Diary Studies, Done Properly
Research in which participants record their experiences, activities or problems over days or weeks, capturing behavior that happens over time.
Priya Raghunathan
What is at stake
Some experiences, such as habits, long purchases or occasional tasks, cannot be observed in a single session.
The playbook
- Give clear instructions and examples
- Send reminders and check entries early
- Keep entries quick to complete
- Pay incentives that match the effort
- Interview participants at the end
Where it goes wrong
Avoid:
- Studies that are too long for participants to sustain
- Vague prompts
- Waiting until the end to review entries
- Too few participants to see patterns
The numbers behind it
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Duration | typically from a few days to several weeks |
| Entries | text, photos, video or screenshots |
| Prompts | scheduled or triggered by events |
| Follow-up | interviews at the end help interpret entries |
Getting outside help
When to hand it over: Bring in help when studying long customer journeys, habits or infrequent tasks.
Where this comes from
- Nielsen Norman Group — Diary studies: understanding long-term user behavior and experiences
- Interaction Design Foundation — Diary studies
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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