Synchronizing video and event logs for usability studies

Abstract

This paper presents a simple but very powerful technique to support user interface evaluation, along with a prototype implementation of this technique. This technique provides tools to allow the user interface evaluator to combine event streams and video recording, analyzing the event stream to search for patterns of interesting or important user actions, then using the recorded timestamps associated with these actions to present only the sections of the video recording of interest. This allows, for example, all places where the user invokes a help system or a particular command to be observed without requiring the evaluator to manually search the recording or sit through long sessions of unrelated interactions. By combining the precise recording of automatic event trace capture with the rich contextual information that can be captured in a video and audio recording, this technique allows analyses to be performed that would not be practical with either media alone. © 1994 ACM.