Mark AR is a platform for creating and sharing digital art that is overlaid onto the real world—augmented reality. Its focus is on street graffiti and its creators. The startup is keen on working closely with its audience to design and develop features rapidly. In early 2020, they asked me to conduct a series of usability tests. Then the pandemic hit.

With ingenuity, quick thinking, and heavy reliance on video documentation, I was able to recruit participants, carry out live user tests, and conduct qualitative interviews—remotely. The first report I produced led to a second engagement, and I was able to mix remote work and masked, socially-distanced in-person usability tests.

I worked with Mark AR to focus the goals of each study, then wrote scripts and refined survey questions. I documented, transcribed, documented, and analyzed three separate tests. The recommendations and insights gained from my reports helped Mark AR refine their user interface and even shift their core offering and messaging.