When was the last time you observed someone using a product in the real world? Maybe it was someone figuring out a confusing self-checkout kiosk or struggling to go through a website on their phone. These moments reveal a truth every UX professional knows: to design better experiences, you need to meet users where they are.
Field studies take you beyond the surface and into the heart of the action. So, what is a field study, and why is it such a powerful research method? Let’s explore.
What is a field study?
A field study is a research method that involves observing and interacting with users in their natural environments. This approach allows you to understand how real-world contexts, environments, and constraints affect user behavior, decisions, and challenges.
Unlike lab studies or controlled experiments, these studies immerse the field researcher in the actual settings where users engage with products or services.
So, what is the best time to conduct field studies? Field studies are most valuable if you want to understand how a product fits into the broader context of a user’s daily life. They are also useful when you're in the early design phase or iterating on an existing product. The reason? Observing real-world behaviors can help identify unmet needs, pain points, and opportunities. Plus, field studies can reveal issues that controlled tests might miss.
Related read: A Complete Guide to Product Research in 2025
Types of field studies
Field studies vary based on the goals of the research. Here are some common field research methods:
1. Contextual inquiry
In the contextual inquiry method, researchers observe users and ask questions simultaneously to get deeper into their actions and decisions. Imagine sitting next to someone booking a flight online, asking why they skip certain steps or pause at specific moments.
2. Customer-site visits
Here, researchers visit customers’ workplaces to observe their routines and interview them. Users often lead the session. They show how they use the product in their workflow. For example, visiting a hospital to watch how nurses interact with medical software can highlight unexpected pain points.
3. Ethnography
The ethnographic field study involves immersing yourself in a user’s environment over an extended period. It’s invaluable when cultural context matters. For instance, living in a rural community to understand how farmers use mobile apps for crop management could inspire innovative solutions tailored to their needs.
4. Direct observation
Direct observation is like people-watching, but with a purpose! Researchers observe users in their natural environment without interfering or asking questions. It’s perfect for:
- understanding workflows
- learning user jargon
- spotting clever workarounds
For instance, observing how employees use a point-of-sale system in a busy restaurant might reveal bottlenecks in its design.How to plan a field studyPlanning a field study requires careful thought and preparation. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get started:1. Define your research question
Start with a clear, concise, and specific question. Avoid yes/no answers. So, what type of question allows participants the greatest flexibility in deciding how to answer? Open-ended inquiries! Because they allow for deeper exploration. For example, rather than asking, "Do users like our app?," ask, "How do users navigate our app during high-stress situations?" Then, outline the key variables to study and what data you'll collect. For instance, if you’re researching how users interact with a food delivery app, focus on variables like navigation patterns, time spent on each screen, and pain points in placing an order.2. Identify your research siteChoose a location that reflects where users naturally engage with your product. Why? Because your site should align with the population you're studying and the context of your research. For example:
- If you’re studying an e-commerce platform, the research site could be users’ homes as they browse online.
- For a POS system, visit a bustling retail store to observe staff interactions with the system.
- Testing a commuter app is best done at train stations or bus stops where the app is actively used.
3. Determine your data collection methods
Pick methods that best fit your research goals. For example:
- Observations work well if you're studying how users navigate kiosks in airports
- User interviews can help uncover frustrations users have with a subscription platform
- Field surveys are ideal for gathering standardized feedback
- Document analysis can provide valuable background, like reviewing customer feedback logs for trends
When collecting data, consider using a combination of methods to ensure comprehensive coverage of your research questions. User research tools like Looppanel for recording observations and transcribing interviews can help maintain accuracy and streamline the analysis process.
4. Obtain necessary permissions
Before starting, secure permissions from all relevant authorities and participants. For example, if you’re researching in a hospital, you’ll need approval from hospital management and consent from medical staff.
Always explain the purpose of your study, provide detailed information, and allow participants to withdraw if they choose. For user testing at a public event, get event organizers’ approval and inform participants of their rights.
Examples of field research
Field research comes in many forms and disciplines. Here are a few field study examples:
1. Retail store usability study
Observing customers using self-checkout machines helped identify frustrations, like unclear instructions and poor scanner placement.
2. Transportation app research
Researchers shadowed commuters using a ride-hailing app, uncovering challenges related to GPS accuracy and trip cancellations.
3. Healthcare workflow study
Ethnographers spent time in hospitals to understand how nurses use medical software, leading to interface improvements tailored to their fast-paced environment.
Advantages of field research
Why go through all the effort of a field study? Because the benefits often outweigh the challenges.
- Data is collected in a natural setting. This makes it more authentic and relevant.
- Observing behaviors and interactions as they occur provides a level of detail that lab studies can’t match.
- Field studies can adapt to unexpected findings or situations.
- Combining observation, interviews, and other methods offers a well-rounded perspective.
Disadvantages of field research
While field studies are valuable, they’re not without their downsides:
- Planning, conducting, and analyzing field studies can be costly and time-consuming.
- Observing a small number of participants might not provide statistically significant data.
- Researchers' presence or assumptions can influence findings, making objectivity critical.
- Scheduling, permissions, and accessibility can complicate the process.
However, Looppanel can mitigate these drawbacks through automatic note-taking, thematic tagging, and instant summaries.
Conclusion
Field studies are a powerful tool for understanding users in the context of their real-world interactions. They require careful planning and substantial resources. Plus, the depth of insight they offer can make all the difference in designing products that truly resonate. Whether you're observing customers in a retail store or shadowing commuters using an app, field research helps bridge the gap between user needs and product experiences. Next time you’re brainstorming ways to refine a design, step into the field study with Looppanel! With its solid set of features, you can make field studies more efficient, accessible, and impactful.
Book a demo with Looppanel today to know more!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
1. What is an example of a field study?
A field study could be a UX researcher spending a week at a hospital observing how nurses interact with medical software during their shifts. Another example would be an anthropologist living in a rural community to understand how farmers use mobile banking apps, or a researcher observing customers using self-checkout kiosks at a grocery store. These studies involve collecting data in the actual environment where the activity naturally occurs, rather than in a controlled laboratory setting.
2. What is a field studies course?
A field studies course is an educational program that combines classroom learning with hands-on experience in real-world settings. Students learn research methods and then apply them in actual field conditions. For example, a UX field studies course might teach students how to conduct contextual inquiries, then have them practice by observing and interviewing users in real environments. These courses typically include:
- Theoretical foundations of field research methods
- Practical skills in data collection and analysis
- Experience with research planning and execution
- Ethics and best practices for field research
3. What is a field of study?
A field of study is different from field studies - it refers to an academic discipline or area of specialization. For example, Computer Science, Psychology, or User Experience Design would each be considered a field of study. It's the specific subject area or discipline in which someone specializes their education or research.
4. What type of study is a field study?
A field study is a qualitative research method that involves collecting data in natural, real-world settings rather than controlled environments. It's:
- Observational: Researchers watch and document natural behaviors
- Contextual: Data is gathered in the actual environment where activities occur
- Interactive: Often involves direct engagement with participants
- Naturalistic: Aims to capture authentic behaviors and situations
- Flexible: Can combine multiple data collection methods like observations, interviews, and surveys
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