Evaluation of visual content usage

1. A method of performing user interface usability testing comprising:

determining a plurality of sets of graphical user interface (GUI) interaction events inputted by a plurality of users, by recording GUI interaction events periodically based upon a predetermined timer, wherein each set of GUI interaction events includes:

a series of one or more interaction events associated with a usage session of a graphical user interface, and

at least one GUI interaction event is caused by a user interaction with a displayed GUI element; determining one or more common interaction events among the sets,

wherein determining a common interaction event includes determining whether or not a GUI interaction event is included by at least a configurable threshold number of the sets of GUI interaction events, and

wherein not all GUI interaction events are included by the configurable threshold number of the sets of GUI interaction events;

determining a common interaction sequence wherein the common interaction sequence includes an ordered sequence of the common interaction events; and

providing a simulation associated with the common interaction sequence wherein providing the simulation includes rendering a visual representation of the common interaction events in the ordered sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a plurality of sets of GUI interaction events comprises:

determining one or more tasks associated with the use of the graphical user interface; and

recording the GUI interaction events as one or more users attempt to perform one or more of the tasks.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a plurality of sets of GUI interaction events comprises:

determining a status of one or more user input devices periodically during the use of the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining a plurality of sets of GUI interaction events comprises:

recording a GUI interaction event associated with an operation of a user input device during the use of the graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining common interaction events comprises:

aggregating a plurality of sets of GUI interaction events, where each set of GUI interaction events is associated with a different respective user; and

determining the common interaction events associated with the plurality of sets based on the mathematical intersection of the aggregation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining common interaction events comprises:

aggregating at least a selection of the sets, based on a performance of one or more identified interaction events included by the selected sets , into one or more aggregated sets;

determining aggregated interaction events included in one or more of the aggregated sets;

determining a frequency associated with the performance of each of the aggregated interaction events based on the aggregated sets; and

determining the common interaction events based on a comparison of the frequency associated with each aggregated interaction event to the predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining common interaction events comprises:

determining a number associated with how many of the sets of interaction events include one or more identified interaction events;

making a comparison of the number to the predetermined threshold;

aggregating at least a portion of one or more of the sets, based at least in part on the comparison; and

determining, from the aggregation, the common interaction events.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining common interaction events comprises:

determining that each set includes a plurality of GUI interaction events performed by a plurality of respective users and corresponding to the users completing a task via the graphical user interface; and

determining the common interaction events among the sets, wherein the common interaction events include only those GUI interaction events included by a majority of the sets and performed by a majority of the users in completing the task.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the simulation comprises:

determining an average time associated with a performance of one or more of the common interaction events; and

rendering a visual representation of the user interface including an automated performance of the common interaction events associated with the common interaction path, based on the average time.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one GUI interaction event includes an absence of user activity in interacting with the GUI.

11. An apparatus for performing user interface usability testing comprising:

a processor configured to execute machine readable instructions;

an event recorder configured to record, periodically based upon a predetermined timer, graphical user interface (GUI) interaction events associated with a use of a user interface by a plurality of users, and wherein at least one GUI interaction event is caused by a user interaction with a displayed GUI element;

an aggregator configured to aggregate at least some of the GUI interaction events associated with one or more of the users into sets of aggregated interaction events, wherein each set of aggregated interaction events includes a series of interaction events associated with a usage session of a GUI;

a sequence detector configured to determine one or more ordered common interaction sequences including an ordered sequence of common interaction events based on common interaction events associated with at least a configurable threshold number of the sets of aggregated interaction events, wherein not all GUI interaction events are included by the configurable threshold number of sets of GUI interaction events; and

a simulator configured to render visual representations of the one or more common interaction sequences with respect to the user interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the event recorder is configured to record the interaction events chronologically.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the event recorder is configured to periodically record status information associated with the user interface and/or one or more user interface devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the aggregator is configured to aggregate the interaction events associated with the one or more users based on identified features associated with one or more of the interaction events, or sets thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the simulator is configured to render the common interaction events associated with the one or more common interaction paths with respect to the user interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the event recorder is configured to record GUI interaction events based upon a timer; and

wherein at least one GUI interaction event includes an absence of user activity in interacting with the GUI.

17. A computer program product being tangibly embodied on a machine-readable storage device and including executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause a data processing apparatus to perform user interface usability testing, the testing comprising:

determine a plurality of sets of graphical user interface (GUI) interaction events input by a plurality of users, by recording GUI interaction events periodically based upon a predetermined timer, wherein each set of GUI interaction events includes:

a series of one or more interaction events associated with a usage session of a graphical user interface, and

at least one GUI interaction event is caused by a user interaction with a displayed GUI element; determine one or more common interaction events among the sets,

wherein determining a common interaction event includes determining whether or not a GUI interaction event is included by at least a configurable threshold number of the sets of GUI interaction events, and

wherein not all GUI interaction events are included by the configurable threshold number of the sets of GUI interaction events;

determine a common interaction sequence wherein the common interaction sequence includes an ordered sequence of the common interaction events; and

provide a simulation associated with the common interaction sequence wherein providing the simulation includes rendering a visual representation of the common interaction events in the ordered sequence.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the data processing apparatus configured to determine one or more common interaction paths is configured to:

determine the common interaction paths based at least in part on a predicted interaction sequence.