just use informal in-depth interviews which will be easier for children to answer and understand as it would be more of a conversation. I will also ask the child's parents what they look for in the product and what is important to them so that the design can both take into account the mothers and child's needs.
3. Occupation
After reading about questionnaire design in Data Collection by Wendy Oslen, I have steered away from asking about the respondents income - instead I will ask for their occupation. The book discusses sensitive questions that people might not feel as comfortable answering - income is definitely one of these. In a different setting such as an in-depth interview it may be more acceptable to ask but because I am stopping strangers on the street for 30 seconds then this question is not appropriate as it will make the respondent feel uneasy. By asking what occupation they have it not only makes it easier for them to answer but also provides an insight into their life.
4. What car do you drive?
An easy, closed-ended question. In Vance Packard's The Hidden Persuaders he writes about how people's choice of car says a lot about them. A car is a big purchase and it says a lot about you to the outside world, by asking what type of car the respondent drives it will be an indicator to what sort of lifestyle they lead. Obviously there will be exceptions to this where people either don't drive cars, or their choice wasn't emotionally driven however on the whole a car reflects the individuals income and personal image.
5. What are your main hobbies and interests?
What people do in their spare time and what their interests are will provide a broader picture of the individual. If they enjoy rock climbing and hiking then we can assume they are more outdoorsy people and will purchase products which support and reflect this lifestyle.
6. Describe your personality in 3 words.
Asking individuals to describe their personality will show qualities they think they possess. The answers may not be accurate as the way we view ourselves is often quite different to how we are viewed however asking the respondent how they perceive themselves is useful because it suggests the personality traits they aspire to. Seeing as people tend to buy products with relatable personalities then this question may reveal the personality that the packaging will have to present.
7. What comes to mind when I say soap?
The aim of this question is to find out what people associate with soap. I've left the question open so that respondents could reply with words or an image that comes to mind. This is an open ended question but it will not be a long answer so it won't be hard to view statistically. It will be interesting to see if people from the same segments say the same sort of words.
8. Out of the following brands which are you most likely to buy?
• List Brands - separate for men and women
The aim of this question is to see what brands the respondent feels best resonates with them. I will perhaps take along images of the products so that they have something visual to compare. The question will show what type of brands would be the soaps competition.
9. What soap/body wash do you currently use?
This question will show what the respondents use and give me a point of reference for comparing designs and brand ethos. It would be interesting if their is a correlation between people who use certain products and their personality or lifestyle.
Would you be interested in partaking in a further informal in-depth interview?
I expect the majority of people will say no to this, which is fine. However if a few people said yes then it would give me respondents to approach later when I've got a better idea of what else I need to know.
It is important to ask the questions in a logical order, I have decided to ask the demographic questions first, then explore personality and lifestyle, finally I will ask soap related questions. This order is the most appropriate because the questions become more specified in relation to the practical design. Demographic information is easy to answer so by putting this first it makes the questionnaire seem less daunting or challenging.
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