Book Image

Remote Usability Testing

By : Inge De Bleecker, Rebecca Okoroji
Book Image

Remote Usability Testing

By: Inge De Bleecker, Rebecca Okoroji

Overview of this book

Usability testing is a subdiscipline of User Experience. Its goal is to ensure that a given product is easy to use and the user's experience with the product is intuitive and satisfying. Usability studies are conducted with study participants who are representative of the target users to gather feedback on a user interface. The feedback is then used to refine and improve the user interface. Remote studies involve fewer logistics, allow participation regardless of location and are quicker and cheaper to execute compared to in person studies, while delivering valuable insights. The users are not inhibited by being in a new environment under observation; they can act naturally in their familiar environment. Remote unmoderated studies additionally have the advantage of being independent of time zones. This book will teach you how to conduct qualitative remote usability studies, in particular remote moderated and unmoderated studies. Each chapter provides actionable tips on how to use each methodology and how to compensate for the specific nature of each methodology. The book also provides material to help with planning and executing each study type.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
Dedication
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
8
What to Consider When Analyzing and Presenting the Study Results
Index

Running the study


For the most part, running the study means executing the sessions. However, part of running an efficient and effective study is redirecting when needed; this can mean aborting a session when necessary, or deciding not to run certain sessions if they are not going to add any value. 

 

 

Running the sessions

The moderator runs the session, yet the entire support team must be on deck behind the scenes; the technician must be available, in case something technical goes wrong during the session; for instance, if the moderating software crashes or the internet connection becomes unstable. The schedule organizer must be in contact with the moderator and observers, to inform them of last-minute participant changes.

When to abort a session

We already covered examples of when a session cannot be run or completed (for example, due to technical difficulties). There will be other times when it may be better to abort the session, rather than complete it. These situations can occur in spite...