Guide To Mobile UX Research

A Guide to
Mobile User Experience

Research
Written by: Sneha Kanneganti, UX Researcher at UserZoom
www.userzoom.com
A GUIDE TO MOBILE USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Introduction to Mobile Usability ............................................................................ 4

What are Your Options? ................................................................................................................ 5
Becoming Mobile-Friendly ......................................................................................................... 7
Being Mobile-Optimized ............................................................................................................ 8
Creating a Mobile App .............................................................................................................. 9
Using Responsive Design .......................................................................................................... 10
Mobile Usage: Research to Date ........................................................................... 12

Search Behavior ............................................................................................................................ 13
Context of Use .............................................................................................................................. 13
Comparing Tablet vs. Mobile Phone Usage Context ................................................................. 14
Mobile Research: Methods & Tool ....................................................................... 15

Social Sciences Research Methods in Software Engineering ......................................................... 17
Research Methods and Testing Contexts ..................................................................................... 17
Mobile Research Categories ......................................................................................................... 18
Software Development Lifecycle and Mobile Research Methods .................................................. 19
Exploratory or Formative Testing ........................................................................................... . 20
Summative Tests ..................................................................................................................... 22
Validation or Verification Test ................................................................................................. 22
Defining the Right Methods &Tools ............................................................................................ .. 23
2
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Remote Usability Testing ........................................................................................... 24

Why Consider Remote Mobile Research? ....................................................................................... 25
Moderated Remote Usability Testing ............................................................................................. 25
Moderated Remote Usability Testing Tools .............................................................................. 25
Unmoderated Remote Usability Testing ........................................................................................ 27
Unmoderated Remote Usability Testing Tools .......................................................................... 27
Tips for Designing a Mobile Unmoderated Remote Study ................... 29
Mobile Unmoderated Remote Research A Case Study .................... 30

Study Details ................................................................................................................................ 31
Study Design ................................................................................................................................ 31
Study Set-Up ................................................................................................................................ 32
Building the Study in UserZoom ............................................................................................... 32
Collecting Data ......................................................................................................................... 33
Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 34
Main Findings .................................................................................................................................. 34
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 35
3
Introduction to
Mobile Usability
While following current market trends in retail, it is quite
apparent that people are becoming increasingly comfortable
with making online transactions through their mobile devices.
Understanding the statistics and results found when conducting
mobile usability testing could give your organization a huge
advantage; it is very likely that your competitors are riding the
same wave, hoping to create snazzier mobile products and
achieve a bigger bang before you do.
4
Introduction to Mobile Usability
Mobile Internet usage in the US is expected to approach 100% penetration and to reach 50% of total web usage this year (R. Kerr 2. ).
Forrester Research has projected that e-commerce spending in the US will reach $370 billion by 2017, up from $262 billion in 2013.
It makes you wonder, if people are only going to be more dependent on mobile devices for social, personal, business and now spending
needs, wont users just adapt to software and applications created for them by developers? Why should e-commerce businesses
bother with creating positive mobile user experiences (UX)?
To understand why positive user experience and superior usability are essential, one must first understand user behavior. Online
shoppers expect mobile web pages to load in 2 seconds or fewer; hence, after 3 seconds, up to 40% abandon the site (gomez.com,
2010). Users are more demanding about how e-commerce websites behave on their mobile devices and this should give organizations
enough incentive to work towards creating a more usable mobile product.
E-commerce is reshaping the landscape of American retail consumption. Just two years ago, mobile devices were perceived as being
used primarily for "research" that helped in the decision-making process before purchasing from stores. Consumers have transitioned
from buying books & CDs to making more expensive, bold purchases such as furniture and appliances (Rueter, 2013).
It is now apparent that stores will continue to lose larger wallet share to online retailers. It is no surprise that consumer behavior
experts have predicted the death of stores in the battle between "clicks & bricks" (Perlow, 2011). We have seen the retail industry
experience the demise of the book and music businesses, with stores like Borders, Tower Records and Blockbuster being unable to
sustain foot traffic in their premises due to the e-commerce onslaught (Jordan, 2012).
Today consumers carry out diverse tasks and make more complex purchases on their mobile devices and this presents retailers with
an opportunity to extend their consumer reach and rethink the consumer buying experience. Mobile devices present retailers with
direct access to a consumers pocket. Thus, consider mobile devices to be portable show rooms that consumers use to shop from
anywhere, anytime.
5
Growth in Time Spent per Shopping App Category
525%
All Shopping Apps 274%
247% 228% All Apps 132%
178%
126%
Retailer Price Purchase Online Daily

Apps Comparison Assistant Marketplace Deals
Source:Flurry Analytics, n=1,863 apps, December 2011-2012
Figure 1: Rise of the App & Mortar Economy. Courtesy of flurry.com
6
What are Your Options?

