TL;DR
A routine walkthrough films a real daily routine step by step, on camera, in the participant's own space. This template covers goals, on-camera product use, what earns a permanent place in the routine versus what gets dropped, recurring frustrations, and a co-created ideal version. Use the plain-text template at the end to run this study AI-moderated across any routine-based category.
What routine walkthrough research actually tells you
Stated routines and actual routines rarely match. People round up, skip the boring parts, and describe an idealized version of what they do.
A routine walkthrough closes that gap by filming the routine as it happens. Participants narrate each step as they do it: what they apply, how much, why, and how it feels. That live narration surfaces the real order of steps, the ones that get skipped or combined, and the reasoning behind product choices that never comes out in a standard interview.
The output is a step-by-step behavioral record, not a self-report, paired with reflection on what earns a product its place and where the routine still frustrates.
What this template covers
Fifteen questions across one section, structured around a single filmed walkthrough.
Establish the goals the routine is trying to achieve
Film the routine step by step, product by product
Identify the irreplaceable product and the one that got dropped
Surface frustrations, then co-create an ideal version
Question three is the core of the study. Participants film themselves performing the routine in real time, holding each product label to the camera and narrating quantity, technique, and feel. The moderator observes application method, wait times, and space constraints without ever prompting for brand names.
Questions four and five use a keep-versus-drop contrast to surface what makes a product earn a permanent place versus what gets quietly abandoned. Questions twelve and thirteen close with a co-creation exercise, asking participants to design their own ideal routine rather than just critiquing the current one.
How to set up this study for your category
A few stetup rules:
Confirm the participant can film in the relevant space (bathroom, kitchen, workspace) before fielding, since the walkthrough depends on it
Keep the entire conversation brand-free. Ask participants to describe product type and format rather than naming brands; this keeps the focus on the job each product does
Build in time for the full walkthrough. This is the longest single question in the guide and should not be rushed
Where routine walkthrough research goes wrong
Three failure modes to watch for:
Letting the walkthrough become a narration-only exercise. The value is in observing actual technique, quantity, and order, not just listening to a description. Push for the participant to actually perform the routine while filming.
Naming brands too early. Once a brand enters the conversation, the discussion shifts to brand preference rather than the job each product does. Keep it generic throughout.
Treating every frustration as equally important. Not every pain point undermines confidence in the routine. Always weigh how much each one actually bothers the participant day to day.
Running routine walkthroughs with Conveo
Conveo's AI moderator guides participants through the on-camera walkthrough in real time, prompting them to hold labels up to the camera, narrate the quantity and technique, and flag any discomfort as it arises.
Follow-up depth adjusts automatically, deep-diving on the walkthrough itself and the keeper-versus-dropped contrast, moving quickly through simpler questions
Video footage is analyzed alongside the transcript, so application technique and product handling are captured as data, not just described
Thematic analysis surfaces recurring frustrations and unmet needs across participants without manual coding
Want to see how this template runs inside Conveo?
