Diary Studies 101: An Actionable Guide for UX Researchers

Diary studies help researchers capture real behavior as it unfolds. Instead of relying on what users recall during a single session, this method reveals what people actually do, feel, and experience across days or weeks, in their own environments, on their own terms.

That kind of context is gold for teams building user-centered products. It surfaces the small moments, friction points, and behavior changes that shorter sessions often miss.

This guide is for Research Ops leaders scaling research, UX Researchers exploring new methods, and PMs who want deeper insight into user behavior. Diary studies can look intimidating on paper, but they don’t have to be overwhelming.

Stick around for practical tips on how to run a diary study smoothly, with fewer manual tasks and more meaningful insights.

What is a diary study?

A diary study is a longitudinal user research method where participants document their experiences over time. Instead of attending one interview or usability test, they contribute regular entries that reflect their real-world behaviors, emotions, and routines.

This format is one of the most powerful in user research. It gives researchers a window into how products fit into people’s daily lives — something lab-based sessions often miss. Diary studies often span one to several weeks and prioritize natural use, lived experiences, and reflective input.

Common formats include:

• Written journal entries
• Short videos or photo submissions
• Voice memos or audio recordings

Researchers may also follow up asynchronously with clarifying questions or prompts, helping add depth to the data without disrupting the participant’s routine.

When to use a diary study

Diary studies are especially useful when you need to understand how behavior evolves over time. 

Here are a few common diary study examples where this method works especially well:

• Product onboarding journeys
• Daily routines, habits, and long-term usage
• Emotional or decision-making processes

These studies are less effective when quick turnaround or specific UI feedback is the goal. A usability test or interview might be a better fit when you have shorter timelines.

For stakeholders, diary studies offer something most methods don’t — a real look into how users live, think, and interact over time. They help teams catch moments of friction, validate decisions with confidence, and design experiences that align with how people actually behave, not how they say they behave.

How to plan a diary study that works (without overcomplicating it)

Start with a focused research question. What do you want to learn, and how will it inform product or strategy decisions? Getting specific upfront helps keep the study manageable and impactful.

Once your goal is clear, the next step is defining duration and cadence. One to two weeks is common, with daily or every-other-day check-ins depending on the topic. Choose a format that fits your audience and the type of data you’re collecting — text entries, photos, videos, or voice recordings. Most teams start with 5 to 10 participants to make the study easier to run while still capturing a range of experiences.

Write short, clear prompts that encourage reflection without overwhelming participants. Plan for asynchronous moderation if you want the option to follow up mid-study.

Be thoughtful about consent and data handling. If participants are sharing sensitive or personal entries, it's important to communicate how that data will be used and stored.

A little planning upfront creates a more seamless workflow for both participants and researchers and leads to stronger insights.

Setting participants up for success

Successful diary studies depend on finding the right participants. Look for people who are expressive, reliable, and comfortable sharing details over time. They don’t need to write essays or record Oscar-worthy monologues; they just need to show up and share. Entries don’t have to be long. Quick text reflections, short videos, or simple audio logs are often enough to provide useful data.

Set clear expectations up front. Explain the time commitment, how often you’ll ask for input, what format to use, and what kind of support is available during the study. A short kickoff call or welcome video can go a long way in making participants feel confident and prepared.

Use incentives to motivate follow-through. Tiered payments or rewards at milestones help maintain engagement and show participants their time is valued.

Keep the experience smooth with friendly reminders, progress tracking, and regular check-ins. Be transparent and easy to work with. This builds trust and lowers the risk of drop-off. Rally helps automate the logistics — like scheduling, sending reminders, and tracking participation — so you can focus on the research, not the busywork.

Common diary study pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

The more structured your data collection, the easier the analysis. Ask participants to label their entries with dates, topics, or specific tasks. This helps you track progress and patterns across the study.

To avoid getting overwhelmed later, set up a simple system for organizing what comes in. If you’re choosing a platform, look for one that supports scheduling, reminders, entry management, and participant tracking in one place. 

Tag entries by theme or timeline to speed up synthesis later on. As you review entries, pay attention to:

• Changes in behavior over time
• Emotional reactions to key moments
• Recurring pain points or breakthroughs

Using a centralized platform like Rally helps you manage submissions, monitor participation, and spot trends — all in one place. That way, you can focus less on chasing down files and more on turning insights into action.

Mistakes to dodge before you hit start

Diary studies offer rich insight, but they also come with a few common pitfalls:

• Participant fatigue or drop-off
• Vague or inconsistent responses
• Too much unstructured data with no clear path to synthesis

You can avoid most of these with a few simple moves:

• Keep prompts tight and focused
• Build rapport early in the process
• Have a clear synthesis plan in place before the study begins

Close the loop by thanking participants and offering a short exit survey or follow-up session. This helps validate their experience and adds one more opportunity for insight.

With the right tools and a thoughtful setup, diary studies don’t have to be overwhelming. Rally helps teams manage the moving parts so researchers can stay focused on the work that matters.

Run diary studies with confidence (and less chaos)

Diary studies give you access to real-world, longitudinal insight that few other methods can match. They surface how people live with your product — what they do, how they feel, and what changes over time.

When planned with care and supported by the right systems, diary studies become repeatable, scalable, and a core part of your research practice.

You already have the skills. Rally’s just here to cut the chaos so that you can focus on the insights, not managing spreadsheets.