Silverback, I love it.

24/07/2008

Silverback is already out. What is special about it? Well, it’s basically a software to merge the captured interaction of a user on the screen with the recording of his face, all in one screen for easier test usability documentation.

silverback-diagram.jpg

On the typical usability test set-up you have the usual screen pointing to users’ face and also some camtasia-like software for recording what goes on the screen. Then you dream of merging it together to create a killer DVD for your client but actually never do so because of the time it would take to review both tapes, digitalise and do the necessary video edition.

I am a big fan of contextualised user testing: doing the testing as close to the real user environment as possible. This really makes it easier. Taking advantage of the Mac computer which usually has an embeded webcam, makes the test way less intimidating for the user.

The solution is so clever I wonder why nobody did it before. Congrats to the guys at Clearleft. I may use it soon.

There are 4 comments to this article:

  1. 24/07/2008Julio Loayza says:

    Verdaderamente genial. Así de simple tuvo que haber sido siempre.

    Solo una cuestión ¿No te parece una pega que sea solo para Mac a la hora de hacer test de usuarios no familiarizados con Mac? Aunque un navegador es un navegador, me parece que al usuario de a pie le puede intimidar bastante el que el propio sistema le sea completamente desconocido (=hostil) y no sé hasta que punto el test puede verse dificultado e influenciado por esta circunstancia.

    Hoy en día hay muchos portátiles PC que vienen con su camara integrada (por supuesto mucho menos sutil que la de un Mac :-)), de modo que se conseguiría un efecto casi tan poco intimidatorio, pero en un entorno familiar para los usuarios de windows.

  2. 24/07/2008Javier Cañada says:

    Tienes razón, Julio.

    Quizás saquen una versión para PC. También es cierto que todos los macs actuales tienen cámara pero muy pocos PC de sobremesa la traen integrada, sólo algunos portátiles.

  3. 25/07/2008Bruno Figueiredo says:

    Actually Morae has been doing this for ages and it also synchs with your notes.

  4. 25/07/2008Paul Annett says:

    Thanks for the great write-up!

    Bruno - Morae is available for the PC for US$1,495.00 - Silverback is Mac only at the moment, and is US$49.95, and we’re donating 10% of profits to a save-the-gorillas charity! :)

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