26
admin
As if the simple “cool factor” wasn’t enough to make most people want to get in early on any type of Google beta test, the company has now decided that they’re willing to pay people for taking the time to use Google products and to report back on their “user experience.” According to the Google User Experience Research FAQ page, Google will be paying $75 an hour to users willing to spend time with a Google researcher answering questions about various Google products.
There appear to be four different ways that users can be called on to provide feedback:
- Usability study at a Google office: Typically, you will use a Google product or prototype, and give feedback on it. You could either meet 1-on-1 with a Google researcher, or work as part of a group. Most studies are done at our HQ in Mountain View, California, but we have offices all over the world, so please feel free to sign up for this type of study even if you don’t live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Remote usability study: A Google researcher will call you while you sit at your computer, and ask you to try out a Google product or prototype via your internet connection, and give feedback on it. You can be anywhere in the world, but need to have a high-speed internet connection.
- Field study: Google researchers will come to visit you, and interview you about how you use computers or the Web. We won’t just show up at your door - we will always check with you, and make an appointment. Again, most of our researchers are based at our HQ in Mountain View, California, but we have offices all over the world, so please feel free to sign up for this type of study even if you don’t live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Online survey: you answer questions on the web or in an email, from your own computer.
Doesn’t seem to be a specific type of person that they’re looking for either, so no need to avoid applying simply because you don’t feel “techie” enough. In fact, Google invites people from all types of backgrounds to sign up…
For each study, we need to make sure that we invite people who match our target user profile for the product we are researching. We also want to get a good balance of ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience, so please be honest with your answers. It’s easier for us to match you to a suitable study when we have more information about you, so if you fill in as much of our sign-up form as you can, it’s more likely that you will be invited to participate.
Blink
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Simpy
Spurl
Y! MyWeb
Add A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.