If you are shopping for a mobile solution there are many options to choose from. The most common terms mentioned in this context
include mobile-friendly, mobile-optimized, mobile apps and responsive designs. So what are the differences between them?
Mobile-Friendly
HTML sites designed without flash are considered mobile friendly. This enables access to websites on devices that do not support
flash, like the iPhone. A mobile friendly site is viewable on the smartphone by installing a simple plug-in. To view content, a user has
to pinch to view and scroll in all directions. This is cumbersome, yet better than a site that buffers endlessly.
Mobile-friendly sites should:

Be designed and structured differently
from full-flat sites
Load instantly
Support scrolling and zooming for
content viewing
Have greater contrast between
foreground and background to optimally
display text and to accountfor things
like reading in the sunlight
Use images and graphics sparingly
7
Mobile-Optimized
Websites designed specifically for mobile devices are considered "Mobile-optimized". A mobile-optimized site is free of excessive
information and the content is prioritized to what the user needs most. The landing pages are usually clean and concise. More detailed
information is reserved for secondary pages further into the site. Ideally, users have a clear path to actions such as buying,
downloading and submitting.
Mobile-optimized sites should:

Display a search bar for content-heavy mobile sites
Be accessible from every platform and work with software used
on all devices
Do away with scroll, pinch and zoom (mobile-optimized sites
rely on taps to make calls, send emails and to zoom in and out)
Have content and images designed for small screens
Look identical to native applications that help retain brand
identity
Ensure that users are engaged with the site and are designed to
enhance ease of use, so that purchase-related tasks can be
completed relatively easily
8
Mobile Apps
Mobile apps, short for mobile applications, are Internet applications that run on smartphones and mobile devices. Mobile apps help
users connect to Internet services, typically accessed by desktop computers or notebooks, faster and easier. They are designed to
make absolute use of screen real estate. Mobile apps access information from the Internet or sometimes download content without
Internet access.They also take advantage of hardware features like cameras, motion sensors, graphics and GPS catered to the mobile
device.
Mobile apps are Ideal for:

Tasks that require regular usage and are personalized for
individual users
Content and information needed without Internet access
Tasks that are sequential and goal-specific
Quick facts:
Mobile apps can be designed to accomplish specific tasks
through the mobile device
Mobile apps are ideal for use by the mobile devices hardware
and touch capabilities to perform tasks
Mobile apps are easier to load and are perceived to be easier
to use than websites
Mobile apps take time to develop from scratch and are
relatively more expensive to build and maintain than mobile
websites and require frequent upgrades, which can
sometimes require re-downloads
9
Responsive Design
Responsive design is an approach used to create an optimal viewing experience. Generally, responsive design sites adapt to the device
(mobile or desktop). Responsive design reduces and de-compartmentalizes a myriad of problems faced within ever-changing mobile
dimensions and requirements. The content molds itself appropriately to render on a desktop or a smaller screen smart device.
Responsive design uses a flexible grid that positions content based on the screen resolution. Since the content usually remains the
same, it is written concisely. Responsive design is relevant in today's heavy reliance on mobile devices for Internet search and
purchases, where having navigation that is layers deep into a site doesn't fit in the fast-paced search and locate needs of busy users.
Responsive design:
Often relies on the golden grid system (GGS) that splits the
screen into 18 even columns to accommodate all screen
resolutions
Has a zoomable baseline grid to scale all font-styling options
proportionally
Uses CSS styling and percentages to recalculate the widths to
accommodate fonts, texts and images for various screen
resolutions
Increases the target area on links for smaller screens
Does not adjust well beyond the desktop metaphor and may
not be ideal for the various small screens
While the outcomes of both traditional and mobile websites are

the same, the design approaches are different where site
structures are geared for easy navigation.
10
Mobile Friendly Mobile Optimized Mobile App Responsive Design
Is a full-flat html website that Is an html website designed Is an Internet application that Is a one-sizefits-all flexible
doesnt have Flash and loads specifically for a mobile device runs on smart devices design system that molds to the
quickly on a mobile device device it is required to serve
Requires scroll, pinch and zoom. Is designed to minimize or Is designed specifically for the Potentially detects and adapts to
Could be tedious for content- eliminate scroll, pinch and zoom. mobile device and efficiently all screens and resolutions and is
oriented and task-specific sites Designed to minimize content uses every pixel of screen real thereby more attuned to the
processing and data entry estate interactive needs for that device
Is inexpensive as it uses the full Is relatively less expensive to Is more expensive and time
desktop version to render on the develop, while retaining the consuming to develop and
mobile device features of a full desktop website requires constant updates every
version and brand identity few months
Research by Nielson shows that Mobile-optimized sites fare Apps are known to perform
users are less likely to complete better than mobile-friendly sites better on usability tests than
tasks on full version websites on on task completion and overall mobile websites. However,
mobile devices, and are 13% less usability whether a business needs an app
likely to return to the site again or website depends on the
purpose it wishes to serve
Table 1: Choosing Your Mobile Options
Despite technological advancement and the myriad options to choose from, mobile usability and user experience on mobile devices are
not much better than on regular desktop websites. Task completion rates using the mobile web range from 38% to 75%, depending
on the mobile device. The success rates for mobile device websites are 59%, which is lower than regular desktop websites, which have
an approximately 80% success rate (Nielsen, 2011).
The available evidence should convince businesses to move in the direction of mobile accessibility and choose a mobile customization
option that would best suit their business model. To help with this regard, this e-book discusses different mobile research methods to
help you choose the right method to test with users. Also, it includes helpful tips for creating usability tests for mobile devices. Finally,
as a case study, it presents a mobile website benchmark study where 200 users performed 3 tasks on the mobile websites of 4 fashion
brands.
11
Mobile Usage:
Research To Date
The earliest academic research papers in mobile research date
back to the early 1990s. Since early mobile researchers did not
have much to work on, they used intuition, deduction and
induction, thus research was both basic and applied in nature.
The goal of the research process was to understand the
requirements, understand usage and develop products and/or
services.
Kjeldskov and Graham found that applied research constituted

