Until recently, neither scenario was possible for testing focused on mobile devices. In many moderated remote testing scenarios focusing on desktop and laptop PCs, researchers can easily view a live video stream of the participant’s computer screen or conversely, the remotely located participant can control the researcher’s PC from afar. Due to the unique challenges of testing mobile devices, the tools currently available on the market still struggle to meet all the needs of remote mobile usability tests. Third, mobile devices are, by their nature, wireless, meaning reduced speed and reliability when transferring data. Second, the tactile interaction with mobile devices cannot be tracked and captured as readily as long-established mouse and keyboard interactions. ![]() First, operating systems vary widely-and change rapidly-among the mobile devices on the market. In addition to the limitations of common remote usability testing tools, other unique challenges are inherent in tests with mobile devices. Unique Challenges of Testing on Mobile Devices Options were limited to impromptu methods such as resizing a desktop browser to mobile dimensions, or implementing the “ laptop hug” technique where users are asked to turn their laptop around and use the built-in web cam to capture their interactions with a mobile device for the researcher to observe. Similar tools designed specifically for mobile platforms just haven’t been available until fairly recently.Īs a result, researchers have traditionally been forced to shoehorn remote functionality into their mobile test protocols. However, many of the mobile versions of the tools commonly used in desktop remote testing (for example, GoToMeeting and WebEx) don’t support screen sharing on mobile devices. With mobile experiences increasingly dominating the UX field, it seems natural that UX researchers would want to expand their remote usability testing capabilities to mobile devices. Remote Usability Testing with Mobile Devices + Decreased costs may allow for more participants + Increased access to diverse participant sample – Sometimes difficult to establish rapport – Restricted view of participant body language + No participant travel to and from the labĭiminished Participant-Researcher Interaction + Ability to conduct global research from one location – Greater exposure to hardware variability ![]() – Increased reliance on quality of Internet connection + Decreased need for lab and/or equipment rental + Less travel and fewer travel-related expenses – Difficult to control testing environment (distractions) – Inherent latency in participant/moderator interactions + More naturalistic environment real-world use case Table 1 Benefits and drawbacks of remote usability testing Benefits of Remote Testing In deciding whether a remote usability test is right for a particular project, researchers must consider the benefits the methodology affords as well as the drawbacks. Web conferencing software and screen sharing tools have made initiating a moderated remote test on a PC as simple as sharing a link. Researchers can use today’s internet to communicate with participants in a richer and more flexible way than ever before. Remote user research has come a long way since this time. Qualitative remote user testing was also conducted, but the research was asynchronous-users were prompted with pre-formulated questionnaires and researchers reviewed their responses afterward. ![]() These studies were almost exclusively automated and were neither moderated nor observed in real-time. The first remote usability evaluations of computer applications and websites were conducted in the late 1990s. ![]() Moderated remote usability testing consists of a usability evaluation where researchers and participants are located in two different geographical areas. This article discusses our findings and recommendations for practitioners conducting similar tests. We took a closer look at several of the tools and methods currently available for remote mobile testing and put them to the test in a real world usability study. Even though mobile devices continue to proliferate, testing mobile interactions remotely has only recently become technologically possible. The ability to run tests from a distance has undoubtedly broadened the horizons of many a UXer and strengthened the design of many interfaces. In recent years, remote usability testing of user interactions has flourished.
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