Early in usability, getting a broad base for testing was nearly impossible without extensive travel. Today there are many cloud-based, software as service tools that offer usability professionals a quick and (mostly) inexpensive means to reach the world. Why use one versus another? What are the cultural gotchas? We'll share our experiences and listen to yours as well.

1. Tool Time 2
REMOTE TESTING TOOLS
YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Michael Rawlins, President, Connecticut UPA
Kath Straub, Usability.org
June, 2011

2. About Us
“...sometimes tools are like social
currency -- something to share, a way to
start a dialog and discourse...”
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3. Why this topic
• Agility...
• Shrinking budgets
• Stakeholders need proof ‘earlier’
• Curiosity...
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4. Why explore new tools?
• Time to market – an increasing issue for
product development
• A flood of new web-based tools over the
past three years
• Level-set - The traditional lab is not
dead... Perhaps newly augmented by
leaner tools

5. Proof...
“Your Canary in the Coal mine...”
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6. Session Goals...
• Types of tools
• Significance in the development lifecycle
• Where best to apply
• We’ll leave a lot of time for Q&A...
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7. Choice... but no loyalty?
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8. 5 types of tools
• Heat Mapping
• Click location – recording the user clicks and creating a visual
activity map
• Screen Recording
• Tracking individual users – and creating a video for their session
• User Testing
• User testing tools that simulate traditional tasked based testing
tools
• User Feedback
• Tools that provide ability to solicit direct feedback from users
• Collaborative Peer Review
• Tools that provide ability to solicit direct feedback from UX peers

9. Heat Mapping Tools
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10. Screen Recording Tool

11. User Testing Tools

12. User Feedback Tools

13. Peer Reviews
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14. iPad apps
Intuition HQ
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15. iPad Apps...
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16. Pros…
• Try & buy model
• Inexpensive to engage
• Less invasive to users environment
• Inspires innovation (example: crowd
sourcing participates…)
• Produces credible results
• Creators expect user feedback to drive
the product

17. Cons…
• Control of the users environment
• No facial expressions
• Software not mature

18. Four Business Cases...
• Is the design directionally correct?
• How would a larger sampling users
respond to this design?
• Prove it too me in real-time!
• I need answers by the end of today!
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19. Directionally Correct?
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20. Larger Sample Says?
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21. Prove it Now!
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22. Findings on Demand...
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23. Agility & Transparency
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24. Great Reference Material…

25. Great Reference Material…

26. Great Reference Material…

27. Examples
• A/B testing
• Expectancy Test
• Mental Model
• First Impressions
• Baselining
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28. What’s Next...
• Dive right in
• Push the software creators
• Experiment, innovate & explore...
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29. You can contact us:
Questions… michael.rawlins@gmail.com
kath@usability.org

30. Thank you…