Pre-conference workshop

Remote usability testing

Dick Horst, Dustin Chambers

With the widespread use of high-speed Internet connections and multiple communications channels in the home as well as work settings, it has become feasible to conduct usability testing “remotely,” without the need for the test administrator and test participant to be in the same place at the same time. Broadly speaking, there are two types of remote usability testing – moderated (same time, different place) and un-moderated (different time, different place). This workshop will demonstrate various approaches to both types of remote testing and will provide a forum for sharing best practices. The goals will be to expose attendees to the range of possibilities for remotely gathering feedback on web or desktop user interfaces and user experiences, to show example infrastructures for supporting remote testing, and to discuss alternatives for designing and implementing remote tests. We will share examples and insights from our own remote studies and hope to likewise learn from the attendees’ relevant experiences. We hope this presentation will both enlighten those practitioners who have not yet tried remote usability testing and provide a forum for sharing tips and best practices among those who have.

This workshop will involve a combination of lecture, hands on exercises, video clips, and group discussion. Topics to be covered include:

• Typical situations in which one might choose to conduct usability testing remotely
• The types of web-based services that support remote testing, both moderated and un-moderated
• How naturally the test administrator and remotely located test participant can interact during a typical moderated testing session
• Typical measures that result from moderated and un-moderated remote usability testing
• The range of prototypes that can be tested remotely (e.g., wireframes, static design comps, and prototypes with partial and full functionality)
• Some pros and cons of remote usability testing
• Some best practices for implementing remote usability testing