upto 55% of all research effort in the early 1990s. The result of
these early studies is what we now know and understand as
approaches to solving problems related to physical constraints.
Early researchers were preoccupied with building systems and
were relatively less concerned with the human interaction with
their system. Once a physical product is developed, basic
research aids in understanding solutions to well-known problems
that arise from physical constraints of both humans and the
system (Kjeldskov & Graham, 2003).
Thanks to progress made by persistent mobile research, we now

know what to build and what specific problems to overcome. For
example, we do not need to go back to the drawing board to
understand that users have limited real estate, limited means for
interaction, dynamic use contexts and evolving network
bandwidth to work with.
12
Mobile Usage: Research To Date
Search Behavior
Another area of academic research related to mobile usage is search behavior. Church and Oliver (2011) examined search requests on
mobile phones and desktop computers, finding that search requests on the mobile phone are shorter, more targeted and navigational
in nature.
Recent Google research data suggests that, although iPhone search queries mimic that of desktops, mobile search behavior is a
constantly evolving landscape. They found that users are clicking more often, exploring more within a single search query (Kamvar,
Kellar, Patel, & Xu, 2013). In 2005, users followed fewer than 10% of queries but this rose to 50% in two years. There are also more
diverse search queries and more exploration within each search query.
A 2013 survey study conducted to understand mobile search behavior found that people who search on mobile devices are highly
motivated buyers and that 70% of mobile searches led to website action within one hour. Moreover, 40% of users choose other results
if the search returns are not mobile friendly (Rowley, 2013).
Context of Use
In a web-based diary study, Amin et al. (2009) found that people usually use mobile searches in the presence of others. Other
researchers found that search behavior is contingent on location, context and social circumstances.
Muller et al. (2012) found that most tablet interactions occur at home and often while the users are engaged in other activities such
as watching TV, eating, cooking and/or waiting. They also found 42% of users have made purchases through their tablet. Consumers
tend to use the tablet as a device to do shopping research while making actual purchases either on their computer or in person (Mller,
Gove, & Webb, 2012).
However, the notion that tablets are mere search tools is changing. While tablets were once bought for novelty and used primarily for
searches, they are now also used as a productivity device in the work place. In research done by Baseline, 59% of survey respondents
use their own tablet at work while 34% use one issued by the company. In addition, 84% of respondents said that the main reason for
using a tablet at work is because it made them better multitaskers (McCafferty, 2012).
13
Mobile Usage: Research To Date
Comparing context of use: tablet versus mobile phone
Smartphone usage is associated with being "on the go" and tablets are found to be overwhelmingly used at home, during relaxing
times of the day and as "me time (Frank, 2013). However, these results are not conclusive and cannot be generalized as the
landscape of contextual mobile experience is forever evolving. Improved network coverage, changing demands on productivity and
dynamic form-factor specifications contribute to the ever-changing perceptions of where, when and how mobile devices are used.
14
Mobile Research:
Methods & Tools
No team or organization sets out with the goal to create unattractive, cluttered
and difficult-to-use products and services. It is now common sense that products
with poor user experience affect brand identity and, equally importantly, sales
and profit. One would be hard pressed to find an organization that does not
claim that building a positive user experience is at the core of its development
processes. While their intentions are well placed, few earnestly invest time,
money and resources toward the goal to enhance user experience with every
product release.
As Cockton (2013) observed, Usability is not a characteristic, property or

quality, but an extent within a multi-dimensional space. What this means is that
usability, and more so for user experience, is more than the sum of its parts; it is
more than just the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction scores obtained
from a research endeavor. To understand user experience in its entirety, we
must endeavor to understand users context, motivation and goals of usage.
Mobile research efforts in academia and the industry have captured the current contexts of use, nature of mobile web activity (e.g.,
search behavior) as well as common physical constraints that users adapt to while using mobile devices. Most research methods used
in the industry help researchers understand usability problems and are concentrated on understanding efficiency, effectiveness and
satisfaction. An examination of where usability research methods currently used in the industry evolved from and what their goals
and outcomes were will help us better understand how the prevalent tools and methodologies were created and what the best
outcomes may be.
Many testing methodologies are borrowed from psychology and other social science research. Often, there may be more than one
methodology applicable to the same project to serve different objectives. A UX professional might be able to intuitively select the
best method based on client requirement. More often than not, the choice of the best research method is tied to where the product
is in its development lifecycle.
15
Mobile Research: Methods & Tools
Methods Strengths Weaknesses Use
Time demanding Descriptions, explanations,

Natural settings rich data
Limited generalizability developing hypothesis
Natural Case
Replicable Difficult data collection Studying current practice
Field studies Unknown sample bias Evaluating new practices
Action research
First hand experience Ethics, time Generate hypothesis/theory
Applying theory to practice Unknown generalizability Testing theories/hypothesis
Artificial Laboratory Limited realism Controlled experiments

Control of variables Replicable Unknown generalizability Testing theories/hypothesis
setting experiments
Easy, low cost Context insensitive Collecting descriptive data from

Can reduce sample bias No variable manipulation large samples
Environment independent
setting The goal is a product which May need further design to Product development, testing
may be evaluated make product general hypothesis/concepts
Survey research
Applied research
No restrictions on solutions Costly, time demanding
Basic research Solve new problems Theory building
May produce no solution
Normative writing
Insight into firsthand experience Opinions may influence outcome
Table 2: Kjeldskov & Grahams, Research Methods
16
Social Sciences Research Methods in Software Engineering

Wynekoop and Conger (1990) created a summary of research methods strengths and weaknesses, subsequently proposing 5
purposes for conducting research, which are also applicable to mobile research:
Understanding Engineering Re-engineering Evaluating Describing

