ErgoMobile: A software to support usability evaluations in mobile devices using observation techniques

Abstract

The characteristics of mobile devices and their applications have led to changes in the way these systems are developed and tested. Usability tests are stages of development that are under constant modifications, since it is being taken into account that traditional techniques may not be sufficient to accomplish the testing activity for mobile devices. For example, the User Observation and Filming/Verbalization techniques involve the use of secondary devices to record the data. This may be a problem as the testing activity can become more complex and less comfortable for the users/evaluators. Aiming to present a strategy to minimize this issue, we are presenting the ErgoMobile environment that was developed with the main objective of avoiding the use of secondary devices since it can be installed directly in the mobile device and can collect images from the camera, sounds from the microphone and store interface snapshots. Initial tests presented that this tool behaves well when working in conjunction with other mobile applications, collecting good amounts of data and working in the background and practically had not created any disturbances to the participant or to the evaluator.