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Longitudinal study: Diaries

Discovery / ExplorationqualitativeIntermediate

TL;DR

Understand usage, habits, and evolution of product experience over time.

Detailed description

Diary Studies is a longitudinal methodology in which participants record their experiences, thoughts, and activities over an extended period, typically days to weeks. This technique allows capturing behaviors and attitudes in real context, revealing temporal usage patterns and external factors that influence user experience. Research demonstrates its value for understanding experience evolution over time (Nielsen Norman Group). It is especially useful for products with long usage cycles or behaviors that vary by context.

Main objective

Understand usage, habits, and evolution of product experience over time.

When to use it

When long-term usage needs to be investigated in real context.

Effort level

High

Recommended number of users

5–10 participants

Advantages

  • ✓Real longitudinal data
  • ✓Temporal context
  • ✓Spontaneous behaviors
  • ✓Experience evolution

Disadvantages

  • ✗High participant attrition
  • ✗Inconsistent data
  • ✗Long study time
  • ✗Difficult to analyze

When to use

  • •Regular-use products
  • •Longitudinal research
  • •Behavior changes
  • •Product adoption

Metrics

  • 📊Usage frequency
  • 📊Temporal patterns
  • 📊Satisfaction evolution
  • 📊Participant retention

Practical example

Ask users to log daily interactions with a personal finance app over weeks.