The purpose of The purpose of The purpose of The purpose of The purpose of
research is on finding research is to develop research is improving research is assessing research is on defining
the meaning of new systems or parts existing systems by or validating products, desirable properties of
studied phenomena of systems such as an redeveloping them. theories or methods. products e.g. a mobile
through frameworks or interaction technique For example, a web For example, assessing system.
theories developed for mobile phones. browser adapted to a the usability of a
from collected data. small display. specific mobile device
design or a theory of
interaction.
Kjeldskov and Graham (2003) used Wynekoop and Conger's (1990) methods, reviewing 102 research papers in mobile HCI, published
in top conference proceeding series and journals. Based on their research, they found that there is a far lesser focus on real use
contexts compared to engineering and mobile systems evaluation, resulting in the HCI community having knowledge of what problems
to overcome related to mobile configuration and contextual constraints.
This is understandable since mobile phone usage contexts are very difficult to emulate in a lab. While Field studies offer the ideal
opportunity to understand context of use, they do not help in understanding the actual performance of the applications that are in
use. In a scenario where context as well as performance needs to be tested, more than one research method needs to be applied.
17
Research Methods and Testing Contexts

With mobile devices, researchers need to account for physical movement and geographical challenges when examining user experience.
This requires researchers to observe people using the mobile devices, often following them in and out of different contexts. However,
there are various private contexts within the home and confidential meetings within the work place, where observation is neither
practical nor ethical. Hence, researchers have developed remote unmoderated usability testing, a methodology that helps gather
usability metrics in the context of usage, but more on that later.
Mobile Research Categories

Keeping the constraints unique to mobile research, Hagen et al grouped mobile research methodologies into the following 3 categories:
1. Mediated Data Collection

Where data collection is mediated by technology. Participants carry devices such as sensors or video cameras that record usage data.
2. Simulations and Enactments

Simulations and enactments are used to make available experiential information sensitized to real contexts of use. Lab tests,
heuristics, prototypes and simulators gather real-world usage information.
3. Combinations
Existing methods, and/or mediated data collection and/or simulations and enactments are combined to allow access to
complementary data.
18
Software Development Lifecycle and Mobile Research Methods
Design & T
t yping, est
o to i ng
P r
Similar to traditional UX methods, mobile

Exploratory Assessment, development research methods are based
Formative Tests Summative tests on the kind of test we would like to perform.
This is, inturn, closely entwined with the
Final
development phase the project is in.
Comparative
Testing &
Follow-up Tests between Formative Testing
assessment competitive Validation, Summative Testing
ng
products Validation Testing

tests Verification
theri
on previous Tests
release
Pro
a
Usability methods provide maximum benefit

G
d in an agile development process.

ts
u
Exploratory tests
en
ct
on Features
em
au l
r nc
qui h
e
&R
Needs Analysis
Figure 1: SDLC & Research Phases
19
Exploratory or Formative Testing

Exploratory research is carried out in more iterative software development lifecycle processes where there is time and resources
allotted to more exploratory research endeavors. Each interface design has some assumptions about a users ability and willingness to
use the product.
Formative testing helpsin understanding the What of user experiences. A more effective use, though, would be to also verify the
underlying assumptions the designers and stakeholders have made about the product, via understanding:
How do users perceive using the product?

What contexts and scenarios would best support the usage?
What motivates users to use this product?
What value does the product provide?
Purpose
To get a high-level understanding of user behavior, developers usually use very low-fidelity product interface designs. The idea is to
understand whether users grasp the fundamental purpose behind primary actions, whether the flow of tasks is clear and whether users
understand how navigation flows from one screen to another.
What
It is not uncommon to test paper prototypes of software and wax or foam core hardware products in this stage. Designers often create
quick prototypes using wire-framing tools like Fireworks, Axure and Balsamiq. Therefter, these prototypes are usually hosted on a
server to test basic navigation with users or can even be presented to users as static screenshots on the screen.
The goal of the exploratory test is to explore high-level concepts and thought processes to help designers make informed decisions
about the final designs.
20
Summative Tests
Assessment tests are done early or midway into the product development cycle, usually after the fundamental or high-level design of
the product is conceptualized.
Objective
Summative tests help in understanding the efficacy of a concept. The goal is to understand how users perform on real tasks on a fully
functional website to identify any usability issues that are in the way of successful task completion. Users perform tasks rather than
merely comment on the screens or pages. Typically, the moderator is present only to ask follow-up questions and make observations
while users perform tasks since the emphasis is on actual behavior on the website or software application rather than on thought
processes and attitudes.
Validation or Verification Test

When
Validation tests are done to measure the usability of a product or software against its competitors in the market. In the case of
verification testing, the goal is to make sure the usability issues identified in the earlier phases have been weeded out and that no new
issues have cropped up in the interim.
Purpose
The purpose is to compare the product with usability standards set for the product or software within the company or to
compare/benchmark it against industry standards or a market competitor.
Objective
The usability objectives are typically the efficiency and effectiveness scores of the product against industry standards or internally
defined performance expectations. Sometimes, criteria are also set in terms of achieving certain rating or ranking from the users.
21
Requirement Gathering Phase
Goal Approach Research Methods

To understand and choose new Qualitative & Quantitative Etnographic field studies, focus groups,
directions and opportunities. diary studies, surveys, data mining.
Design & Development Phase

Design and test prototypes and early Predominantly qualitative Card sorting, field studies, participatory
concepts with users to minimize risks design, paper prototype and usability
due to poor usability. studies, desirability studies, Remote
Usability Testing (Moderated &
Unmoderated).
Final Testing & Product Launch

Measure product performance against Predominantly quanitative Usability benchmarking, online
itself or its competition. assessments, surveys, A/B Testing,
Remote Usability Testing (Moderated &
Unmoderated).
Figure 2: Goals & Approaches Within The Software Development Lifecycle
22
What Research Method to Use? What are the Tools Available?

