beginnerobserve
Mobile DiariesGet to know the users' personal, daily life by having the users themselves document their activities.
weeks – months5+ Participantsreviewcreativeusers
+3
Open in FigJam
Summary
The simpler the method of interaction the better for the user and for you. Let your participants document and explain their thoughts and experience to a topic over a period of time. The period of time in which you let them monitor or explain their insights and emotions to you can vary from weeks to months. Be sure to recruit a sufficient number of test candidates because not all of them can be expected to consistently be a part of your study as it's rather time-consuming.
Step-by-step
  1. Planning (be sure to have a deadline, goals, and knowledge of who you want to recruit). Use the Mobile Diary Planning template to keep an overview.
  2. Collect questions that you want to ask the users. Feel free to use the Mobile Diary Questionnaire as a template for your questions (one sheet per question).
  3. Recruit the test candidates and give instructions. Provide all participants with a digital tool to log their thoughts, a notebook, or have them use the Mobile Diary Day Report.
  4. Evaluate reports.
  5. Record the most important and most frequently mentioned findings.
What you need
  • Mobile Diary template
External resources
Do you have a question?
These methods might seem simple, but applying them in a real project is another story. We’re there to help. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at the User Experience Strategy & Design team.
Ask Away!
Explore similar methods
Walt Disney Methodideate
3 – 9 Participants
60 – 135 min

Brainstorm from three different perspectives to elaborate ideas.

Eisenhower Matrixstrategize
1+ Participants
25 – 45 min

Sort tasks by importance.

Remote Usability Testvalidate
6+ Participants
65 – 135 min

Test despite physical distance.

One-Minute-Pitchstrategize
2+ Participants
30 – 40 min

Break the concept down to the essential core points in the shortest time possible.

5 Whysobserve
1 – 2 Participants
5 – 15 min

This is a very simple method for digging deep into the mind and background of users and their behaviour.

This website uses cookies to give you the best, most relevant experience. Using this website means you’re OK with this. You can change which cookies are set at any time – and find out more about them in our Cookie Policy.