Know your user. In order to develop products that will assist your users, you have to know who they are , how they act and what their goals are. A Diary Study, also known as, a longitudinal study is a log of activities and behaviors over an extended period of time that provides you with an multi-level understanding of the user. It normally takes place following a Contextual Inquiry or In-Depth Interview and can last anywhere from 1 week to 2 months. It can take the format of a standard diary where the user records the information via text or it can be more creative where the user takes pictures to represent their entries in the diary.
Diaries are the revealers of secrets. People often forget or ignore the daily actions that to a researcher is a gold mind of information. By asking the user to provide the log over an extended period of time and specifically through imagery, you are able to observe the habits and behaviors. The log provides a complete picture of the user’s interaction with the product and the environmental influences present. It also provides a more comprehensive view of the user’s goals which supplies you with the information to develop features that will enhance the user experience or tool.
The Diary Study can use a variety of mediums: text, photos, video, audio, etc. Feel free to be creative. Whichever way you decide to implement, there are four main steps to conducting a successful diary study.
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HCD PROCESS
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Research Diary Tools | Flex |
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