How to use a diary study for deeper insights

Why use a diary study instead of one on one interviews?

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Diary studies are a valuable UX research method for obtaining deep insights into users' behaviors, thoughts, and experiences over a period of time. As a UX Researcher at Meta, I was the team “expert” on this method, and have some tips to share.

Imagine you are testing a new onboarding experience in a digital product - you might normally use one on one retrospective interviews in which users tell you how the experience went for them. Or, you could have a set of new users create live video diaries as they go through the onboarding for the first time and use the product in real life.

The value of a live diary study is that real-time data provides researchers with a comprehensive understanding of user interactions, pain points, and preferences. While this approach can be challenging, it is worth the extra effort to gain better insights into how users were truly feeling and what they were experiencing in the moment.

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Here’s what UX Researchers should keep in mind when developing an effective diary study:

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1. Use the Right Tool: Choosing the appropriate tool for diary studies is critical to streamlining communication and data collection. Online diary platforms or other dedicated research tools can facilitate seamless conversations between participants and partners. These tools should allow participants to easily record their experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Researchers should select tools that enable efficient data aggregation, organization, and analysis. Consideration should also be given to privacy and security aspects to protect participant data. I recommend Forsta, which is the tool I used for my diary studies.‍
2. Involve cross-functional partners in the research: Collaborating with cross-functional partners on your product team, such as designers, developers, and product managers, brings diverse perspectives and expertise to the research process - even if they don’t have a research background. These partners can provide valuable insights, validate findings, and contribute to the ideation and decision-making phases. Inclusive collaboration increases the impact of your work and creates champions who have seen and felt the insights themselves.‍
3. Workshops for Alignment: Regular workshops throughout the diary study process are instrumental to ensuring alignment among the research team and cross-functional partners. Workshops can be conducted at different stages of the study, before the study begins, during data analysis, and after the insights are presented. Instead of reading out your findings, use these collaborative spaces for sharing insights, discussing emerging patterns, and collectively making sense of the findings - your goal should be to create empathy and ownership among stakeholdersI recommend using FigJam for developing and facilitating highly collaborative workshops. ‍
4. Over-communicate with participants: Clear and consistent communication with participants is critical during data collection. It’s critical that participants understand the study objectives, tasks, and expectations. Researchers should provide participants with clear instructions, guidelines, and examples to ensure accurate data collection. Regular check-ins and reminders can help participants stay engaged and motivated, especially if the study is conducted over days, weeks, or months. It helps to maintain an open line of communication during your study - consider giving a number for participants to text with any questions.

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Diary studies offer a rich source of qualitative data that can significantly inform design decisions. By following these best practices outlined above, researchers can maximize the effectiveness of diary studies and unlock deep and actionable insights.  Embracing these practices will help UX researchers create user-centered experiences that meet the needs and expectations of their target audience.

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