Desktop Screen Recorder
A complete redesign of UserTesting’s remote usability testing software.
Challenge: When I joined UserTesting, the company's software for recording usability tests was very dated. It needed both a visual overhaul and a structural redesign to reflect updates in how clients and testers used the software.
Outcome: The new software made the testing experience much clearer and less error-prone—resulting in significantly higher quality feedback and output from testers to clients.
More than a facelift In addition to an updated look, the redesign took into account how the software was being used by both clients and testers.
Full-screen tasks At the start of a task, the instructions are now front-and-center to help testers read what is expected of them. A larger window provides ample space for a prominent help button and a progress bar.
Collapsed task view After the user clicks Start, the instructions collapse into the recording widget. With the new recording indicator, testers no longer wonder if their feedback is being recorded. The audio level indicator is deemphasized until audio drops below a threshold.
Multiple task types I designed the app to better accommodate various task types (multiple choice, verbal response and rating scales).
The recording widget In the new design, I made sure testers had a clear sense of what was happening during their feedback session. The new recording widget uses bold colors and animation to draw the user’s attention to the recording status.
Setting expectations We noticed that many testers accepted a new test, opened it, and then quit after seeing the large number of steps it contained. I decided to display test length information upfront to better set testers’ expectations.
A touch of style I chose a bright, saturated green for the primary button to clearly signal to testers where to click next. I used Source Sans Pro, a highly-legible open source font, to visually separate the recording software from the apps and websites testers would be using.
Custom icon design I designed a set of icons for each type of task. Left to right: Timed task, verbal response, task, rating scale question, multiple choice question, written response, post-test written response.
