# Diary Studies > Asking users to document their behavior over days or weeks—captures patterns you'll never see in a single-session study. *Tags: ux, research, mid-level* --- > [!info] Quick Definition > Asking users to document their behavior over days or weeks—captures patterns you'll never see in a single-session study. ## What is a Diary Study? A diary study asks participants to record their actions, thoughts, and feelings over an extended period—typically days, weeks, or months. Unlike a one-hour research session, diary studies capture behavior in context, over time, as it naturally occurs. A diary can be digital (a Google Form or custom app), paper-based (a printed log), or video-based (participants record short videos). The format varies, but the purpose is consistent: witness behavior as it happens, not as users remember it. **One sentence punch:** Diary studies reveal habits and patterns that users can't articulate in interviews.** ## Why is it important? - **Captures Real Behavior:** In a one-hour study, users perform tasks you ask them to perform. In daily life, they do what they actually do. Diaries capture the latter. - **Reveals Patterns:** One person using your product might seem random. Ten people using over two weeks reveals patterns. When do people use it? How often? What triggers usage? - **Uncovers Motivation:** Users often can't articulate why they do things. A diary reveals context. "I used the app at 6 PM because..." The because reveals motivation. - **Reduces Bias:** Interview subjects say what they think you want to hear. Diarists record what they actually did. Diaries are closer to truth. ## How to Conduct a Diary Study 1. **Recruit participants** — Aim for 5-15 participants. More than 15 and analysis becomes unwieldy. Less than 5 and patterns don't emerge. 2. **Define the duration** — 2 weeks is a sweet spot. Long enough for patterns. Short enough for retention. Longer studies risk dropoff. 3. **Create a simple format** — Use a template. "Date, time, what I did, how I felt, why I did it." Simple templates increase compliance. 4. **Brief participants** — Explain the purpose. It's not evaluation; it's context. You want to understand their natural behavior. 5. **Collect daily** — Ask for entries daily. Weekly summaries miss details. "I used the app Tuesday" loses valuable context. 6. **Offer incentives** — Pay participants for time. Completion rates improve with compensation. 7. **Analyze for patterns** — Read all entries. What themes emerge? When do people engage? What triggers action? Create a summary. 8. **Share findings** — Show the team: "Mornings are peak usage time" or "People use with a friend present." Patterns inform design. ## What to Track - **When** — Date, time, duration - **What** — Specific actions or activities - **Where** — Location, device, environment - **Who** — Alone or with others - **Why** — Motivation, context, emotional state - **How** — Ease, difficulty, frustration level ## Mentor Tips - **First tip: Diary studies are about patterns, not individual entries.** One person using your app at midnight is interesting. Five people using at midnight regularly is a pattern. Always look for the second and third occurrence. - **Offer multiple formats.** Some people love writing; others prefer video or audio. Offering choices increases participation and quality. - **Follow up with interviews.** After the diary period, interview participants. "I noticed you used the app every Tuesday. Why?" Interviews contextualize diary entries. - **Prepare for dropoff.** Some participants will stop logging. Plan for 20-30% dropout. Recruit more than you need. ## Resources and Tools - **Books:** "Observing the User Experience" by Elizabeth Goodman and Mike Kuniavsky, "User Research" by Stephanie Marsh - **Tools:** [[Google Forms]] or Typeform for digital diaries, [[Miro]] for analysis, video diary platforms like Playbookux - **Articles:** Diary study guides on Nielsen Norman, qualitative research methods on [[UX Collective]] --- Source: https://www.fernandoux.com/en/wiki/research/diary-studies/