Agile mobile testing device
The b-i UX team attended the 6th Euro IA Summit which took place in Paris last weekend. This event gathers a large number of experts from the information architecture and user experience community in Europe. Design and usability issues regarding mobile devices were the hot topic this year, and we would like to share some of the smart recommendations we took away from the event.
The session about Mobile Usability testing by Belen Barros Pena, a senior interaction designer from the UK, was particularly interesting because it was not only based on theory : she gave us very practical tips on how to conduct and record mobile usability testing.
She addressed the following questions and issues:
- Do we test mobile phone applications and websites in the lab or in the field – meaning the actual user environment?
- It’s very easy to record screen and the facial expressions of the user when testing a website or application on a desktop. But for mobile app tests, it’s much more challenging. So how do we record mobile screens, fingers and user facial expressions when using a mobile device?
Marketed mobile testing solution: too heavy for the user
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 Device used by Nielsen Norman group: the user has to keep his mobile on the table within the square |
Well, Belen’s answer to the first question is rather clear: testing the mobile phone in the field is more complex and time-consuming. It’s difficult to record what’s happening on the screen when users move in their natural environment. When testing a particular application, working in a lab makes it easier to catch what happens on the screen and the user’s actions/reactions. Field testing also requires double the time of lab testing.
The answer to the 2nd question is that for recording the mobile screen and the user, the best solution is to build your own system:
- It’s cheaper: the manufactured lab solutions are very expensive.
- It’s lighter and allows the user freedom with movements: the ready-made labs appear to be too heavy for the user during the test session. Alternatively, users have to use their mobile sitting at a table and must keep it within the camera range.
- It’s easy to fix: should the home-made solution break down, it is easier to fix as you built it, and are familiar with the components.
I took some pictures of the device made by Belen for recording mobile screens during user test sessions. The photos below show Julia and Nicolas (UX consultants at b-i) trying it out with their own phones:
The device is very light and allowed Julia and Nicolas to use their mobile very easily, even with the camera which is used for recording the screen. The phone support can be adapted to different sizes and styles of phones.
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