UXLX - 2: Short sessions - Magic, hurt feelings and forgiveness & Usability testing with mobile devices

The 2 short sessions I visited today were "Magic, hurt feelings and forgiveness" by Oli Shaw and "Usability testing with mobile devices" by Belén & Bernard.

Magic, hurt feelings and forgiveness by Oli Shaw

Fun & Inspiration:
- Costs of technology keeps falling
- Science fiction is becoming science facts

Pythagoras: There are no miracles, there is only ignorance.
Paracelsus: Magic meant the natural forces which were not yet completely understood.

Over time technology was always between Science and Magic.
Magitek - Magic & technology: Devices, apps, services..
- Explicity magical: Microsoft Wizzard, Magic Mouse, HTC Magic,...
- Implicitly magical: Mobile phones
- Unrecognized as magical: Skype, WiFi on moving,..

What are the principles of Magitek?
- It seduces through mystique & power
- It creates wonderment
- It can be used without thought
- It hides the complexity of its mechanics
- It goes beyond the obvious needs and expectations
- It leads into something deeper....

Kano model:

- Excitement can become to an basic need
- Something delighting can become disgusting very fast.

Usability testing with mobile devices by Bélen & Bernard
Extra challenges for mobile testing

- Which context?
- Which phone?
- Which connection?
- How to record?

Test your mobile software in the field... Testing in the field with mobile phone is difficult, time consuming and expensive.
- Some testing is better in no testing...  So test it in lab situation...

Use the participants own phones for the test!
The user needs to be familiar with the phone - the usability of the phone should be irrelevant (its realistic)

Don't test over WIFI - and switch of 3G.
You have to cover the costs of the participants!

Capture the test
- Mount camera on the mobile phone - very intuitive
To build you own mobile software lab: 138,68€

Br, Claudia