User Research

Diary study for launching a new hardware product

3. The challenge

One of the key challenges was working through a large volume of data and distilling it into clear, actionable insights. I had to summarize and synthesize the main findings while setting aside secondary insights that could be explored in future iterations. Time pressure added another layer of complexity, as the team needed the final results quickly to inform upcoming decisions.

Maintaining participant engagement throughout the study was another challenge. The research required users to complete three tasks over a three‑week period, so keeping retention high and ensuring consistent participation was essential for collecting reliable, long‑term insights.

2. My role

I was the one who managed the study from beginning to the end by:

• Designed the diary‑study methodology and research plan;

• Recruited participants representing different car types and usage patterns;

• Created daily tasks and prompts to guide consistent reporting;

• Monitored participant entries and provided support throughout the study;

• Analyzed qualitative and quantitative data;

• Synthesized findings into actionable recommendations for product, design and engineering.

1. Overview

We were preparing to launch a new hardware device that connects with our car‑maintenance app. The team needed to see how users interacted with the new product. I led a mixed‑methods, diary‑based usability study to observe long‑term behavior. This helped me uncover friction points and evaluate whether the hardware‑to‑app experience felt intuitive, reliable and valuable.

4. Impact

The diary study delivered clear, measurable improvements across both the hardware and the app. By identifying friction points early, we significantly improved the onboarding success rate before launch. These insights shaped the final design decisions for both the device and the app, resulting in a more polished and user‑centered experience.

The diary format was especially valuable because it captured the nuances of long‑term, real life use. We uncovered confusion around alerts, data interpretation, and feature discovery. As a result this helped us simplify communication and improve the clarity. Emotional responses revealed user expectations, frustrations and potential for growth. The study exposed pain points in pairing and using the hardware with the app. It highlighted opportunities to build trust and increase perceived value. These findings became the foundation for a more intuitive and dependable experience.

5. Outcome

The diary study provided the depth and realism we needed to refine the product before release. We uncovered issues that would have remained invisible in traditional testing. Ultimately shaping a smoother, more trustworthy hardware-app experience.

Results showed us contextual tips to help users understand alerts and insights.

Define the problem

Prepare research goals & diary study plan

Recruit participants & prepared study materials

Run the diary study & support the participants

Collect and analyze qualitative & quantitative data

Synthesize insights & share recommendations