Rohrer (2008) defined research
methods based on the nature of
information to be gathered. He
proposed research methods based
on 3 dimensions.
Attitudinal vs. Behavioral

Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Context of Website or Product Use
Choosing the best method to use is

a function of budget, time and the
products development phase. There
are many resources online that
discuss usability testing in the lab. A
good place to start is Nielson
Norman Groups Alert Box. A handy
book to have on your desktop is the
Handbook of Usability Testing.
However, as mentioned earlier, an
emerging method popular with UX
researchers is remote usability
testing. The next chapter focuses on
remote usability testing methods
and popular tools that aid in
research.
Figure 3: Research Methods In The SDLC, Rohrer (2008)
23
Remote
Usability Testing
Lab-based and ethnographic research provides rich behavioral and contextual data. Lab-based research typically has 8-15 users
observed in approximately 1-hour sessions. In a mobile device-testing scenario, users usually interact with the mobile device while
researchers observe, ask questions and take notes. It usually takes 2-5 days to gather data and about a week to analyze and report.
The lab testing usually has a camera mounted on the device to capture screen usage behavior and one camera focused on the users
upper body and face to capture body movement and facial expressions.
While lab-based mobile research is great to observe behavior and provides researchers an opportunity to ask probing questions, it is
time consuming. Additionally, with a maximum of 15 users, researchers usually hesitate to generalize results to the entire user
population. Analyzing data for task-based studies is still relatively easy compared to coding and analyzing in-depth interviews and
contextual research data. Also, sampling user groups from different locations is an expensive proposition for an in-person moderated
research.
During remote usability testing users and a moderator are in two different physical locations. Users participate in a study on their own
phone and in their own environment. Remote usability testing can be moderated, where a moderator is watching the usability test
remotely as it happens and communicating directly with the participant via the telephone or chat and unmoderated, where
participants complete the study on their own schedule which is reviewed by the usability expert at a later point in time.
24
Remote Usability Testing
Why Remote Mobile Research?

A critical drawback of lab-based mobile research is that mounted video cameras hamper a users natural gestures when using mobile
devices. Also, as academic research indicates, context is critical to mobile phone usage. A lab is an artificial environment that does not
capture contextual information and restricts free movement, aspects that are unique to mobile device usage.
Remote usability testing is especially suited to mobile device testing because you get context-specific information with users
distributed geographically, enabling researchers to conduct studies with users who are not tied to a specific location. It is a great
solution for teams on a limited budget and tight timeframe since no travel is required and no lab facilities need to be secured.
Moderated Remote Usability Testing

Early remote moderated testing efforts required researchers to use WebEx or GoToMeeting for recording sessions. A researcher would
screen participants to match the required user profile, send participation requests to the users that fit the profile, and set up interview
time slots with them. Researchers had to rely on chance that the users would have good web-cameras that would record facial
expressions. Today, there are several remote testing tools available with competitive pricing; there is no dearth of options to choose
from.
Moderated Remote Usability Testing Tools:

UX Recorder
The UX Recorder is an iOS app that records on-screen activity and gestures with a front facing camera. It
also gathers audio feedback. However, it works on mobile websites only and doesnt work with mobile apps.
It supports devices running on iOS - 5 and higher. It costs $1.99 for one session and $59.99 for unlimited
session recordings.
www.uxrecorder.com
25
SolidifyApp
Solidify helps you create clickable prototypes as well as launch quick and simple remote usability tests.
They provide templates to launch mobile remote usability testing. Solidify app works on any device, and
users can access recording links from their email. Once they have interacted with a website or app,
researchers can ask follow-up questions for a more thorough understanding of the user experience.
www.solidifyapp.com
The MailChimp Method

This method utilizes recording tools readily available on a users laptop or tablet camera and in-built
microphone. Users turn their laptops around and hug it so that the laptops camera can capture their
gestures. Researchers can connect over Skype, WebEx or GotoMeeting to record and observe the sessions.
Revelation
Revelation is a mobile research tool that gathers qualitative data by creating diary studies. It helps
researchers gather usage feedback when users capture photographs and comments and share their
experiences of using a website or an app.
www.revelationglobal.com
Dscout
Dscout is a task-based mobile app testing tool. It allows conducting in-context research and capturing
audience experiences by primarily using mobile apps. It creates missions (i.e., tasks or assignments) for
users who scout and provide feedback by submitting photos and commentary.
www.dscout.com
26
Unmoderated Remote Usability Testing

Moderated remote usability testing can be as time-consuming as lab-based testing. The difference between them is that users in
remote testing are often present in the context of usage and not tied to any geographic location.
Unmoderated remote tests are a convenient, cost-effective alternative that helps gather ten times the responses in half the time.
Another advantage is that the researcher does not have to monitor data collection as it is automated. It gathers hundreds of responses
concurrently, while being true to the context of usage (Bolt, 2010).
Unmoderated remote testing is especially useful in collecting quantitative and qualitative data throughout the development lifecycle,
without having to slow down for the data collection and analysis, as is often the case with lab-based studies.
Unmoderated Remote Usability Testing Tools:

