Remote Research: Real Users, Real Time, Real Research [Color] [Paperback]

Nate Bolt (Author), Tony Tulathimutte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 8, 2010

Remote studies allow you to recruit subjects quickly, cheaply, and immediately, and give you the opportunity to observe users as they behave naturally in their on environment. In Remote Research, Nate Bolt and Tony Tulathimutte teach you how to design and conduct remote research studies, top to bottom, with little more than a phone and a laptop.

TESTIMONIALS

"Nate and Tony have done it! They've described beautifully one of the user experience profession's best-kept secrets conducting remote usability tests. This book is a must-have for anyone thinking about remote testing, since it tackles everything you need from soup to nuts. I can't wait to get a copy for my own bookshelf. Oh, it also will melt your face remotely."
—Jared Spool CEO and Founding Principal, User Interface Engineering

"Remote Research is filled with sage advice, entertaining case studies, methods, and clear procedures that will benefit both new and experienced user researchers. Remote Research is an absorbing book that should be on the reading list of every user researcher. Kudos to Bolt and Tulathimutte for an engaging and informative guide to better remote research."
—Chauncey Wilson Senior Manager, AEC User Research, Autodesk, Inc.

"The techniques in this book will make every designer's and user researcher's life much easier. Nate and Tony use the attitude and power of Web 2.0 technologies to create a new way of thinking about user experience research. They share their expertise clearly, concisely, and with a great sense of humor, giving practitioners step-by-step details to conduct remote research of virtually any complexity."
—Mike Kuniavsky author, Observing the User Experience

"No longer must you only test your interfaces with people who come to your office or some expensive lab. So stop doing boring research! Stop having a boring life! Read this book!"
—Mark Trammell User Researcher, Twitter

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Rosenfeld Media; 1st edition (February 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933820772
• ISBN-13: 978-1933820774
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great remote usability how-to book March 16, 2010

By Craig Tomlin

Format:Paperback

If you are looking for a book about conducting remote usability testing, I think you'll be very pleased with "Remote Research." The authors; Nate Bolt and Tony Tulathimutte, have a long history of producing remote research projects for the Fortune 500, and you can tell, with all the tips, tricks and information they share about remote usability testing.

I've been conducting usability testing for over 14 years, and have in the past year started using remote methods rather often. After reading the entire book I think you'll find this is a good usability book for you if you're a remote usability practitioner already, or if you are just learning about or interested in usability. I suspect you can use this book over and over (I've already dog-eared quite a few pages for handy reference).

This book has plenty of information for experienced remote usability researchers, as well as for those thinking about trying it out for the first time. The broad categories covered are:

* What remote usability research is (and what it isn't)
* Pros and Cons of conducting remote research
* Step by step how to (for first timers)
* Detailed list of tools (both moderated and un-moderated)
* Tips and tricks for each tool (experienced remote researchers take note!)
* A companion web site with additional information and tools is provided

The writing is light and easy to read, humorous in many places. You won't feel at all like you are reading a manual or dictionary. Jargon is kept to a minimum, and for each new term they use Nate and Tony explain what it means in plain English.

Reading this book is very much like having a fun yet informative lunch with a remote research guru - you learn a lot, and enjoy the experience along the way.

For those of us who've already been conducting remote usability testing sessions, I think you'll find the case studies (useful for "selling" remote usability testing) and scripts are extremely useful. The detailed tips and tricks listed for both moderated and un-moderated tools is also very helpful.

For those of you who've not yet conducted a remote testing session, there's a detailed step-by-step guide complete with recommended tools, participant recruiting tips and scripts, scripts for the testing guide and even a (rare) detailed explanation of the types of analysis and reporting you can provide your clients.

I think you'll find this is a very handy book and that you'll probably place it somewhere close to your desk, so you can refer to it as you create remote usability tests. I know I am!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pragmatic Tips Gave Me Confidence To Make The Leap October 20, 2010

By Samantha Bailey

Format:Paperback

I've been conducting user research and usability studies for nearly 15 years but have been extremely reluctant to move "out of the lab" (even though my "lab" has frequently been a hotel conference room). This book was both inspiring and reassuring. It has practical advice that makes things very concrete, but the content is richer than a standard "how to" and gave me the prod I needed to get my hands dirty trying something new. I'm currently working with a client who operates globally and conducting research in-person is not viable from a cost perspective. With this book in hand I felt I could pitch (and do) remote testing successfully--it's the next best thing to having a mentor to guide you through the process.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars They anticipated every question May 31, 2010

By Dana E. Chisnell

Format:Paperback

Remote usability testing is all the rage in the UX world. The discussion lists are full of questions about which tools to use and how much they cost. Nate and Tony have anticipated every question and answered each clearly and intelligently. This book is smart, it's plain, and it is clear that these guys know of what they speak. But they haven't said, "Do it our way or hit the highway." They present the options, share their experiences, and call on others to tell their stories (I'm one of them). We even get lessons learned.

Though there is a lot of information about tools, applications, and services to use, this book is not masquerading as a third-party user manual for any of them. The undercurrent here is an outline for performing research projects, including advice about methodological subtleties.

As the guys say, "don't waste your life doing pointless research." Get this book. Then email Nate and ask how he talked Rosenfeld Media into putting a pink cover on it.