For research to drive real change, it needs to reflect what users meant, not just what they did.
That’s where rich, thick description in qualitative research adds depth. It provides context, emotion, and meaning. And it helps your team see the bigger picture, so you can build better products with more confidence.
Capturing that level of detail takes work, but it doesn’t have to slow you down. In fact, it can be significantly faster with Marvin.
Our AI-powered research assistant helps you capture and interpret unfiltered insights, so every decision stays customer-centered.
Create a free Marvin account and turn the raw feedback it captures into thick descriptions. Faster, clearer, and always in context.
What Is Thick Description?
Thick description is a way to describe user behavior in rich, detailed context.
American anthropologist Clifford Geertz coined the term in a 1973 essay, “Interpretation of Cultures.” Originally, it was used to explain how small actions carry deep cultural meaning.
But Geertz’s concept of thick description idea naturally applies to user behavior. Therefore, product and UX research use it to explain why users act as they do.
Instead of transcribing what a user said or did, you try to explain what it meant to them. The thick details may include:
- Where it happened
- Who else was involved
- What led up to it
- How they felt
When noting these, you can also write down the respondent’s tone, pauses, or body language. The goal isn’t to add fluff. You want to give enough detail so that someone else could almost step into that user’s shoes.
The Role of Thick Description in Qualitative Studies
When you add thick description details, you start to see the patterns behind people’s choices. You can move past surface-level insights and uncover what users actually care about.
The role of thick description in qualitative studies comes down to:
- Translating messy human actions into meaning: Context can change everything, and thick description captures it. Connecting what users say, do, and need is especially useful when designing for different environments or user types.
- Making research easier to understand for others: A short quote or summary might miss the point. Thick description gives everyone a shared understanding and turns abstract behavior into something clear, relatable, and actionable.
- Supporting better design decisions during iteration: Even long after research ends, revisiting a rich scene can spark new ideas or reveal overlooked needs. It provides a clarity that improves design trade-offs and reduces the risk of guesswork.
Essential Characteristics of Thick Description
Thick description doesn’t apply to every line in an interview. It’s not about writing everything down. Instead, you highlight the moments that matter, where behavior, context, and meaning come together.
To do that well, you need the following key ingredients.
Context-Rich Details
These details include the setting, background, and conditions around the user’s actions. You describe what’s happening before, during, and after the behavior. That includes tools they use, people nearby, or even small environmental cues.
If a user struggles to complete a checkout flow, you’d want to know:
- Were they in a hurry?
- Were they using a phone in poor light?
- Had they just had a failed payment?
These surrounding details give the action meaning. Without context, it’s just a button click.
User Perspective
You aim to understand and represent the user’s point of view, not just what you think happened. That means listening to how they explain their own choices.
When a user says, “I didn’t trust that screen,” that tells you something about their mental model.
You’re not guessing their motives. You’re showing how they make sense of the experience. This helps you spot friction that data alone might hide.
Cultural or Social Meaning
Geertz’s idea of thick description emerged from cultural analysis and emphasized this kind of context. Meaning depends on cultural signals.
That’s why, even in UX research, thick description looks at how social norms, identity, or habits influence behavior. These might be quiet or invisible unless you look for them.
For instance, imagine users’ hesitation to invite coworkers to a shared workspace.
The thick description notes that they lowered their voice, avoided eye contact, and used hesitant words. They also mentioned role hierarchy, team expectations, or fear of making a mistake.
All these signal what they believe is “okay” to do. Here, thick description shapes the idea that unwritten rules about workplace boundaries cause their hesitation. It’s not the interface itself.
Specific and Concrete Examples
Vague summaries don’t count. Thick description uses real quotes, scenes, or moments to show meaning in action.
You might write, “The user hesitated, re-read the error message twice, and shook their head.” That says more than “The error message was confusing.”
These small, specific moments help others feel what the user felt. Consequently, you can design with that emotion in mind.
Interpretation, Not Just Description
Thick description blends what you observed with your thoughtful interpretation of what it means. You describe behavior clearly, then explore what values, needs, or expectations might have shaped it.
