Instructions on Using the Usability Lab

The State Farm Usability Lab consists of two computers currently located in two different locations on the 1st floor of Wright Hall.

• UILAB_EVALUATION - This machine is located in my office space located in Wright 117.  I will leave my cubicle door unlocked and every team should have at least one member who already has a key to the lab itself.  This machine is the main machine that your design team will work with. 
  • It is the machine that your test subjects will sit at during their test sessions and is the machine upon which you will install software if that is necessary for your project.  Again, you may need to make arrangements with Dr. Schafer to do this as student accounts are fairly prohibitive on what can be installed.
  • It is the machine which contains the software for analyzing your test sessions and preparing the highlight video.
• UILAB_OBSERVATION  - This machine is located on a cart in Wright 117, but should be moved to either the lab (Wright 110) or one of the adjoining classrooms.   This is the machine your team will use to observe test sessions.   

The log on process is identical for both machines..

• Select user "UI_Students"
• Enter the password "uidie" (User Interface Design Implementation and Evaluation)

There are three pieces of software that you will use when working with the Usability Lab

• Morae Recorder
• Morae Remote Viewer
• Morae Manager

The use of each is detailed below...

Morae Recorder

This piece of software exists on the test machine in room 117A.  This is the software which records the audio and video provided by the user during the test session as well as the use of the computer including screen capture from the desktop and all mouse/keyboard events.  This software is the package that produces the large data file which you will process later using Morae Manager.

To use Recorder you should

• Start it by selecting the desktop icon or choosing it from the start menu.
• There are five "expandable" options "menus" on the left hand side.  The settings for your test sessions should probably be:
  • Recording file details
    • Since this is a shared computer, you should probably save using a name indicative of your team and which test it is.
    • Save to the My Documents folder.  You may feel free to create a subfolder for your team.
    • Description not needed.
    • "Prompt for details..." should be checked.
    • "Password protect..." is probably not needed but is up to you.
  • Capture Options
    •  If you have problems seeing this computer from the other computer when using Remote Viewer, make sure that camera and microphone are both checked.  Unless you have some privacy concerns for your users, you should have all of these options checked.
  • Visibility during recording - select either minimize to tray (suggested) or minimize to taskbar.
  • Start details - You probably want to use Manually start
  • Stop details - You probably want to use Manually stop
• Make sure that your software is installed and executes or, if appropriate, that it loads in a web browser.
• When you are ready to begin the test, click the "Start" icon in the upper left hand corner of the Recorder. 

At this point, the person running recorder can leave the room and join the rest of the team who is watching the progress on the Remove Viewer in the other room.

When the test is over...

• Bring Recorder back up on the screen.  If you minimized Recorder to the System Tray, it is represented by an icon shaped like a video camera.
• Stop the recording by selecting the "stop" icon in Recorder (the blue square.  Yeah, that is obvious?).
• You should be prompted to save the recording.  This should be self explanatory.  Saving may take quite a while depending on the length of your actual test.  BE PATIENT.  When saving is complete a prompt should appear.

When your test are all complete you will need to transfer the session recording files to the Evaluation machine and use Morae Manager to analyze your sessions and produce the highlights video.

Morae Remote Viewer

This piece of software exists on both machines.  However, it is intended that you will use this on the Evaluation machine in room 110.  This software allows you to observe the test subject while he/she uses the software.  This software also allows you to make notes during the test session which will be recorded as part of the large data file recorded by the Recorder.

To use Remote Viewer you should

• Start it by selecting the desktop icon or choosing it from the start menu.
• You should be provided with the "Connect to Recorder" prompt..
  • Select the machine you wish to connect to.  Recall that it's name is "UILAB_EVALUATION."  You can always locate this machine by selecting "Browse Network"  Then select "Microsoft Windows Network."  Locate the network "CNS.LAB" and expand this by selecting the "+" icon.  UILAB_EVALUATION should be part of this list.  Select it.
  • Put your team name in the name field.
  • Depending on which mode you wish to operate in  you may check "Include audio and PIP"  See below for more detail on this.
  • Uncheck "Save video..."
  • Select OK
• If this computer properly finds the test machine you will get a prompt that says something like "Recording Completed..." (if no broadcast is in session) or "Session has begun"  (if a broadcast is happening).  If you receive a prompt such as "Could not connect" or "No connection" you will need to repeat the previous steps by selecting "Connection |  Connect"
• Once you have a connection and once the test machine begins broadcasting a session, you should see the test machine desktop and perhaps (depending on which setting you chose) the audio/video.

What can you do during the test session...

