Remote LiveShare is great for conducting remote moderated testing where the participant's screen is the focal point. You can also invite your team members to join the session live as observers if they'd like!
π If the conversation between you and the participant is your main focus, Interview might be a better option for you.
Unlike tools like Zoom or Google Meet, not all parties joining a session will use the same meeting link. All sessions are started by the participant using the Participant Link you send them. After they complete their setup, they'll be available for the moderator and any observers to join them.
Contents
How to create a LiveShare Round in your dashboard
1) If you already have a Project created, you can skip to step 2. Otherwise, start by clicking the + New Project on your dashboard
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2) Click the β (plus) icon next to Rounds to create your new Round
3) Select LiveShare
Round Settings
π At any point during the Round setup, you can click the Save button at the top right to save your progress. If you need to leave and come back later, you'll be able to pick up right where you left off.
4) Add a Round Name & Description
Enter a Round name (required) and Description (optional). The description is just for you and your team β your participants will not see it. It may seem unnecessary to add a description, adding a description to your rounds can be helpful when you later need to organize your work.
5) Set the Localisation language (Optional)
The Participate apps for mobile & our desktop experience support several native languages. You can learn more about that (link).β
6) Set the Transcription language (required)
This is the language that your participant will be speaking. It will help ensure the most accurate transcriptions.
7) Device requirements (optional) use this option if you want to limit your participant to using a particular type of device; only check the device types you want to be available to your participants. You can also choose to disable the Extension-free Beta (enabled on all new rounds by default)
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8) Hide controls on Mobile browsers (optional) - when selected, we will attempt to hide the navigation and address controls on mobile browsers to better simulate a full-screen experience (especially useful when testing mobile prototypes).
9) Participant camera
Optional. The participant can choose whether or not they want to enable the camera for their session. They will not be able to change it once the session has started.
Required. A camera must be selected before starting the session.
Disabled. The participant will not be given the option to use their camera
10) Click the Next button at the lower left to save your progress and proceed
Test Setup
11) Set the Welcome Message (optional) for participants
This is shown to the participants before they start a session and allows you to explain the context of the session, add links to external consent forms, and add any explanations needed to help your participant through setup & instructions
12) Set the Instructions (optional)
This section will be shown to the Participant during their session and is helpful to guide them through the test.
13) Add a Final Message (optional) for participants
This message is shown to Participants after they have completed the final task of the session.
It allows you to thank the participant for his/her time and/or add links to an external (post-session) survey.
π Format the text in your Welcome/Final message, using Markdown!
14) Click the Next button at the lower left to save your progress and proceed
Invite Participants
15) Click Copy link to copy the Participant Link. This will be use for participants to start the session. You'll send the same link to all participants in the same round.
π If you don't want to copy the Participant Link at this time, you can always get it later from the Round page in the dashboard
16) Click the Next button at the lower left to save your progress and proceed
Observer Lobby
17) Select the option you want for the Observer Lobby
Organisation members only: they will need to have a user account associated with your Lookback organisation. This option is recommended if all of your observers are colleagues/employees at the same company. Please note: as our Freelance plans only have 1 user account, this option will be disabled for those plans.
βAnyone with the link can enter: they do not need to have a Lookback user account to access the Lobby. This option is recommended if you are inviting external stakeholders to your sessions and don't want to add them to your Lookback organisation.
18) Click Copy link to copy the Observer Lobby Link. This will be sent to your observers so they can access any live sessions in the round as well as any previously recorded sessions that have finished.
π If you don't want to copy the Observer Lobby Link at this time, you can always get it later from the Round page in the dashboard
19) (Optional) If you'd like to test out your setup before going live with participants, click on the Preview Session link at the top right & copy the link. To learn more about how Preview Sessions work, please see this help article (link).
20) Click the Done button in the lower left corner to save your settings
That's it! You'll now be taken back to the Round page of the project where you can edit the round and find the Participant & Observer Lobby links.
On the day of the test: Prep for the session as moderator
Check that you are on a strong WiFi Connection, and are not affected by a firewall before you start a LiveShare with a participant. This will ensure you don't experience any hiccups during the test.
βHave your headphones with a built-in microphone ready. Headphones help reduce echo and ensure good audio quality.
βLog on to Lookback on your laptop/desktop via the Google Chrome browser
π All sessions - moderated and unmoderated - are always started by the Participant
Participant Setup
When a participant clicks the Participant Link, they will be prompted to download Lookback's Participate App (iOS or Android) or Chrome Extension (unless you are using the extension-free beta) and grant permission to record their microphone, camera (if set to "required" or "optional"), and screen. This collection of help articles can guide them through the setup process.
βAfter completing the setup on their device, they'll end up on a screen that says, We're just waiting for the other party to join. All set. At this point, they need to wait for the moderator (you) to join the session.
Joining the session and moderating
Once the participant reaches the page that says We're just waiting for the other party to join. All set, the participant will appear both in relevant Round and under the Live tab (lightning bolt on the left) in your dashboard.
1) Click the Join button. You'll now find yourself in the Player.
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2) Click the Start Moderating button.
π Make sure to tell your observers not to click on "Start Moderating" if they arrive before you do. You can let them know that once you join as the moderator, they will automatically be brought into the session.
3) Select the microphone and camera you'd like to use, then click 'Call participant'.
π You can switch, enable or disable your camera and/or microphone later on during the session. Just click the camera or microphone icons in the bottom-center of your screen.
4) The participant will be notified that you are calling them, and will have the option to 'Accept' or reject your call.
5) When they 'Accept', your Remote LiveShare has officially started! Go ahead and start moderating.
π If you're testing an app in the App Store or Play Store, a prototype viewed in an app or an unreleased app, just ask the participant to navigate to that app. Once they've finished testing, they can navigate back to Lookback's Participate app / Chrome Window.
Share your screen with the participant
If you'd like to share your screen with the Participant, just click the 'screen icon' on the bottom center of the screen - beside the mic and camera icons.
β It is not currently possible for the moderator to give control of their computer to the Participant
Take Notes, Chat and create Findings
During a LiveShare session, you can chat with others who are observing the session, add time-stamped Notes and create Findings using the 'Session Feed' on the right.
@mentioning in a Note or Chat is a great way to draw team members' attention to something specific in a session. It triggers an email with a link to that specific Note or Chat, and can be done both during the session and when viewing it retroactively.
π Too much happening in your 'Session Feed'?
βTurn on Focus Mode or apply filters to focus only on the Notes, Chats and Findings that are important to you.
Chat is for you and your team to discuss the session in general. It's also a place for others who are observing the session to ask you questions. The whole team can view the chat later along with the full-length recording, but these messages won't show up on the participant's screen or on the timeline. So chat away!
Notes can be used to annotate the current LiveShare session. All notes are saved with a timestamp, so you'll be able to easily find the moment in the session where you added the Note, when you watch the full-length recording.
Findings: You can create short video snippets to use as an individual asset or to send to stakeholders in reports or deliverables. To create a Finding during a session, just make a 'Note' and then click the π‘ light bulb icon to convert the Note into a Finding. You can edit the length of the Finding later while you're reviewing the session. To learn more about creating findings, please see this help article.
βπ Just click the ellipsis οΈ to edit the contents or timestamps of your Notes or Chats
Ending the session
To end a session, click on the End session button in the bottom center.
Now the session will published in the relevant Round within the Project for you and your team to view.
Awesome work. You've just completed a LiveShare session! π