This doesn’t mean you invent meaning. You base it on what users said and did. But you go beyond the obvious to show what that behavior reveals. Your interpretation helps others apply the insight in design decisions.
How to Achieve Thick Description in Qualitative Research
From how you frame your question to how you write up your findings, everything matters. Follow the steps below to create thick, meaningful descriptions that help your team truly understand your users.
Step 1: Define a Clear Focus Before You Begin
Start with a specific research question that helps you zoom in on behavior worth studying.
For example, if you want to learn why users drop off during onboarding, don’t just observe the whole product experience.
Focus your notes on that moment in their journey. With a clear question, you’ll know what kind of details to write down and which ones to leave out.
Step 2: Collect Data That Captures Context
When you observe users or run interviews, look beyond their actions. Notice where they are, what they’re doing, what else is happening around them, and how they react.
Let’s say a user abandons a form. Write down what happened right before.
Were they distracted? Were there any delays? What did their tone or face show?
These small things add context to the action, and context is what makes your data thick.
Step 3: Prompt Reflection During the Experience
Instead of waiting until the end, ask short, thoughtful questions as users move through tasks. This helps you understand what they’re thinking in real time rather than what they remember later.
You might ask, “What made you choose that?” or “What were you expecting here?”
Their answers help you link action to intention. That link is key to writing a thick, clear description later on.
Step 4: Write Up Observations as Full Scenes
After the session, go beyond the bullet points. Rebuild the moment like a scene in a film. Use the user’s exact words. Include the pause before they spoke, the frown when they hesitated, and what happened right before and after.
That’s what helps others feel what the user experienced, not just know what they did. To make this easier, mark moments during the session and do a short debrief right after. Then revisit the transcript to fill in the rest.
As overwhelming as this step might feel, Marvin can make it smooth. Our AI-powered research assistant speeds up transcription, tags key moments, and finds patterns for you.
Create a free Marvin account today. Use the AI workflows to automate your analysis and free yourself for writing the thick descriptions.
Step 5: Add Interpretation Grounded in Evidence
Now that you’ve described the behavior, it’s time to explore its meaning. Use your observations and quotes to suggest what values, fears, or expectations shaped the experience.
For instance, a user said, “I usually skip tutorials, I like figuring things out myself.” Your interpretation might explain how autonomy shapes their approach to new tools.
The essential point is to always ground your conclusions in what the user said or showed. That balance between detail and meaning is what makes thick description useful and trustworthy.
Step 6: Share Your Thick Description Where It Matters Most
Usually, thick description lives inside a larger UX research report, but it can also stand alone.
You might include it in a Findings section, under a theme like “Why users hesitate to upgrade.” Or you could feature it as a user story in a presentation.
If it’s powerful, even a one-paragraph scene can make your insights hit harder.
As for whom to share it with, think about who needs to see it. You could:
- Share it with designers so they can build with more empathy.
- Hand it off to product managers to guide roadmap decisions.
- Pull a key quote for a stakeholder slide.
- Turn it into a highlight clip for teams who don’t have time to read.
The value of thick description is in its ripple effect. You’re not just documenting user behavior. You’re making it impossible to ignore.
Thick Description in Qualitative Research Examples
Whether convincing a developer or nudging a VP, thick description gives you the ammunition. To prove this, let’s build on the previous points and show you examples of thick description in different forms.
For context, the research question that led to the following thick description examples was:
“Why do users drop off during onboarding for our productivity app?”
Below are a few ways to turn one thick observation into different, high-impact formats.
UX Research Report Excerpt Example
“The participant hovered over the ‘Import Tasks’ button but didn’t click it. He narrowed his eyes, exhaled through his nose, then asked aloud, ‘Is this going to break what I already have?’ He had just mentioned using another app for five years. He ended the session without importing anything.”
This excerpt paints a full scene. You see hesitation, emotion, and history. In a report, this would support a theme such as “Trust barriers in first-time use.”
