Remote usability testing

Reviewer: Dagobert Soergel

The authors report on SunSoft and Hewlett Packard's usability testing at remote sites using tools developed for computer-supported collaborative work. These tools include window/application sharing, which allows the evaluator to observe every move the remote user makes; “shared whiteboard” tools, which allow the remote user and the evaluator to exchange messages by writing to the same window and to capture the screen to that window at any time; and computer-based video conferencing. A special case is the collaborative storyboard walkthrough, in which the user interacts with mock-up interface screens while conversing with the evaluator. The paper is clearly written; well-chosen examples illustrate the techniques. However, the summary, which speaks to the importance of remote usability testing in obtaining the cooperation of real users, should have been at the beginning. The paper is useful to anybody involved in software evaluation as an introduction to the topic. It whets one's appetite but, unfortunately, does not give pointers to the more technical literature needed to actually implement the techniques. One useful further reading is Ishii et al. [1].