Usability Testing with Mouse Gestures
About the Project
For my senior capstone project I am exploring a new way to analyze how users interact with web interfaces. The project is divided into two parts, data collection and presentation of findings.
For the first part, data collection, I am developing a web-based environment which consists of a registration process, research subject authentication, browser add-on (for collecting mouse activity) and PHP/mySQL back-end for storing the collected information from users. The collection process is detailed in the 'How Participation Works' section.
The second part of the project is the presentation of the collected data. Using Macromedia Flash Actionscript I will develop an application to present the data in a way that enhances the users understanding of the collected data. It is my goal for the data and presentation to help us as designers better understand how users interact with web interfaces.
How Participation Works
The participation process is relatively easy for most.
- Register - In order to register you must be using the Firefox Browser. If you are interested in being a test subject there is an online, automatic registration process which just takes some basic demographic information as well as ensures your e-mail address is authentic.
- Download - You must download the Firefox Extension as well as the Firefox Browser if you don't already have it. The plugin allows us to capture your mouse movements while you browse. It also sends the data back to my server. The Firefox Extension will not record your mouse movements unless you are at the test website. Throughout the process, you will be clearly notified whether or not you are being recorded. There is a status bar indicator to let you know when it is recording and when it isn't.
- Start Testing - As a test subject, you will be given simple tasks to complete using different websites. The Firefox Extension will record your mouse activity while you complete these tasks. The recordings will be sent to my server and used in the second part of the project.
Results of the Research
So far the results have been some-what predictable. This is a thumb of an early rendering of craigslist's homepage where participants are asked to find an apartment in Portland. This is 13 sessions. The white dots with circles are clicks. Click the thumb for a fullscreen image of the whole pages visualization.
Concept Visualizations
These are early ideas of what I thought the visualization might look like.
One User
Multiple Users