Mobile App Usability Testing in Singapore in Singapore
In the last several years, I did many mobile app usability testing, from play app to education website, also including smart home appliance. In this article, I will share some experience, hope can help you save time and improve efficiency in real work.
1.About paper prototype
I like a phase that Frank Lloyd Wright said:“Modify draft, you need rubber, while modify the actual product you need sledgehammer.” In the beginning of product, it is a matter of multiplier using paper prototype to communicate with users. However when the tested interface need slide, what should be done?
It is difficult to achieve good effect when presenting a paper prototype containing several screen elements to users at once. You can try making a paper mobile template, as shown below, open a gap in up and below the screen. Insert the interface prototype into the template, thus you can simulate the visual area the user sees on actual device.
2.The limitation of screen share software
Screen share software is very valuable for the smart mobile device, they usually won’t interfere with user’s operation. While apple’s review of such applications is very strict, such as Display Recorder such product can only be used through Cydia, but personally, i don’t hope to jailbreak in order to use. There is actually some screen share software available for Android, but some shortcoming is very obvious.
- Screen share softwares can’t record gesture operations, for example, a user touches screen times in order to click a tiny button, or perform slide operation on the interface.
- Such software has some limitations in terms of performance and resource consumption, and it is difficult to support testing processes that last more than an hour.
- This kind of software usually can only support the behaviour records of one application in a recording process.
- Testing must be done using a tester installed with this type of software, with limited flexibility.
- These software are often not integrated with usability testing tools such as Morae, and off-site observers cannot see real-time recorded images.
- You can not record user facial expressions or verbal statements with this type of software.
As far as I know, there are two iOS applications that can solve some of these problems better. One is the UX Recorder, which not only captures various behaviours on the screen but also captures the user’s gestures (circles for clicks, arrows for swiping, etc.) as well as recording the user’s emotions through the front camera and microphone and voice. However, the biggest problem is that this software can only be used in the browser to test mobile sites, cannot be used in native applications.
Another application is Magitest, which is more useful than UX Recorder in my opinion. It not only records interface behavior, user gestures (currently only supports clicks, I believe they will support more gestures in the future), user emoticons and voice, Most importantly, Magitest has provided a development kit that allows us to test native applications as long as the developers add the relevant code to the prototype of the product under test.
3. Use “sledge”
In addition to using screen recording software to record user behaviour, we can also adopt a more direct and effective solution, the “sledge” device, which is to place a smartphone or tablet on a camera-mounted stand for users test; this device looks like a sleigh.
This method can be a comprehensive record of the actual operation of the user, whether it is the interface or the gesture of the user to perform all the gestures can be panoramic view, and sleigh external camera can be directly on the desktop with the test, observation software integration using, for example, Morae, it can simultaneously support two camera inputs, one on a sled and one to record the user’s facial expression, allowing the off-site observer to see all the testing in real-time.
Many designers use their own sleigh equipment to test, as I myself. There are a few points to note:
Sleds must be light enough to allow users to test with their mobile devices in their hands.
Do not allow the sled to block the device screen, interfering with user testing.
Sleigh size should be able to adapt to a variety of mainstream devices, allowing users to test their own cell phones. Ideally, the sled’s shape and size should be adjustable.
The sled’s shape should allow the user to turn the screen orientation of the device.
The overall sleigh should be strong enough.
- Should not use technical equipment
Prior to the practical experience is focused on the technical aspects, but at some point we still have to advocate away from the technical equipment (except mobile phones and tablets). Mentioned earlier, we recently tested a smoking cessation application designed for pregnant women. To this end, we recruited a group of young mothers who have given birth to the baby to participate in the test. This time the situation is more sensitive, we need to test these users home, rather than asking them to the lab.
In order to create a harmonious atmosphere, so that these users are more willing to communicate and express, I try to make the whole test process seem casual. One of the tests was even conducted on the couch, with the other party holding her 5-month-old child fed with milk in one hand and iPhone for testing. This is obviously not suitable for recording using any video equipment, other technical equipment is also likely to cause interference in this live testing environment.
5. Consider the use of the situation
We all know the importance of mobile context for application design, but the level of importance can vary based on the type of product. Statistics from comScore show that people use the mobile Internet most frequently in the morning and after 8 pm when people are usually at home.
We need to think carefully about where our target users typically use the product. For example, many target users of smoking cessation programs in pregnant women mentioned that they usually spend their time alone at home, using the app on hand. For a travelling application that we have participated in, the target user will be more likely to use the product in a real mobile situation. Understanding the context of a particular product will help us to more specifically test usability.
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