Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems

Chapter 14. Teleportation made easy

Remote testing: fast, cheap, and slightly out of control

What am I working on?Uhh…. I’m working on something that willchange the world, and human life as we know it.

—SETH BRUNDLE (JEFF GOLDBLUM), IN THE FLY

Remote testing is a simple idea: instead of bringing the users to you, you go to them—electronically. Instead of looking at the screen over the participant’s shoulder, you use screen sharing. And instead of conversing face to face, you talk on the phone (or via VOIP).

I first did remote testing 15 years ago. With no screen sharing software, I had to imagine what the user was doing—based on what he said while thinking aloud—and try to duplicate his actions on my computer so I could follow along. As you ...