UserTesting Mobile
UserTestings mobile remote usability testing tool helps researchers test websites, apps and prototypes.
UserTesting has its own panel of users to select from. The study results are presented in the form of
recorded screen videos and audio feedback.
www.usertesting.com
UserZoom Mobile
UserZoom Mobile is a powerful solution for mobile customer experience management. It enables companies
to listen to the voice of their mobile customers, conduct usability testing and UX research on both phones
and tablets (iOS and Android).
With UserZooms remote mobile usability testing solution companies can conduct task-based studies on
mobile websites and prototypes. During a mobile usability test, users participate in the study
simultaneously in their natural context, where no human moderation is needed.
Whats the cost of a pink
sleeveless blouse on the
Calvin Klein website?
What makes UserZooms remote mobile usability testing noteworthy is that it is the only solution on the
market that allows collecting quantitative and qualitative data in the same study. It allows collecting the Success
Abandon
following data:
27
video and audio recording of participants

user session recording including gestures, clicks and form entry
effectiveness ratios (success, error, abandonment and timeout ) Please describe why it was easy to determine
which mop has a larger water tank
efficiency ratios (time on task and number of clicks)
satisfaction metrics
user comments
rating scales
clickstreams
One key benefit of this particular mobile testing solution is its ability to conduct competitive
This is a video question. Please
benchmarking and discover how a companys mobile website stands against the competition. It is read the question above and press
REC to start recording your answer.
possible to test any mobile site because no coding is required.
Start Recording
UserZooms mobile app Voice of the Customer (VOC) solution enables companies to run surveys once visitors
exit their mobile application. Visitors are invited to participate in a survey via UserZooms intercept layer. This
solution allows researchers to find out what users are searching for, if they obtain all the needed information,
if they are satisfied with the product and if their expectations are met.
Some key benefits to this solution lie in being able to gather real user feedback directly after a user interacted
Close [x]
with a mobile app and collect hundreds of responses in just a few days.
WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK
When you finish using the App.
Would you have 2 minutes for a
few questions? Thank you!
UserZoom also offers an easy to install software development kit (SDK) for mobile apps. It enables
Yes No researchers to launch in-app surveys, launch exit survey, track clickstreams and events.
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Common results of UserZooms Mobile App VOC solution include:

videos of users interacting with the app satisfaction metrics
user comments rating scales
clickstream charts reasons for abandonment
And finally, UserZooms mobile surveys allow companies design quick surveys to obtain feedback from users on the go.
To learn more about UserZoom Mobile, please go to www.userzoom.com/mobile-testing 28

Tips for Designing a Mobile Unmoderated Remote Study

There are certain key features of desktop web-based unmoderated remote testing design that can be generalized to mobile
unmoderated remote testing study design as well. The key things to bear in mind while designing an unmoderated remote testing
study are:
Mind the Duration

Ensure the study does not exceed 15 20 minutes. If the study is longer than 15 20 minutes, there will be greater mid-study
drop-off rates and poor quality of responses. This can be frustrating because you will need to wait for longer period of time to get the
required number of responses.
Mind the Incentive

The incentive should be commensurable with the task expectations from the user. If you have a draw where users have 1-5 chances
of receiving the prize, then make sure the prize is worth the effort. This is applicable to fixed incentives for all participants as well. In
our experience, $15 25 for a 20-minute study is reasonable.
Mind the Motivation

Ideally, you would like to have users participate in the study, regardless of the incentive. This reduces the chance that a user just clicks
through the pages and responds mindlessly to survey questions to qualify for the incentive.
Mind the Quality

In UserZoom, we have speeder and cheater controls where a researcher can set reasonable task completion expectations. Usually
researchers set expectations such as a minimum of 10 seconds and 5 clicks per task for the response to be considered valid. If
responses dont meet these expectations, they will not be included in the valid response pool.
Mind the Design

The beauty of remote unmoderated research is thatresearchers can gather quantitative and behavioral data supplemented with
qualitative feedback. Keeping this in mind, it is preferable to ask close-ended and directed questions, especially in task-based studies.
29
Ask open-ended questions only if it is a must. Imagine having to read through hundreds of open-ended responses, coding common
patterns and analyzing the results. Word-clouds do provide rich user experience insights but should be used to supplement behavioral
data.
Since users' time is especially precious, only ask questions that you are certain will be included in the final report.
Considerations for mobile unmoderated remote research:
Keep the study short (er):

If it is a mobile phone study, users are probably performing the tasks on the go. With limited screen real estate, ideally, users should
have a very directed experience while doing the study. The aim should be to have a maximum study duration of 10 minutes.
Crisp Task Description

