Remote Moderated Usability Testing & Tools
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The document discusses the importance and various methods of remote usability testing, emphasizing the need to understand users' perspectives to ensure effective design. It outlines different research methodologies, tools, and strategies for conducting user research remotely, including moderated and unmoderated testing. Additionally, it highlights the roles of researchers and the advantages of different tools and techniques in facilitating user feedback and validating design approaches.
Remote Moderated Usability Testing & Tools
- 1. Remote Usability + Tools Steve Schang Midwood Usability
- 2. “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”
- 3. Why do usability? Watch real users and hear what they have to say Quickly learn what works and what doesn’t Innovate by discovering unmet needs Validate strategy and requirements Reduce risk of project failure and boost ROI But user research is more than just usability….
- 4. Poll
- 5. User Research Across Product Design • Develop empathy for users • Understand user context • Identify and articulate unmet needs Strategic – Assess the real world environment of users • Quickly gather user feedback • User data accelerates and focuses idea generation • Early validation of design direction Innovation – Ensure user perspective is include in idea generation • Simulate real world tasks • Observe what works and does not work • Use data to fix UI problems before development • User data informs marketing and operational support groups Tactical – Make sure the designs work with users Traditional focus of usability research. This underutilizes the broad skillset of experienced researchers.
- 6. Sample Research Methods Strategic Ethnography Field research Competitive Usability Innovation Participatory Design Innovation Games Rapid Prototyping RITE Tactical Usability testing Remote Usability Eye Tracking Card Sorting These can all be done remote.
- 7. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/which-ux-research-methods/ Research Methods Landscape What people DO What people SAY How many & How much Why & How to Fix Tools in this talk enable these methods.
- 8. Poll
- 9. Moderated vs Unmoderated Moderated • Facilitator skills are critical • Can deep dive on issues • Can redirect at dead ends • Can clarify scenarios, tasks • Longer sessions • More methods available • Richer insights • With new online recruiting and testing tools becoming easier to setup and run Unmoderated • Easy and accessible • Great for short sessions, well defined issues • Ability to do quant • Built in panels • Quality of participants • Everybody is a researcher • Limited by prototype • Can’t redirect • Can’t explore an issue Story time - a tale of unmoderated vs. moderated
- 10. Story time - a tale of unmoderated vs. moderated Let’s build a loan application. MVP. Launch fast and iterate. Usability is important. We need to test. All we have is our unmoderated remote tool. Don’t worry I got this. It’s all I need. Usability looks good. Everyone likes it and can complete the app. We’re getting ready to launch. Let’s do a moderated study to validate.
- 11. 50,000-foot view of the usability process • Goal of test, Scope • Methodology • Goals/hypothesis • Tasks • Participants • Team • Schedule • Deliver and document findings Isn’t all that overkill? I just want to know if that button works. Can’t my designer just set up and run usability test?
- 12. Poll
- 13. Who should do the testing? Bring someone in… • Expertise and experience. • Good for small teams that don’t have dedicated researchers • Outside eyes are objective • Scale up research as needed Use your own team… • Knows the product • This is a double edge sword • Knows the team • Available • Better to test than not to test (but be aware of biases, limitations) Bias in test design and facilitation is a big problem. Garbage in = Garbage out
- 15. Tools in The Process (remote moderated) Planning • Google doc • Word • Dovetail • Miro Recruiting & Scheduling • Respondent • UserInterviews • Calendly • UserZoom Go • UserTesting Conduct sessions • UserZoom • UserZoom Go • UserTesting • Lookback • Zoom, Webex, Teams Analyze & Reporting • Dovetail • UserZoom Go • Miro • Word • PowerPoint • Google Sheets • SharePoint Discussion Guide Facilitation How to write tasks PrototypesTalks for another day…. Tools
- 17. What to look for in a Recruiting service… • Panel attributes (i.e. age, gender, location, technology) • Custom screeners • Double screen or review profile before scheduling • Automatic Scheduling • Outlook and Google calendar integration • Payment options • Multiple, Amazon, Paypal, Venmo • NDAs • Informed consent The goal is to find actual or representative users. Real people not professional test takers.
- 18. Online Panels Respondent.io + Good for recruiting professionals + LinkedIn profile + Hand pick participants from pool of eligible + PayPal incentive - BYOP create account and pay 5% fee. UserInterviews.com + Easy scheduling + Demographic filters + Amazon gift card or use your own payment + Bring your own participants do not need to create an account Integrated Panels + Convenience + Screeners + General consumers - Session length - Professional testers - Participant incentive Don’t forget local market research firms. Bootstrapping? Use your own customer list with Calendly and Zoom.
- 20. Remote testing platform UserZoom + Quant and Qual platform - Expensive - Started off as unmoderated tool - Scheduling UserZoom Go + Purpose built for moderated + Doesn’t require plugin + One link participation + Can chat with participant + Integrated panel + Tagging Usertesting.com + Tasks + Internal panel + General consumers - Purpose built for unmoderated remote - Expensive
- 21. Remote testing platform (cont.) Lookback + Easy to setup + Single link + Inexpensive - Can’t chat with participants Online meeting platforms + Everyone has them + Everyone uses them + Inexpensive + Can chat + Can remote screenshare - Participants can see everyone - Software install
- 22. What to look for • Simple setup for participants (software, plugins, browser) • Participant screenshare, video and audio • Screenshare on mobile device (using app) • Text with participant • Hide observers from participant • Text with observers • Note taking, tagging • Tasks • Single URLs for testers and observers • Transcription
- 25. Miro • Everything in one place • Collaborative • Visual – maintain context • Written notes
- 26. Dovetail • Analysis tool • Research repository • Tagging feature for analysis • Use data from any platform • Videos • Transcripts • Feedback forms • Surveys There are other qual analysis tools. Don’t forget paper, Word docs, and spreadsheets
- 28. Midwood Usability • User research and UX design • Est. 2011 • Based in Charlotte, NC • We work anywhere. • Expertise • Financial services • Qualitative user research • Group facilitation • IA & UX design • Web accessibility We customize our approach based on how your team works.
- 29. About Us Steve Schang 20+ years, experience in usability, IA, and UX design. Expertise in remote usability testing and rapid prototyping. Christina Lall 13 years experience in UX design, IA, and usability. Advanced training in WCAG accessibility standards. CPACC. Tayler Green 3 years experience in usability, UX design, IA, and content strategy. Recently MA from Clemson University, with a focus on usability and design.