Stakeholder Slide Quote Example
“Is this going to break what I already have?” — User, longtime task app customer
This short, sharp quote pulls emotion into a slide deck. It grabs attention and makes the risk feel real. Paired with a headline like “Fear of data loss prevents adoption,” it brings urgency to roadmap talks.
Highlight Clip Description Example
Timestamp: 04:17 – User pauses at ‘Import Tasks,’ frowns, and voices concern about losing data. Doesn’t proceed.
In a highlight reel or playlist, this note sets up the context. You’re showing a clip and telling teammates what to look for and why it matters.
Actionable Insight Summary Example
“Some users fear that importing tasks will overwrite their existing setup. This fear is stronger among experienced users who’ve invested time in another system. They need clear reassurance before committing.”
Here, the thick moment becomes a clear takeaway. You link behavior to design impact. This is great for decision makers who want the “so what?” fast.
Overcoming Challenges When Writing Thick Descriptions
Even when your research is solid, writing thick descriptions can feel like staring into a fog. Below are some common hurdles you might hit and smart ways to move past them.
Your Memory Plays Tricks on You
After a session, it’s easy to forget what really stood out. You might remember the tasks but lose the tension, emotion, or body language that gave them meaning.
The key is to write sooner, not better. Get your first messy version down while the moment is still fresh. Then revisit the recording later to fill in the blanks. Think of it as layering. First from memory, then from data.
You’re Drowning in Details
When everything feels important, nothing stands out. It’s tempting to write a full transcript instead of a focused scene.
That’s why you should start with the moment that made you stop and think. What made you say, “Wait, that was interesting?” That’s your anchor. Then build only the context that helps explain that moment.
You Can’t Tell If It’s Thick Enough
Sometimes, your description still feels flat, but you’re not sure why. You’ve written what happened, yet it’s not clicking.
Ask yourself: Could someone else read this and understand what mattered to the user? If not, you may be missing context, emotion, or a clear link to intention. Add just enough of those layers to bring it to life.
You Don’t Know How Much to Interpret
It’s hard to know when to stick to the facts and when to explain the meaning. Go too far, and you’re guessing. Too little, and your insight falls flat.
Use phrases like “This suggests…” or “Based on their response…” to keep your voice grounded. Show your thinking, but always back it up with what the user said or did.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Read these FAQs before writing your thick descriptions in qualitative research:
What Is the Difference Between Thick and Thin Description?
Thin description tells you what happened. Thick description tells you what it meant. If a thin note says, “User clicked exit,” a thick one adds context, emotion, and meaning behind the action.
How Does Thick Description Affect Transferability in Qualitative Research?
Transferability means others can apply your findings in their own setting. Thick description supports transferability in qualitative research by making the user’s context clear.
When you include environment, emotion, and intent, your insights become easier to compare. Others can decide if your findings fit their users or use case.
Which Qualitative Research Designs Rely Most on Thick Description?
Ethnography, case studies, and phenomenological research rely heavily on thick description. These designs explore meaning, experience, or culture in depth. They need detailed scenes, not just data points.
Even in qualitative usability testing, a few thick descriptions can help explain key friction points in real-life context.
Can AI Tools Assist in Developing Thick Descriptions?
Yes, AI can help you capture and organize the raw material for thick description. Tools like Marvin record, transcribe, and highlight key moments in your sessions.
You still write the description yourself, but Marvin speeds up the parts that usually take hours. Everything else feels much easier once you automate transcribing, finding quotes, and tagging themes.
Conclusion
Thick description in research helps you tell the full story. It shows what users did and why it mattered.
That context gives your research more impact and your team better insights. It’s how you move from surface-level notes to decisions backed by real behavior.
But thick description takes time. Reviewing footage, pulling quotes, and writing detailed scenes can slow you down.
That’s where Marvin makes the difference. It captures every key moment so you can focus on writing the thick descriptions.
Our AI-powered research assistant records, transcribes, tags, and organizes your sessions automatically. It empowers product and research teams to capture and interpret customer insights at warp speed.
Create your free Marvin account and use it to write thick descriptions faster and with more accuracy.
