by Realeyes: Eye tracking banners
Eye-tracking banners
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Showing posts with label eye tracking usability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eye tracking usability. Show all posts
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Eye tracking emails: Realeyes usability test
Eye tracking emails - Realeyes usability test
Eye-tracking emails
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Sunday, June 21, 2009
Testing Web Sites with Eye-Tracking
By Will Schroeder
Thanks to some recent usability studies we conducted using an eye-tracking system, we now have real evidence of where users actually look when they view a web page. It’s clear that users quickly learn to look where they expect to find content. They also quickly learn to avoid areas where they don’t see—or expect—what they’re looking for, including banner ads and parts of the page outside the central area.
Thanks to some recent usability studies we conducted using an eye-tracking system, we now have real evidence of where users actually look when they view a web page. It’s clear that users quickly learn to look where they expect to find content. They also quickly learn to avoid areas where they don’t see—or expect—what they’re looking for, including banner ads and parts of the page outside the central area.
Where Did Users Look?
Our client wanted to know how much attention users would pay to several areas of a prototype web page — and thus to the content of each area (see figure). With the eye tracker, we monitored how much time users looked at each area.
To determine where users looked on a prototype page, we tracked their eye movements within these areas. Users typically looked first in the center, then to the left, then to the right. When they encountered ads in the Center Area, they quickly learned to stop at the borders—and then look away.
The figure shows the design grid for the client’s index and navigation pages. We asked users to look for specific information on the site. When deciding which link to click, users typically looked first in the center area, then in the left panel, then in the right column. Users spent an average of 11 seconds on each of the pages we tested.
Our users were more likely to investigate areas outside the Center Area when they spent more time searching for the correct link, or when they visited the page for the second or third time in a task.
Scan Patterns Were Similar
All the users spent the same proportion of time looking at each area. This similarity of behavior surprised us. We think it means that they all applied similar criteria in deciding on the relative importance of the tested areas—the likelihood each area would contain the link or information they wanted.
New and experienced web users scanned essentially the same way. At first, the new user scanned pages from left to right, as if reading a book. But he quickly changed to the center–left–right sequence.
He needed only two or three page visits to learn where to find the “good stuff”—and how to avoid less-interesting (to him) material. He looked at the browser controls more than the experienced users did, but was otherwise unremarkable. We had only a single new-to-the-web user, but this is an interesting pattern to watch for.
Because these users so quickly adopted the center-left-right strategy, we believe the experienced users—who used it immediately—had learned the behavior through their earlier visits to other web sites.
Because these users so quickly adopted the center-left-right strategy, we believe the experienced users—who used it immediately—had learned the behavior through their earlier visits to other web sites.
This suggests that designers may not need to design pages differently for new web users, but we’d need more tests to confirm this.
Users Don’t Go to the Bottom
Users rarely looked at what we called the Study Area just above the browser’s status line. Users often found what they wanted before getting to this area. Interestingly, if they wanted to see information from this area, they scrolled to bring it higher on the screen rather than looking at the bottom.
Users rarely looked at what we called the Study Area just above the browser’s status line. Users often found what they wanted before getting to this area. Interestingly, if they wanted to see information from this area, they scrolled to bring it higher on the screen rather than looking at the bottom.
Some users failed to find content that began within this area; they apparently assumed that anything important would begin in the center area. For these users, the “fold” was 2/3 of the way down the first screen, not at the bottom. Users may not look where they don’t expect useful material.
New Scans for Some Changes
We tested several variations of the site’s prototype page layout to see if they’d alter user behavior. When the designers changed the proportions and content of the three main areas only slightly, users kept the same scan pattern. Horizontal and vertical grid changes of 6–to–12 pixels (1/8 inch at the resolution we tested) had no apparent effect on users.
On the other hand, all users immediately detected a change that narrowed the left column about 30 pixels (1/3 inch) and used a heavier font. Most users scanned this changed area as soon as it appeared and read the content.
On the other hand, all users immediately detected a change that narrowed the left column about 30 pixels (1/3 inch) and used a heavier font. Most users scanned this changed area as soon as it appeared and read the content.
Users apparently will reevaluate their scan strategy when they detect a design change of this magnitude.
This argues against the design strategy of using a consistent grid on all pages—it may cause users to miss content of interest.
Users seem to notice changes somewhere between 12 and 30 pixels, but we didn’t test for this, so we don’t know how big the change must be before users notice.
Users seem to notice changes somewhere between 12 and 30 pixels, but we didn’t test for this, so we don’t know how big the change must be before users notice.
