Context methods (such as field and diary studies) provide insights into users’ real-life environments and behaviors, shedding light on how products are used in a natural context.
Here’s a list of introductory articles and videos about context methods, as well as some related topics. Within each section, the resources are in recommended reading order.
Context Methods: An Overview
Many UX-research methods involve asking users to pretend they’re in a realistic but hypothetical situation. For example, in a usability test, participants may be asked to buy a new car. While we hope that users will behave as if they were really making this purchase, removing users from their normal context might cause us to miss out on some behavioral details.
Field and diary studies use very different approaches. They involve observing users’ behaviors in their real-life context. Participants are not asked to do anything special or outside of their routine, except, perhaps, answer a few questions.
Returning to the car-buying example, a field study may involve observing participants in their homes while they research models of cars and dealerships. A diary study may have each participant log car-shopping activities such as visiting a dealership or discussing options with a partner.
Context methods are particularly useful during the discovery phase of a design project when we’re trying to build up our understanding of our users and opportunities to improve their experiences. They’re also commonly used to help develop customer-journey maps.
Use the following resources to learn about the differences between these two most common forms of context research methods, the field and diary study, as well as common terminology used to describe these methods.
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Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
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1 |
Video |
The advantages and disadvantages of each method |
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2 |
When to Use Context Methods: Field and Diary Studies | Article |
Why and when to use context methods |
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3 |
Field Studies vs. Ethnographic Studies vs. Contextual Inquiry |
Video |
Differences between these three terms, which are often used interchangeably |
Diary Studies
In a diary study, participants document their experiences (thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) over a set period (a few days or weeks). Diary studies are especially helpful when inquiring about user attitudes over a longer period.
Use the following resources to learn more about diary studies and how to carry them out.
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Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
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1 |
Diary Studies: Understanding Long-Term User Behavior and Experiences |
Article |
When and how to conduct a diary study, plus tips for keeping respondents engaged and motivated |
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2 |
Video |
What diary studies are and how they work |
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3 |
5 Steps for Effective Diary Studies in Customer Journey Research |
Video |
How to conduct diary studies to learn about the user journeys related to your product or service |
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4 |
What Could an Intelligent Assistant Do for You? A Diary Study of User Needs |
Article |
An example diary study focused on how people want to use intelligent assistants like Siri |
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5 |
How to Analyze Qualitative Data from UX Research: Thematic Analysis |
Article |
How to identify themes in unstructured data |
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6 |
Balancing Natural Behavior with Incentives and Accuracy in Diary Studies |
Article |
How to properly compensate participants without throwing off results |
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7 |
Article |
How the incentive structure and the information being logged influences diary study participation |
Field Study
A field study is conducted in the user’s environment (e.g., home or office). Researchers follow each participant around and observe the participant’s normal daily behaviors and activities. Field studies are best suited for gathering behavioral data related to a specific environment over a shorter period of time, like a day.
Use the following resources to learn more about field studies and how to conduct them.
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Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
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1 |
Article |
What a field study is, when to run one, and how to plan it |
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2 |
Video |
5 steps to rapid corporate ethnography in UX |
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3 |
Article |
Tips for running field studies without influencing user behavior |
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| 4 | 4 Steps to Field Studies with Users | Video | 4 basic steps to prepare and carry out field studies, preferably early in the UX design process |
| 5 | Why Field-Study Sessions Go Wrong: 5 Common Problems | Article | Communicate the purpose of the visit early on, maintain the relationship with participants, and look for concrete examples |
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6 |
Video |
How to run field studies remotely, if needed |
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7 |
Article |
Examples of how field studies have helped designers improve intranet systems |
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| 8 | The Context CUEs Framework in Field Studies | Article | How to use field studies to document the culture, the unspoken rules, and the environment that your users have to navigate |
| 9 | 27 Tips and Tricks for Conducting Successful User Research in the Field | Article | Common pitfalls in conducting field studies and how to avoid them |
Contextual Inquiry
The terms “field study” and “contextual inquiry” are often used interchangeably. Typically, a contextual inquiry involves more interviewing and conversation with the participant.
Learn more about these differences and how to carry out a contextual inquiry using the following resources.
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Number |
Link |
Format |
Description |
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1 |
Video |
A method to define requirements, improve processes, learn what is important to users, and spark ideas for future projects |
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2 |
Video |
A particular type of field study that is more interview-heavy and its benefits |
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3 |
Contextual Inquiry: Inspire Design by Observing and Interviewing Users in Their Context |
Article |
When and how to conduct a contextual inquiry |
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4 |
Video |
How to overcome the main challenges with contextual inquiries |
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| 5 | How Many Users Should You Visit for Contextual Inquiry? | Video | How many users per visit, visits per day, and the total number of visits in a study |
| 6 | Remote Contextual Inquiry: Lessons Learned | Article | How to conduct a contextual inquiry remotely |
| 7 | Context Adds Value to UX Artifacts | Video | Why context matters in UX |
| 8 | The Hawthorne Effect or Observer Bias in User Research | Article | How to mitigate the observer bias by building rapport, designing natural tasks, and spending more time with study participants |
