Beautifully Easy Usability Testing with Silverback

[Scott Watkins]

I'll have to admit, I'm not a usability testing guru by any means. However, I do understand the importance of thorough usability testing. My problems in the past have mostly been resources. Usability testing is difficult to administer and tough to make heads or tails out of the results. However, a UK based company called Clearleft has developed a basic little Mac app that is sure to change my ways in usability testing.

Silverback

Silverback is a Mac app (only runs on Mac OS X) that allows you to have your subject sit in front of your Mac OS X station (equipped with an iSight camera) and start using your app (desktop or web-based). The screen will be recorded along with all clicks, javascript calls, flash, etc. The iSight camera will simultaneously record the user (audio and video) as they're navigating your application and include that video as a picture-in-picture on top of the screencast. You can see the frustration on their faces as they reach difficult parts of the application and can directly attribute that to what they're seeing on the screen.

There's much more to it and I haven't had the time to really demo it, but below is a screencast from their website:

It's also very inexpensive! $50! That's all! You can also try it out for 30 days no charge.

http://silverbackapp.com/

Unfortunately, this is not a paid endorsement. I've just been looking for a VERY easy manner in which to conduct good usability testing, and this is the best that I've found.

Has anyone else used Silverback or any other easy, inexpensive solutions for usability testing?

[mario]

wow. that looks like a great product. We worked with Stamats to develop a Usability Testing process and documentation for the University a few months back. Kam and I do the usability testing on new sites we develop. Using video or audio to record users was something we explored, but in the end didnt have the resources to set up.

As of now we do basic task oriented testing based off of the site owners creative brief. We basically ask the owners "what are the top things your users should do when they come to your site?" from those things we create the tasks for testing. We also collect some information on how their audience uses the web in general.

I have REALLY opened our eyes to the user experience and helped us solve some fundamental issues with just about every site we have developed. It has been a great resource.

Our documentation is for all of campus to use. Find it here If anyone has questions please contact me i would be happy to help!

[Scott Watkins]

I also understand that you have an accessibility testing station there at the web communications office. Is that correct? And if so, is it available for us to use as well?

[Scott Watkins]

OK, I've just had a chance to download and look at the usability .zip file you directed us towards. This is awesome! I have a few new applications that I'll be developing for our site in the next couple of months and was planning on conducting usability testing. Having your recommendations and scripts available will save me countless hours of time coming up with it myself (as well as being a more thorough solution as to what I had planned). Thank you, Mario and WebComm, for making this available to all of us!