[Sigia-l] Re: Sigia-l Digest, Vol 11, Issue 36

[Tito Sierra]

Hello Fu-Tien,

At NCSU Libraries we have a usability lab set up with Morae  
software.  You can learn more about our lab setup here:
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/usability/lab-description.html

Our experience with Morae has been positive.  The hardware and  
software requirements for this software are reasonable so you  
shouldn't have to make a huge start-up investment in these areas.  A  
new mid-range PC from Dell should be enough for a basic setup.  You  
can recycle existing PCs for remote access features.

There are some advanced data collection features in Morae (keyboard  
input, screen text), but the real value I've found is in the  
integrated tools for splicing together usability recordings from  
different tests into a single highlight video.  If a goal of your  
usability lab investment is to increase awareness of usability issues  
in your organization, this is a very useful feature.

As for the future, I expect to see more usability testing happening  
*outside* the lab setting.  For example, you can install Morae on a  
laptop with a basic webcam and do "onsite" usability testing.  Rather  
then bring participants into your lab, why not go to them instead?

For organizations that have an especially difficult time recruiting a  
targeted audience for their tests, I would think remote usability  
testing would be an increasingly popular option as well.  In this  
scenario a small piece of software would run on the remote testing  
computer to record activity and stream it to other remote "viewers".   
The interaction between test facilitator and participant could be  
mediated via onscreen video conference or via telephone.

Tito

> Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:26:10 -0700
> From: Fu-Tien_Chiou at capgroup.com
> Subject: [Sigia-l] Planning and design for usability testing
>     facilities
> To: Sigia-l at asis.org
> Message-ID:
>     <OFA02707B0.45C6B2E8- 
> ON88257066.005918C5-88257066.005A4967 at capgroup.com>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
>
> Hello there,
>
> We are planning usability testing facilities; including 2 labs and  
> a focus
> group room, for our web and other internal applications.  I would  
> like to
> get your advice on that.
>
> With the technologies, both the web and testing equipment, evolving so
> rapidly, where do you see usability testing will be in, say, 5  
> years?  What
> do we need to be mindful of?  I have visited/used quite a few  
> commercial
> facilities in the past.  However, most of them are focus group  
> rooms made
> into testing labs.  What institution(s) has the most up-to-date
> (state-of-the-arts) testing facilities that you consider?  About  
> testing
> software, has anyone experienced Techsmith's Morae?
>
> Any input on testing facilities, equipments (hardware and software),
> process and anything you can think of are welcome.  Thank you in  
> advance
> for your help.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Fu-Tien Chiou
> Sr. Information Architect
> American Funds Web Group
> LAO | 99460 | Outside: 213-486-9460
>