Many people now access information on smartphones or tablets instead of desktop computers.42 People who are more likely to have limited literacy skills are especially likely to depend on smartphones for information access43 — so always test your website or product on mobile devices. Testing on mobile will also allow you to collect information about your site’s responsive design (website features that change dynamically, depending on screen size and orientation).44 Remember, you want your website to work well on a variety of devices and platforms.
Testing on mobile is different from testing on a desktop or laptop computer. Here are some things to think about before you test on mobile with users with limited literacy skills:
- Record movements using a mobile testing setup. That way, you can review your testing session later or share it with other members of your team. Think through your technical needs in advance: For example, use a camera to record participant’s movements while using their phone — or use a program to cast the participant’s phone screen to a laptop where it can be viewed and recorded.
Figure 2.1: An example of a mobile usability testing setup, with a laptop and a camera above a mobile phone on a desk. This setup allows the moderator to record participants' movements during mobile testing.44
- Let participants use their own devices. People are accustomed to how their smartphone or tablet is set up. You’ll get more accurate information if they test your site on a device, they’re familiar with.
- Be mindful of data consumption limits. Since you’re asking participants to use their own devices, you need to consider data use. Always make sure participants can access safe, free Wi-Fi. And in general, think through what you’ll be asking them to do in advance. For example, will they need to download an app or stream multiple videos? Activities like these may use more data than simpler tasks.
