User-centered Evaluation of a Mobile AR Product in an Agile Environment

Abstract: Recent advances in mobile Augmented Reality (AR) create promising opportunities for novel, engaging, potentially scalable, interactive products. However, evaluating the usability and UX of mobile AR can be tricky given that the interface is highly adaptable, often ambiguous, and varies depending on context. This project will recount the evaluation of a foot scanner that is guided via mobile AR interaction, in doing so offering one way to approach mobile AR evaluation. Some themes that will be discussed are the importance of iterative in-situ evaluation and the benefits of both in-lab and remote usability testing, as well as how to identify user insights given the perceptual complexity and technical ambiguity of mobile AR interaction. Furthermore, design implications to enhance the usability and experiential aspects for mobile AR will be proposed, including how to guide and instruct users, techniques for movement-based interaction design, and how to utilize the various input types in mobile AR. Lastly, an overview of inserting mobile AR user-evaluation in an Agile product environment, including iterative lo-fi testing, insight communication, team collaboration, and the use of evaluation measures, will be discussed. The hopes of this project is to provide a valuable resource to help push future mobile AR designers and evaluators in the right direction.