What Attracted Users
Using direct observations as well as videotapes of user behavior, we found that:
Bright colors and animation attract users’ eyes. This is not a new finding, but it is interesting to actually see it happen. The gaze cursor flicks to the animation, dwells for an instant, and then returns to content.
Eye gaze often stopped at the borders around ads (the bottom of ads at the top of the page and the top of those near the bottom). To users, these lines apparently indicate content that is unimportant to their task.
Using direct observations as well as videotapes of user behavior, we found that:
Bright colors and animation attract users’ eyes. This is not a new finding, but it is interesting to actually see it happen. The gaze cursor flicks to the animation, dwells for an instant, and then returns to content.
Eye gaze often stopped at the borders around ads (the bottom of ads at the top of the page and the top of those near the bottom). To users, these lines apparently indicate content that is unimportant to their task.
The Role of Peripheral Vision
The eye tracker tells us where the users direct their central vision, the part of the visual field that can discriminate fine detail. But peripheral vision clearly plays a role. We can’t measure how much, but we must account for peripheral vision in interpreting what users see. For example:
Users rarely looked directly at the scrollbar; their gaze peaked considerably to the left of it. This shows that they don’t look at the scrollbar—even when using it. Peripheral vision obviously helped.
Users rarely looked directly at the scrollbar; their gaze peaked considerably to the left of it. This shows that they don’t look at the scrollbar—even when using it. Peripheral vision obviously helped.
Ads apparently attracted users only when they related to the current task—even if the content interested users (but was irrelevant to the task). For instance, a lover of old automobiles was not attracted to an ad featuring a picture of an antique car. These observations are further evidence that peripheral vision plays a role: users somehow determined if an ad interested them before they looked directly at it.
(originally published at 1998)
Eye tracking usability studies: what are users really looking at? (2008)
By John Dirks blog February 19, 2008
To determine what usability study participants look at and take in while viewing online media, we used to watch their mouse cursors, interactions with links and controls, and body language. We also listened carefully to their think-aloud narratives and comments. These traditional testing techniques, however, could never tell us definitively what users notice and what they don’t. Eye tracking usability studies open up a new frontier.
Incorporating an eye tracker in a usability test gives us more precise information about how discoverable or attention-grabbing visual elements such as navigation structures, screen graphics, links, text, multimedia content, or promotions are to study participants.
Eye-tracking benefits
Eye tracking data can help clients improve and streamline designs. By identifying and understanding individual and common user gaze patterns and eye movements when viewing online content, we can address research questions such as:
What do users look at first on our home page (or any page, for that matter)?
Do the calls to action on this page stand out immediately?
Are users reading this content?
Are users noticing this interface feature and if so, how long does it take before they look at it?
Which of these navigation systems is the most discoverable?
What page elements are distracting users from easily accomplishing this task?
Will our new design be more effective than the current design?
Eye tracking gives us valuable insights into how users perceive online content. Data generated from eye tracking, when combined with findings from traditional usability methods, can help teams optimize layout and visual design, leading to better user experiences and higher conversion rates. Eye tracking studies can also be a cost-effective way for clients to ensure that they are getting a good design and usability ROI.
How does eye tracking work?
We use an eye tracking system developed in Sweden by Tobii Technology. The Tobii eye tracker looks like a computer monitor (see Figure 1), but sensors are built into the monitor's casing that send and receive reflections of infrared light from study participants' eyes. It is quick and easy to train or calibrate the eye tracker to work with an individual at the start of a usability session, and the technology is completely safe.
Figure 1: Eye tracker built by Tobii Technology.
When users view screen content—a web site, application, image, video, marketing piece, etc.—the eye tracking system precisely tracks and records where their gaze pauses or fixates, even if only for a 10th of a second. The system also tracks and records the eye movements or saccades between the fixation points.
A brief example
For illustrative purposes, we ran a short eye tracking test with a small sample of five users on the web site of one of our favorite charities, Oxfam America. Participants, all unfamiliar with the site, were given the task of finding a way to donate to Oxfam. Figure 2 shows a "heat map" of what our sample of users looked at during their first five seconds on the home page. The bright red-orange spots are the parts of the page users fixated on most frequently. We outlined the two pathways to donate, "What You Can Do" and "Donate now," in red.
Figure 2: An eye tracking "heat map" of the Oxfam America home page showing what test participants viewed most frequently during their first 5 seconds on the site.
Unfortunately, both pathways to donate on the home page received little initial attention. All testers found and clicked one of the links within 16 seconds, so task success was 100%, but if a primary purpose of the Oxfam America site is to collect donations, the call to action on the home page may not be clear enough. It's also possible that a more subtle approach to soliciting donations is more effective for Oxfam's audience—we don't know, and Oxfam is not one of our clients.
