The Development of DRUM: A Software Tool for Video-assisted Usability Evaluation

Abstract

The development is reported of a practical software tool which supports video-assisted observational evaluation of usability. The Diagnostic Recorder for Usability Measurement (DRUM) helps evaluators to organise and analyse user-based evaluations, and to deliver measures and diagnostic data. This paper reports DRUM's rationale, theoretical background, requirements capture and collaborative iterative development. It outlines DRUM's functionality and manner of use. DRUM runs on Apple ® Macintosh ™ , drives a range of video machines, and supports management of evaluation data, task analysis, video mark-up and logging (with find and replay of logged events), analysis of logged data and calculation of metrics.