• Observe the user using the software.
• Make markings directly in the data file by typing <ctrl>-[Any letter]  These markings are recorded at the current location in the data file and can be viewed later when analyzing the data using Manager.  For example, if you are asking your test subjects to complete several separate tasks, you might issue <ctrl><N> at the start of each task.  This will allow you to easily locate the start of each task when you go back and analyze later.  You might issue <ctrl><C> whenever the user seems to be confused.  You might issue <ctrl><M> when the user makes a significant mistake.  All 26 letters are available for use as markers.  The meaning of these markers is completely up to your team.  However, it is probably worth discussing in advance 1) if you intend to use the markers, 2) what they will mean, 3) who will issue them during the test.  Your test subject will be unaware of you making these marks.
• Observe the video/audio of the user.   There are distinct advantage and disadvantages of selecting "Include audio and PIP" when you connect to the recorder.  The advantage is that you can see and hear the user.  If they are extra confused you will know it and you can send someone over to the evaluation room and discuss things with them.  UNFORTUNATELY, the audio/video creates a delay of approximately 10 seconds.  This means you aren't REALLY watching things real-time.  My suggestion is that for MOST teams, the advantage of seeing/hearing your subject is worth a little delay.  If they are confused and need help, it will take you a little bit to walk across the hall and help them out anyways, what difference is another 10 seconds in this.  HOWEVER, if seeing things real time is essential, then you may want to disable this feature.

Morae Manager

This piece of software exists only on the Evaluation machine in Wright 117.  This software allows you to review the data recorded during your test sessions.  This data will include not only screen captures and key/mouse events, but markers/notes you leave during the test as well as audio/video even if you don't watch this from the remote viewer.

To use Manager you should

• Start it by selecting the desktop icon or choosing it from the start menu.
• You will need to create one project file for this class. 
  • The first time you use Manager after running your test, you should select to create a new project.  On the first wizard screen you will be prompted to give your project a name.  On the second wizard screen you will have the opportunity to import your *.rdg files.  It may take a while to load your data if your test were long.
  • If you have already created a project, then load the project.
• The main manager screen is divided into two modes - Analyzer and Presenter.
• In Analyzer mode you may view any of the sessions that you recorded.  The interface is largely self explanatory. 
  • Select an rdg file from the file interface on the left hand side.
  • You may play the session (screen shot, audio, and video) by using the largely standard video controls.
  • You may search for events/markers by selecting the "Search" button.  This will bring up a search editor which allows you to indicate what it is you are searching for.  You will probably find the first 4 most helpful, and the Markers option if your group sent markers from the remote viewer.  In most situations the "Screen Text" option will provide too much data but can be helpful under certain searches. 
  • Notice that when you conduct a search, that the results are displayed in one of several formats. 
    • The listing format can be helpful to find a particular incident.  Click on a single incident in the listing format and the recording will jump to this time and Manager will highlight the location on the screen where the event occurred.
    • The graphing format can be helpful in identifying the overall usage of your system.  For example, plot a graph of keystrokes/mouse events and look for periods of time where very little was occurring.  This might be caused by a user reading a long page, or it might be caused by a user who is confused and looking for help.
    • Tile Vertically and Tile Horizontally combine the previous formats into one display that may require some resizing of the screen to be helpful.
  • You can make video clips from the Analyzer mode.  However, I would recommend that you do this in Presenter mode because the software provide a few extra options when you do it in Presenter mode
• In Presenter Mode you may create a highlight video by arranging a sequence of video clips, "title slides" and audio tracks which you record.
  • Video clips
    • Highlight the RDG file you wish to use from the file interface.
    • Select the start and stop points of the portion you want to turn into a clip by using the set in point (green) and set out point (red) sliders.
    • Select the "Create Video Clip" Icon
    • The clip details window should be self explanatory.  Three things worth noting...
      • Give the clip a name!  It is easy to accept the defaults, but a good name is helpful.
      • If you wish to "set up" or "narrate" the clip, there is an option for doing this.
      • You can move the PIP box to wherever makes sense given the user's use of the screen.
    • Select OK when ready to create the clip
    • The clips are available in the clip bin.
    • You can further edit clips by right clicking on them.
  • Title Slides
    • Right click an empty slot in the timeline
    • Select "Insert New Title Clip"
    • The Title Clip Details window is fairly self explanatory.  Note that if you wish to add a "voice over" to the clip, you may do so from here.
    • You can further edit title slides by right clicking on them.
  • Using the storyboard is pretty obvious.  Drag video and title clips around until they are in the order you would like them to be. 
  • You can preview your highlight video by selecting "Player | Preview Highlight Video" (ctrl-H).
  • EXPLORE.  There are features here that are very easy to use if you just play with them.  I will not take the time to document them all.
  • When you have a presentation you are happy with, select the "Produce Highlight Video" icon at the top of the screen or from the file menu.  In most cases, Full Motion Video is acceptable, but you may customize as you see fit.  Size is a similar issue.  (30 seconds of full motion/Largest Sized video came out to be 1.25 MB in my test).