While heat maps show how different page elements command visual attention relative to each other and can be generated for individuals or a group of users, gaze plots and gaze replays show the visual path that individual users take on a page. The numbered circles in Figure 3 reflect what one user in our mock study fixated upon first, second, third, etc. during her first two seconds on the Oxfam site.
Figure 3: A gaze plot showing one user's initial eye movements and pauses (or fixations) across the Oxfam America home page.
By analyzing individual gaze plots, we can identify patterns about the order in which study participants view a page or application screen. These patterns can reveal mismatches between where users expect to find links, controls, or content and where they are actually placed on the page, and the patterns help us to recommend changes in the way content or navigational elements are spatially arranged or aligned. For example, a gaze pattern that involves a lot of back and forth movement may suggest a need to place certain items closer together.
One useful feature of the eye tracking system is its ability to track views or fixations in specific areas of interest (AOIs). Once defined in web page or other on-screen content, the eye tracking analysis software can then generate quantitative data such as:
the percentage of users whose eyes fixate on the AOI
their gaze duration time within the AOI
the number of fixations on other page elements prior to viewing the AOI
Figure 4 shows data from an AOI we defined around Oxfam America's "Donate now" box. This chart reveals that 3 users noticed the "Donate now" box, and it took them between 2 and 10 seconds to first fixate on it. Putting on our design hats momentarily, the brown "Donate now" box in Figure 3 looks a lot like a heading and less like a button, which may be why two of our testers did not notice it at all.
Figure 4: "Time to First Fixation" graphic based on the "Donate now" area of interest.
It can be telling how many people simply do not notice an AOI and thus are missing out on an important site function or brand message, echoing the old usability adage "If the user can't find it, the function's not there."
How does eye tracking change how we conduct usability studies?
We do not view eye tracking as a replacement of traditional usability testing methods. With some minor modifications to introduce the eye tracker and fully take advantage of what eye tracking does best, we typically run studies very much as we always have. The data generated from an eye tracker complements other usability findings to give us a more comprehensive and sometimes more quantitative view of usability problems. Eye tracking data can help us pinpoint barriers and distractions that prevent users from finding things quickly or otherwise degrade their online experiences, and it can reveal interesting viewing patterns that lead to better, actionable design recommendations that meet both user needs and business goals—and those are the things we think help our clients the most.
Thanks to Laura Barboza and Jen Amsterlaw for their research assistance.
References
"Eye tracking in human-computer interaction and usability research: Ready to deliver the promises," Jacob, Robert J.K. and Keith S. Karn. Published in "In the Mind's Eye: Cognitive and Applied Aspects of Eye Movement Research," Elsevier Science, Amsterdam (2003)http://www.cs.tufts.edu/~jacob/papers/ecem.pdf
"A Comparison of Eye Tracking Tools in Usability Testing," DeSantis, Rich, Quan Zhou and Judith A. Ramey. Society of Technical Communication Proceedings (2005).http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Eye-Tracking
"Tobii Eye Tracking: See through the eyes of the user."Usability brochure available from http://www.tobii.com
Oxfam America Web Sitehttp://www.oxfamamerica.org
February 19, 2008
To determine what usability study participants look at and take in while viewing online media, we used to watch their mouse cursors, interactions with links and controls, and body language. We also listened carefully to their think-aloud narratives and comments. These traditional testing techniques, however, could never tell us definitively what users notice and what they don’t. Eye tracking usability studies open up a new frontier.
Incorporating an eye tracker in a usability test gives us more precise information about how discoverable or attention-grabbing visual elements such as navigation structures, screen graphics, links, text, multimedia content, or promotions are to study participants.
Eye-tracking benefits
Eye tracking data can help clients improve and streamline designs. By identifying and understanding individual and common user gaze patterns and eye movements when viewing online content, we can address research questions such as:
What do users look at first on our home page (or any page, for that matter)?
Do the calls to action on this page stand out immediately?
Are users reading this content?
Are users noticing this interface feature and if so, how long does it take before they look at it?
Which of these navigation systems is the most discoverable?
What page elements are distracting users from easily accomplishing this task?
Will our new design be more effective than the current design?
Eye tracking gives us valuable insights into how users perceive online content. Data generated from eye tracking, when combined with findings from traditional usability methods, can help teams optimize layout and visual design, leading to better user experiences and higher conversion rates. Eye tracking studies can also be a cost-effective way for clients to ensure that they are getting a good design and usability ROI.
How does eye tracking work?
