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      Figure 2.2

      The Adobe Acrobat Connect session window: the big window is the user’s screen, and the smaller windows, from top to bottom, are the user’s webcam (optional), the participant list (including observers), chat, and notes.

Preparing for a Real Study

      So now you know what you need for a basic study: computer, high-speed Internet, phone, and some screen sharing software. Now let’s back up and talk more in detail about the function of each tool.

      Screen Sharing

      Usually, the hardest part of remote research is getting your users to successfully share their screen with you—that includes both obtaining their consent and getting them to set up the screen sharing tool. As with so many technical pursuits, the more attention you give to the setup ahead of time, the easier your life will be when you actually start calling people.

      First, know this: about 15–30% of all the remote sessions you attempt to set up will fail for one reason or another (see Chapter10, “The Challenges of Remote Testing,” for more details on the kinds of challenges you’ll encounter). That’s just the wild world of the Internet, and this is why a lot of the articles on remote testing focus on the nuts and bolts of conducting sessions; a few years will have to pass before the technical details become less ofa pain.

      Choosing the right screen sharing tool can be overwhelming when you’re not familiar with the pros and cons of each tool. Most practitioners who do lots of remote testing eventually choose one tool and stick with it, but you should try a couple before figuring out which one works for you (most offer free trials). Broadly, the most important considerations for a screen sharing tool are its compatibility and ease of setup for both the moderator and the participant. Browser and OS compatibility have a big impact on whom you’ll be able to talk to, and you probably don’t want to arbitrarily limit your recruiting pool by who can run your screen sharing software (unless the interface you’re testing happens to be platform specific, too, in which case it doesn’t matter). You want to make the setup process as quick and smooth as possible so that you don’t prolong the session or frustrate the user with tedious instructions.

      For platform versatility, you can’t beat browser-based screen sharing solutions like Connect, GoToMeeting, and LiveLook, since they only require users to run a fairly recent browser, and the OS doesn’t matter. The only minor downside is that these solutions currently require users to have a Java-enabled browser; most are, but if some users don’t have it, having them set it up can be time-consuming, and they may not even want to.

      The solutions that aren’t browser based are often the ones that require users to download and run an executable file or have a certain program installed (Skype, iChat). Downloading and installing files can be a security issue for users who are behind corporate firewalls, as well as a trust issue for users who don’t like the idea of installing things at the command of a voice on the other end of a telephone. If you decide to use screen sharing software that requires any heavy installation or user registration, you’ll probably want to arrange in advance for your users to dothat.

      If you plan on having people observe your sessions remotely, screen sharing features may make that a lot easier. Most tools limit the number of observers; make sure that yours can support as many as you need. A handful of tools enable chatting between the observers and moderator, which is handy, but the participant should always be excluded from the chat, to keep distraction to a minimum. If it’s not possible to block the participant from the chat, you can use an instant messaging service to chat with clients behind the scenes.

      On a final practical note, there’s cost to consider. Pricing structures differ from tool to tool but generally fall into a handful of categories. Adobe Connect and GoToMeeting offer subscription plans, which are best if you intend to conduct multiple usability testing sessions over the development of your interface (which we encourage), and they also offer free trials if you just plan on doing a one-off study. Tools like Skype (for international calls) charge just a few cents a minute, which is cost effective if you don’t plan on conducting usability studies regularly, but they make you buy a set number of minutes in advance. Watch out for additional charges you’ll incur if the screen sharing lacks a particular feature you need; for instance—LiveLook currently lacks support for observers to listen in on sessions, so you’d have to pony up for a conference call service, which can be pricey. And if you’re using your phone to dial internationally instead of a voice chat service like Skype, watch those long-distance charges.

      For the full story on the state of remote research tools, check out Chapter 8. For now, Table 2.1 provides a quick comparison of some handy screen sharing solutions.

      Table 2.1 Screen Sharing Tools at a Glance (Circa Mid-2009)*