| Title |
Notes from 10 June 2013 Meeting |
| Content |
Attendees
8
Usability Testing for Mobile Services
Stephen Francoeur led off the meeting with a presentation about test environment options for mobile usability tests ( handout).
Boosting Audio in Test Recordings
We talked about apps, software, and hardware to improve the quality and volume of recordings made with external mics:
Other Tools for Mobile Usability Testing
Test Considerations
We talked a bit about the pros and cons of letting the test participants use their own devices vs. making them use one we provided.
User provides their own device
- Pros: It's what the test participant really uses. Comfort level for the user.
- Cons: Unpredictable in test environment (e.g., user may have problems with wifi access and let their frustration with that color the test experience that is supposed to focus on the site). Less likely you'll be able to easily record the screen (hardware/software may be incompatible with your recording setup).
Test facilitator provides the device
- Pros: Can make sure device doesn't have any unexpected tech problems. Test facilitator can spend time in advance of testing figuring ideal way to record screen (and audio).
- Cons: Harder to ensure a diversity of devices mobile OSes get tested for your mobile service or site.
We also talked about the challenge of testing a mobile service in a web ecosystem that isn't 100% optimized for mobile (a mobile database search may lead to a SFX menu, a publisher journal page, an ILL page, or an e-reserves site that isn't mobile friendly). Special care may be necessary when designing tasks to test so that these incursions of the non-mobile web world are minimized or eliminated.
What incentives work in luring test participants was also discussed. Gift cards/certificates for places like Subway, Starbucks, campus bookstores, etc. are usually attractive. Be prepared for pushback from some IRBs, though, who might feel that an incentive is so generous that it is effectively paying for participation. Amounts for gift card incentives ranged from $5-$15.
We also talked about how to move from test findings to actual design changes. One suggestion is to ask test participants to rate the difficulty of each task on a scale of 1-5. Combining that score with the task success score can help identify what needs to be done first.
Some test participants may rush through tests because they feel pressured by the face-to-face experience; a remote usability test via a Google+ hangout is a way to get around that problem.
Next Meeting
It was agreed that we should skip having a meeting in July and instead poll CUNY librarians about having the next meeting on Monday, August 5. A number of today's attendees weren't sure about August 5 either. A poll will go out shortly on Doodle to gauge interest in an August 5 meeting.
We also were unsure about what specific topic to address at our next meeting. One idea that most seemed to think worth doing was to have people report back on mobile-tech presentations they heard at upcoming conferences. |