Avoid users from having to scroll.
Close-Ended Questions
Keep the questions close ended. Unless the users are highly motivated, they are not likely to type in a lot of text using their touch
keypads. Keep open-ended questions to a minimum. Rely on task success rate, time-on-task and satisfaction rating to do the talking.
http://answerlab.com/blog/2013/03/13/quantitative-ux-on-mobile-sites/ 30
http://www.userfocus.co.uk/articles/unmoderated.html
Mobile
Unmoderated
Remote Research
A Case Study:
31
Mobile Unmoderated Remote Research A Case Study
Mobile unmoderated remote research is a relatively new entry in the suite of mobile testing methodology. To showcase the potential
of gathering unmoderated remote usability data, UserZoom conducted an international benchmark study on mobile (tablet) websites
of leading fashion retail brands.
Study Details
To understand mobile website usage behavior, UserZoom researchers wanted to understand how fashion retail mobile websites
perform on routine purchase-related tasks. The mobile websites of Bebe, Guess, Kenneth Cole, and White House| Black Market were
put to the test. Two hundred female users were asked to perform the following purchase-related tasks:
Choose a black dress and Look for a necklace that Look for information on how to
go through the purchase goes with your dress and return an item ONLINE and whether
process as if to buy it continue to checkout there is an associated cost.
Study Design
The study was conducted between April 15 21, 2013 across 3 countries: Spain, the UK and the USA. Two hundred users in each
country were selected on the basis of gender (female), age (between 25- 45) and whether they made regular purchases on their
tablet. To avoid any carry-over effects and transference of learning, a between-subjects experimental design was chosen; i.e, each
user performed the three tasks mentioned above on one randomly selected brand. Each brand had 50 responses.
32
Study Set-Up
Building the study in UserZoom
The research questions were formulated online within the UserZoom tool. The tasks were described in detail. Success was validated on
whether users were able to find the information and answer the questions related to the task at hand. For the task of finding a black
dress and going through the purchase process for example, users were asked to find payment options on the website. After every task,
users were also asked specific questions related to the task such as whether they used search bar or whether they used filters to
narrow their search. Once they performed all three tasks on the website, they were asked to give their overall impressions of the
website in a final questionnaire.
Tablet
Brands Mobile site iPad Android
33
Collecting Data
After the study was designed within UserZoom, it took about a day to complete, and the study links were sent to the recruiting
company. UserZoom has several trusted recruiting companies that can be contacted from within the tool itself. This helps in creating
a process that moves from screening to recruiting and finally to data collection in one seamless flow.
For this study we partnered with SSI (Survey Sampling International). They linked our study to their screening tool and emailed their
database with instructions specific to this study.For example, users were to access the recruitment survey from their mobile devices.
If users fit the criteria (female, between 25- 45 and frequent purchasers of merchandise on mobile devices), they were then directed
to the UserZoom study. Before they started the UserZoom study, users were instructed to download a UserZoom App. On completing
the download, users were instructed to perform the three tasks on a randomly assigned fashion brand website.
Figure 2: Tablet Optimized Websites
34
Data Analysis
We received the 200 responses in six days. Analysis within UserZoom is fairly easy. Effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction and other
questions specific to a study are gathered automatically and are available for review immediately. Close-ended responses are
presented as percentages and open-ended responses are presented as word-clouds and lists.
Manipulating the data within the UserZoomfor example, filtering responses based on a certain criterion like operating system or
ageis easy to do within the tool, and the outcome is instantly available for review. Researchers can export this information in Excel,
Word or PowerPoint format instantly.
Main Findings
1. Based on the user feedback on the three tasks, White House Black Market fares the best in searching and finding products (a black
dress and a necklace). It also has the highest Net Promoter Score of +26.
2. Users found it difficult to find return policy information on all four websites.
3. Users do not like registering and disclosing personal information before making a purchase.
4. Material, length, weight and how the item looks on a person are important product information that users seek while making
purchasing decisions.
This report was a brief summary of existing research methods for research on mobile devices, as well as a case for conducting remote
unmoderated usability testing. Remote unmoderated usability testing has been around for a few years now and is becoming popular
on regular websites. Almost all big e-commerce companies perform remote unmoderated user testing on their websites frequently and
often on a daily basis. However, remote unmoderated usability testing method on the mobile devices is fairly new.
UserZoom conducted an unmoderated usability testing on mobile websites of four American fashion brands as a case study presenting
the advantages of this method. The responses of 200 users were gathered in six days, with the results automatically generated within
UserZoom, so all the researchers had to do was interpret it.
A more detailed report of this study can be downloaded here: Measuring the User Experience of Fashion Web Stores on Tablet Devices
35
Bibliography
Amin,A.,Townsend,S.,Ossenbruggen,J.,andHardman,L.Fancya drink in canary wharf?: A user study on location-based mobile search. In Proc. INTERACT 09,
Springer-Verlag (2009), 736749.
Bolt, N. (2010, June 10). Pros and Cons of Remote usability Testing. Retrieved from johnnyholland.org:
http://johnnyholland.org/2010/06/pros-and-cons-of-remote-usability-testing/
Church, K., & Oliver, N. (2011). Understanding Mobile Web and Mobile Search Use in Todays Dynamic Mobile Landscape. ACM , 978-1-4503-0541-9/11/08-09.
Frank, B. (2013, April 2). Consumer and context with smartphones versus tablets. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from mobilemarketer.com:
http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/columns/15068.html
gomez.com. (2010). Why Web Performance Matters: Is Your Site Driving Customers Away? Retrieved from
http://www.gomez.com/pdfs/wp_why_web_performance_matters.pdf: http://www.gomez.com/pdfs/wp_why_web_performance_matters.pdf
Jordan, J. (2012, December 26). The Death of the American Shopping Mall. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from theatlanticcities.com:
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/12/death-american-shopping-mall/4252/
Kamvar, M., Kellar, M., Patel, R., & Xu, Y. (2013, May 7). The bar-bet phenomenon: increasing diversity in mobile searches. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from
http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/: http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2009/05/bar-bet-phenomenon-increasing-diversity.html
Khalaf, S. (2013, January 25). The Rise of the App & Mortar Economy. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from http://blog.flurry.com/:
http://blog.flurry.com/bid/93560/The-Rise-of-the-App-Mortar-Economy
Kjeldskov, J., & Graham, C. (2003). A Review of Mobile HCI Research Methods. Udine.
McCafferty, D. (2012, December 19). Tablets Are Changing How Employees Work. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from baselinemag.com:
http://www.baselinemag.com/mobility/slideshows/tablets-are-changing-how-employees-work/
Mller, H., Gove, J. L., & Webb, J. S. (2012). Understanding Tablet Use: A Multi-Method Exploration. Mobile HCI. San Francisco: ACM.
Nielsen, J. (2011, September 26). Mobile Usability Update. Retrieved from http://www.nngroup.com/: http://www.nngroup.com/articles/mobile-usability-update/
Perlow, J. (2011, December 8). In the battle of clicks versus bricks, retail must transform or die. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from zdnet.com/:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/in-the-battle-of-clicks-versus-bricks-retail-must-transform-or-die/19418
Rohrer, C. (2008, October 6). When to Use Which User Experience Research Methods. Retrieved from Jakob Nielson's Alertbox:
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/which-ux-research-methods/
Rohrer, C. (2008, October 6). When to Use Which User Experience Research Methods. Retrieved from http://www.nngroup.com/articles/which-ux-research-methods/:
Jakob Nielson's Alertbox
Rowley, N. A. (2013, April 3). Mobile Behavior: Big Game Seating A Study with SurveyMonkey. Retrieved from acquire.com:
http://www.iacquire.com/blog/mobile-behavior-big-game-seating-a-study-with-surveymonkey/
Rueter, T. (2013, March 13). U.S. e-commerce to grow 13% in 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from internetretailer.com:
http://www.internetretailer.com/2013/03/13/us-e-commerce-grow-13-2013
Sauro, J. (2012, January 17). Comparison Of Usability Testing Methods. Retrieved from measuringusability.com:
http://www.measuringusability.com/blog/method-comparison.php
Xiaoxiao Ma, B. Y. (n.d.). A Toolkit for Usability Testing of Mobile Applications. 36

