cultural probes

Cultural probes are research tools used to gather insights about people's lives, habits, and feelings. They typically involve giving participants creative tasks—like diaries, photos, or questionnaires—to explore their daily experiences. The goal is to understand users' perspectives in a detailed, nuanced way that formal interviews might not capture. This approach encourages individuals to share personal stories and context, providing designers or researchers with rich, authentic information to inform the development of products, services, or environments. Essentially, cultural probes help uncover the underlying motivations and cultural factors shaping people's behaviors.