MIDS solution involves interconnected system components, each designed to automate certain phases of UI design and usability research processes. Effective interaction between system components helps our customers to achieve smoother cooperation between their teams (including external and remote ones) and more efficient project management.
MIDS system components
- Desktop Storyboard Editor
- Desktop Research Control Center
- Web Usability Testing Center
- Desktop Emulator
- Handset Emulator
Desktop Storyboard Editor
Desktop Storyboard Editor is a visual tool that helps to create storyboards and design GUI screens in visual UI prototyping environment. Editor involves pre-defined libraries of standard UI components and tools for setting up transitions between the screens. Design of the storyboards and screens is performed using “drag&drop” technology.
Desktop Storyboard Editor allows a Designer to define the “golden path” through the storyboard which can be later compared to the actual users’ behavior during usability testing.
Storyboard Editor supports version control, therefore each prototype has its history of changes. Context search in the database allows to find information about relevant projects performed previously and view usability test results of other prototypes (or previous test results of the same prototype when it’s necessary to provide relevant corrections), that helps a designer to consider similar mistakes and problems as well as results of usability tests of resembling prototypes.
A storyboard created in the Editor is automatically converted into interactive prototype running on the Desktop Emulator or Handset Emulator of the reference handsets. Interactive prototype allows to immediately identify technical errors and contradictions to the company’s UI design guidelines.
Modular structure of the Storyboard Editor allows us to easily customize the library of UI components upon customer’s requests.
Desktop Research Control Center
Desktop Research Control Center allows setting up and managing usability researches remotely, accessing the database of performed usability researches and monitoring the results of existing ones. Usability Researchers can use Research Control Center for setting up conditions and tasks for new usability tests, creating research documentation, managing work of remote teams or external usability testing labs and tracking progress. As a result the work of all internal and external employers involved in usability researches is automated and all data and results are stored.
The analytical results of usability testing are calculated according to pre-defined metrics and generated automatically after the tests are performed.
Web Usability Testing Center
Web Usability Testing Center allows to optimize the work of managers responsible for leading usability tests with a number of respondents. Through the Web Usability Testing Center, Testing Leads get access to the research conditions and tasks defined by Usability Researchers, database of respondents, track record system and interactive UI prototypes they need to use for testing.
Access to Web Testing Control Center is supported by standard browser with access to the Internet or local network connection.
Desktop Emulator
The storyboards created in MIDS Desktop Editor can be emulated in real time on Desktop Emulator of the reference handsets. It is possible to open emulators of different handset models, selecting them from the list in order to test prototypes on emulators of handsets of different screen size, memory volume and formfactors. Designer can immediately test fully interactive prototype that simulates the logics of the storyboard designed in the Editor. Emulation is performed automatically without any additional efforts.
Handset Emulator / Handset Research Emulator
Prototype created in the MIDS Desktop Editor can be viewed and tested on real handset, simulating the behavior of real service, designed in the storyboard in the Desktop Storyboard Editor.
The prototype can be downloaded on handset via Bluetooth, USB cable or wireless network connection.
Handset Research Emulator allows to perform usability testing of prototypes and collect all low-end data during the tests (e.g. key presses and time used by Respondents during their interaction with prototype). The data is sent to the server via wireless network connection and saved in the central database.