About UserZoom
UserZoom is the #1 platform for cost-effective and agile usability testing and user experience analytics. We offer a
worry-free, all-in-one solution: software + services + recruitment.
1 Software Platform 2 UX Research Services
Unmoderated Remote Usability Our UX Research Team

Testing ensures your success:
Live Web & Mobile Task-based
Surveys
for
m 1 UX
1. Strategizing
2. Initial training & support
UX Benchmarking
at 3. Setting up studies
Competitive Research Pl 4. Managing all recruiting tasks
Re
are
International Research 5. Launching, monitoring
se
Softw
arc
6. Analyzing results, reporting
h Services
3
Information Architecture &
Design Validation Recruiting Solutions
Card Sorting
Tree Testing We recruit in 3 ways:
Click Testing 1. Using a Panel
Prototype Testing
3 2 Strict quality controls
National and international reach
CX Measurement / VOC
Re 2. Customized invitation layer
cru Intercept studies
iti n g
Live Web & Mobile True
Intent Studies (Intercepts) S o l u ti o n s 3. Invitation links
Online Surveys Private email list
Web Analytics Integration Social media
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Guide To Mobile UX Research

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A Guide to

Mobile User Experience

Introduction to Mobile Usability ............................................................................ 4

Mobile Usage: Research to Date ........................................................................... 12

Mobile Research: Methods & Tool ....................................................................... 15

Remote Usability Testing ........................................................................................... 24

Tips for Designing a Mobile Unmoderated Remote Study ................... 29

Mobile Unmoderated Remote Research A Case Study .................... 30

Growth in Time Spent per Shopping App Category

All Shopping Apps 274%

247% 228% All Apps 132%

Retailer Price Purchase Online Daily

Source:Flurry Analytics, n=1,863 apps, December 2011-2012

Figure 1: Rise of the App & Mortar Economy. Courtesy of flurry.com

What are Your Options?

Mobile-friendly sites should:

Mobile-optimized sites should:

Mobile apps are Ideal for:

While the outcomes of both traditional and mobile websites are

Mobile Friendly Mobile Optimized Mobile App Responsive Design

Table 1: Choosing Your Mobile Options

Kjeldskov and Graham found that applied research constituted

Thanks to progress made by persistent mobile research, we now

Comparing context of use: tablet versus mobile phone

As Cockton (2013) observed, Usability is not a characteristic, property or

Methods Strengths Weaknesses Use

Time demanding Descriptions, explanations,

Artificial Laboratory Limited realism Controlled experiments

Easy, low cost Context insensitive Collecting descriptive data from

Table 2: Kjeldskov & Grahams, Research Methods

Social Sciences Research Methods in Software Engineering

Understanding Engineering Re-engineering Evaluating Describing

Research Methods and Testing Contexts

Mobile Research Categories

1. Mediated Data Collection

2. Simulations and Enactments

Software Development Lifecycle and Mobile Research Methods

Similar to traditional UX methods, mobile

products Validation Testing

Usability methods provide maximum benefit

d in an agile development process.

Figure 1: SDLC & Research Phases

Exploratory or Formative Testing

How do users perceive using the product?

Validation or Verification Test

Requirement Gathering Phase

Goal Approach Research Methods

Design & Development Phase

Goal Approach Research Methods

Final Testing & Product Launch

Goal Approach Research Methods

Figure 2: Goals & Approaches Within The Software Development Lifecycle

What Research Method to Use? What are the Tools Available?

Attitudinal vs. Behavioral

Choosing the best method to use is

Why Remote Mobile Research?

Moderated Remote Usability Testing

Moderated Remote Usability Testing Tools: