Mobile user testing results, Participant 6 (Engage 0.3)

N.B.: We lost the audio/video data for participants 5 and 6 reality and task-based testing. The notes under those sections are brief because I've relied on the limited notes I took during moderation.

I. Reality testing

P refers to participant. M refers to moderator. Quotes are paraphrased, not verbatim. Side notes/observations in round brackets. Initial thoughts in square brackets.

• P started by going to Exhibitions, did not notice object code entry option
• P: "Not sure if the device is providing information for the exhibition"
• P spending a significant amount of time looking at objects without the use of the device (possibly looking for cues in the space to use the device?)
• Tapped on 'Being Irish' exhibition (it's first on the exhibitions list in English; not sure if P is aware which exhibition she's actually in)
• Browsing through catalogue of 'Being Irish'
• Went back to home screen, browsed to object code entry screen
• P: "But what is the code?" (confused about where to find numbers)
• Participant tapped in a random but valid code---not of the object in front of her
• Went back to code entry screen, and staying there for several moments (looking for something to enter?)
• P alternated between going to Exhibitions and object code entry screens (seems a bit confused about where to go)
• P observes and notes the object code label beside a physical artifact (this label had an extended text icon)
• P: "What is that for? Is it for reading a book?"
• P tried pressing the physical label as though it were a button
• P: "It's not a button"
• P eventually makes the link between object code label and entry after a few more moments, and successfully arrives at artifact view of the object in front of her
• P in front of curling stone object, and enters the appropriate object code
• P scrolls through the information and watches video
• P notes pictures from videos, and looks for them in the space (to no avail)
• Continues browsing curling stone artifact view after the video is complete
• Browses through related artifacts

II. Task-based testing

P refers to participant. M refers to moderator. Quotes are paraphrased, not verbatim. Side notes/observations in round brackets. Initial thoughts in square brackets.

• P looking at object in physical space (photograph reprint) and of object in digital space (photo of negative slate), and notes that they're not the same
• Collected the object. M: "What do you think that does?"---P: "For looking at it later"
• Collects if it's interesting to her or she thinks it'd be interesting to friends
• On video of foot warmer:
• Expected more from the video
• Liked how the video explained its use, but was not impressed that it used just one still image with audio [what's the difference between having an artifact image on screen + audio, and a  'video' with a still image and audio track?]
• Spends time looking both at actual artifact and the video (roughly 50-50)
• P notes (for the first time) that the performance is slow
• P appears patient (at least verbally), but taps a lot on the screen
• On sending collection to self:
• P: "Did I send it properly?" (there was no feedback)

III. Interview notes

Bullet numbers correspond to the interview question number.

1. Easy? At the beginning, a little bit confusing---there were no instructions on how to use it. After a few minutes of using it though, was able to find information she was looking for.
2. How long to understand?
3. Problems? Didn't understand what 'object code' meant. Put in a few random numbers to try it out, and then understood that it meant getting more information about a picture. [trial & error] A little slow---thought it was her fault (not using it correctly somehow).
4. Improvements? Make it faster. Give tips/instructions. Make it more clear how to use the application.
5. Additional features? Make it like a [human] tour guide---as soon as you enter the museum, it starts to speak. Also teaches you how to use the device: what the object code means, where you should start, follow some timeline, etc. Liked videos. Would like enlarged pictures, then she wouldn't need to step so close to the item.
6. Discoveries? Yes. Makes the museum tours more colourful. Can read things, watch videos. Not just the picture or the item---more information, more perspective, the other side. Absolutely helpful and useful.
7. Museums & mobile? Definitely useful. Interesting. It's not just walking through the exhibitions; it like someone teaching you about something you don't know. But some visitors might not be patient enough to read all the words on display. It'd be more interesting if the device would talk to them like someone reading a book audibly.
8. Best video? Curling stone video. The foot warmer video wasn't really video---it was just audio describing things. Would have liked to see more about it, like seeing how it works. The curling stone video had more information.
9. N/A.
10. Overall impression? Cool. Quite useful for young people (teenagers and above), because they're willing to try new things. If her mother were trying it, and failed at the beginning, would probably stop using it.
11. Revisit when it's done? Yes, definitely. Hope every museum has it.