We use an eye tracking system developed in Sweden by Tobii Technology. The Tobii eye tracker looks like a computer monitor (see Figure 1), but sensors are built into the monitor's casing that send and receive reflections of infrared light from study participants' eyes. It is quick and easy to train or calibrate the eye tracker to work with an individual at the start of a usability session, and the technology is completely safe.
Figure 1: Eye tracker built by Tobii Technology.
When users view screen content—a web site, application, image, video, marketing piece, etc.—the eye tracking system precisely tracks and records where their gaze pauses or fixates, even if only for a 10th of a second. The system also tracks and records the eye movements or saccades between the fixation points.
A brief example
For illustrative purposes, we ran a short eye tracking test with a small sample of five users on the web site of one of our favorite charities, Oxfam America. Participants, all unfamiliar with the site, were given the task of finding a way to donate to Oxfam. Figure 2 shows a "heat map" of what our sample of users looked at during their first five seconds on the home page. The bright red-orange spots are the parts of the page users fixated on most frequently. We outlined the two pathways to donate, "What You Can Do" and "Donate now," in red.
Figure 2: An eye tracking "heat map" of the Oxfam America home page showing what test participants viewed most frequently during their first 5 seconds on the site.
Unfortunately, both pathways to donate on the home page received little initial attention. All testers found and clicked one of the links within 16 seconds, so task success was 100%, but if a primary purpose of the Oxfam America site is to collect donations, the call to action on the home page may not be clear enough. It's also possible that a more subtle approach to soliciting donations is more effective for Oxfam's audience—we don't know, and Oxfam is not one of our clients.
While heat maps show how different page elements command visual attention relative to each other and can be generated for individuals or a group of users, gaze plots and gaze replays show the visual path that individual users take on a page. The numbered circles in Figure 3 reflect what one user in our mock study fixated upon first, second, third, etc. during her first two seconds on the Oxfam site.
Figure 3: A gaze plot showing one user's initial eye movements and pauses (or fixations) across the Oxfam America home page.
By analyzing individual gaze plots, we can identify patterns about the order in which study participants view a page or application screen. These patterns can reveal mismatches between where users expect to find links, controls, or content and where they are actually placed on the page, and the patterns help us to recommend changes in the way content or navigational elements are spatially arranged or aligned. For example, a gaze pattern that involves a lot of back and forth movement may suggest a need to place certain items closer together.
One useful feature of the eye tracking system is its ability to track views or fixations in specific areas of interest (AOIs). Once defined in web page or other on-screen content, the eye tracking analysis software can then generate quantitative data such as:
the percentage of users whose eyes fixate on the AOI
their gaze duration time within the AOI
the number of fixations on other page elements prior to viewing the AOI
Figure 4 shows data from an AOI we defined around Oxfam America's "Donate now" box. This chart reveals that 3 users noticed the "Donate now" box, and it took them between 2 and 10 seconds to first fixate on it. Putting on our design hats momentarily, the brown "Donate now" box in Figure 3 looks a lot like a heading and less like a button, which may be why two of our testers did not notice it at all.
Figure 4: "Time to First Fixation" graphic based on the "Donate now" area of interest.
It can be telling how many people simply do not notice an AOI and thus are missing out on an important site function or brand message, echoing the old usability adage "If the user can't find it, the function's not there."
How does eye tracking change how we conduct usability studies?
We do not view eye tracking as a replacement of traditional usability testing methods. With some minor modifications to introduce the eye tracker and fully take advantage of what eye tracking does best, we typically run studies very much as we always have. The data generated from an eye tracker complements other usability findings to give us a more comprehensive and sometimes more quantitative view of usability problems. Eye tracking data can help us pinpoint barriers and distractions that prevent users from finding things quickly or otherwise degrade their online experiences, and it can reveal interesting viewing patterns that lead to better, actionable design recommendations that meet both user needs and business goals—and those are the things we think help our clients the most.
Thanks to Laura Barboza and Jen Amsterlaw for their research assistance.
References
"Eye tracking in human-computer interaction and usability research: Ready to deliver the promises," Jacob, Robert J.K. and Keith S. Karn. Published in "In the Mind's Eye: Cognitive and Applied Aspects of Eye Movement Research," Elsevier Science, Amsterdam (2003)http://www.cs.tufts.edu/~jacob/papers/ecem.pdf
"A Comparison of Eye Tracking Tools in Usability Testing," DeSantis, Rich, Quan Zhou and Judith A. Ramey. Society of Technical Communication Proceedings (2005).http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Eye-Tracking
"Tobii Eye Tracking: See through the eyes of the user."Usability brochure available from http://www.tobii.com
Oxfam America Web Sitehttp://www.oxfamamerica.org
February 19, 2008
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