Take a look at the new SixthSense device being developed by the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT. Using a webcam, portable projection system, a mirror and a cell phone, this device allows individuals to easily interact with the environment in a way that’s similar to how we currently get information online—only in this case, you don’t have to be sitting at a computer. You can get all the information you need from wherever you are just by using your hands and the physical surfaces or objects around you. The developers of the device explain, “SixthSense attempts to free information from its confines by seamlessly integrating it with reality, and thus making the entire world your computer.”

Although a fairly inexpensive contraption, this small wearable device (…ok, smaller than a computer and plans are to make it even smaller) could one day change the way we connect with the world around us.

Imagine calling someone using a keypad projected onto the palm of your hand…


Or quickly checking the time by simply drawing a circle on your wrist…

Or how about getting live video news while reading the daily paper…

With SixthSense, this can all be accomplished by using a system of hand gestures and settings based on user needs and interests.

But enough of just reading about it—to get the full effect, check out this SixthSense video and see it for yourself. And get ready! I imagine these are the types of digital interfaces we can look forward to testing here at Engauge sometime in the near future.

In an attempt to take online research to whole new level, Mozilla has devised a plan to bridge the gap between many research methods currently used to gather usability data. They call this user testing project Test Pilot, and although it is merely a concept at this stage, the idea in itself seems promising.

Those of us in the world of user experience know that you can’t beat the large sample size you can get from web analytics data and online surveys, but when you really want to get to the source of usability problems, one-on-one testing seems to offer up more fruitful results. So far, there really isn’t any worthwhile in-between. Mozilla’s Test Pilot sounds like a fairly simple solution that will allow interested users to get up close and personal with a website while still providing written feedback about their experience.

Here’s how it will work:

1) Users simply download the Test Pilot add-on and then create a user profile by providing simple
demographic information which Mozilla promises will be non-personally identifiable.

2) Based on the demographic data provided, Mozilla will place users into groups with similar
characteristics.

3) Mozilla will send out requests intermittently asking for participation based on user profiles.

4) If a user chooses to accept, they will be linked to a quick test in which they will be asked to click
around a website while Mozilla monitors activity. After a certain amount of time or after a certain
task is completed, the user will be asked to provide feedback. Keeping the user in mind, Mozilla
plans to keep tests short and simple to keep the drop-out rate low.

Easy enough, right? With benefits like free testing open to anyone, huge sample sizes and worldwide results that can be gathered in just a few hours, it sounds like Mozilla may be on to something. In fact, Mozilla “aims to build a 1% representative sample of the Firefox user base,” which could be quite impressive in terms of statistical significance. Plus, Test Pilot also has the potential to get rid of much of the time-consuming work that goes into running test sessions—things like recruiting, participant screening and even the test sessions themselves.

So, what are the drawbacks?

• Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is that Test Pilot won’t offer researchers the opportunity to probe participants with more targeted questions after they’ve given their initial answers. Because Test Pilot will not be designed to record everything a user does in the test session, the lack of a moderator asking those follow-up questions may mean that some of the greatest data findings will go unnoticed.

• Secondly, in usability testing there are so many nonverbal behaviors that we assess which can’t be assessed with Test Pilot. Nonverbal behaviors tell us if a participant, for example, needs the text size to be bigger, when they squint and move their faces closer to the screen. There are some needs that participants simply can’t report verbally or in text but that still need to be addressed.

• Finally, all data collected through Test Pilot will be made public. I imagine there will be mixed opinions on this since there will be those who don’t see a benefit in sharing their data treasures. On the other hand, one also has to think about the possible Test Pilot data that could be used to inform research. This one is tough, yet to me it seems like a fair tradeoff for a free testing resource.

Although I don’t imagine Test Pilot will ever take the place of one-on-one testing, I do think Mozilla has come up with a great idea. Why not take a few tried and true methods of research and sandwich them together into something new? I’m curious to find out just how Test Pilot data will look once collected and what types of tools Mozilla will offer to aid in analysis. Worst-case scenario, Test Pilot could end up working much like web analytics already do, but if Mozilla researches this well, it seems like this could really be a hit. After all, even if the Test Pilot platform doesn’t grab you, surely you won’t be able to resist this little fluffy fox all decked out in his pilot gear…

*As of now there is no word on when Test Pilot will actually go live, so stay tuned for future updates!

In order to design an effective website, research has shown it is extremely important to take the site users’ ages into consideration. At Engauge, we see this trend over and over again as many of our mature user experience lab test participants often complain about small text size and overwhelming website clutter that younger audiences are more likely to overlook.

A recent article found in the Journal of Neuroscience poses an interesting finding which may have implications for web pages designed specifically for mature audiences. The study, which compares memory function in 60 and 70-year olds to those of 22 to 36-year olds, suggests that memory deficits that occur with aging may often be caused an increased susceptibility to distraction. In the study, it is auditory distractions, in particular, which tamper mature users’ ability to process and remember information.

As the number of mature individuals utilizing the internet continues to increase, the question becomes how these findings translate to web audiences and to marketing efforts, in general. Indeed, if mature audiences experience memory difficulty due to distraction, there may be a need to step back and rethink many of the websites being created for this specific population. Perhaps music, multiple advertisements and long chunks of copy could be hindering (not helping) mature audiences from getting the intended message. And if users are too distracted to form valuable memories, chances are, they probably won’t remember to come back. Proof again that keeping things simple is often the best formula for success, and web experiences do not fit into the category “one size fits all.”

The Behavioral Research Department is happy to announce the creation of our very own Virtual Worlds Research Team! The team, headed by DrRead Voom, consists of several avatars created by Spunlogic researchers and interns. Due to increasing popularity of utilizing online virtual worlds as marketing tools, the team was formed to help uncover many unique possibilities waiting for businesses in virtual worlds. The team has specific interest in how psychological principles can be leveraged to enhance in-world customer service as well as the overall experience.

So far, our researchers have conducted in-world interviews and surveys for our clients and for our own scientific pursuits. Using our understanding of human behavior in real and virtual world scenarios, the team has been able to identify the most effective testing locations, procedures and avatar qualities for several research studies.

While much of our research happens in virtual worlds, some happens in the real world too. Recently, we developed an online survey to assess the perceptions of infidelity in online and virtual world environments. News articles surrounding a real life divorce prompted by a Second Life relationship led researchers to question human assessments of fidelity with respect to technology. Findings from that study suggested that there is a relationship between social perceptions of infidelity and the mode of technology used to mediate communication. When communication is mediated by technologies like virtual worlds, people are far more tolerant of unfaithful behavior.

So, next time you decide to escape reality in favor of some virtual fun in Second Life, be on the lookout for our team! We’re often easy to spot as we sometimes wear our lab coats—as seen in the pictures below. And stay tuned to our blog because you just never know what the virtual worlds team might stumble upon next…