Diary Studies
Capturing behavior as it happens, not as people remember it.
What They Are
Participants self-report their experiences over days or weeks using prompts you provide. Some behaviors can't be observed in a single session — they happen over time, in context, when no researcher is watching.
How They Work
Design entry prompts that are specific enough to be useful but easy enough that people actually complete them. Choose a cadence — daily, triggered by an event, or periodic check-ins. Select a submission platform. Check in periodically to keep engagement up. Follow up with interviews at the end to dig into patterns.
What They Produce
Longitudinal data about real behavior in real context. Emotional texture around experiences that you'd never get in a lab. And patterns that only emerge over time — the workaround someone uses every Tuesday, the frustration that builds across a week, the moment when a tool becomes indispensable.