Accessible Web Development Services

3 Eye Tracking

Eye tracking is an advanced user testing technique that pinpoints exactly where users look and for how long. Eye tracking is particularly used with websites and marketing emails as it:

• Showcases the very best way to design, lay out and position key page items
• Explicitly shows you whether users notice key content or not
• Highlights how quickly users notice on-page features and for how long they look at them

Eye tracking studies often take place at the same time as regular user testing. Along with any reporting you receive from this you'll also receive specific eye tracking analysis to include:

• Heatmaps are an amalgamation of where participants looked and for how long. The 'hotter' the area the more it was noticed and looked at by users.
• Gaze trails show the order in which participants cast their eye over the page. It also shows for how long they looked at each section.

Why do eye tracking?

Eye tracking allows you to see your website literally through the eyes of your users. Eye tracking is great for outlining:

• Whether or not users notice adverts and/or key calls to action
• What users pay most attention to and what they don't notice
• The order in which users notice items on the page
• Where users look for navigation links to take them to another page

Eye tracking is particularly good at:

• Choosing a design - You create a set of criteria against which to test and then see which design is most effective. This will put an end once and for all to internal design arguments.
• Proving what people say - Whilst people may say they didn't notice something eye tracking will prove this. For example, users generally don't notice the navigation until they're lost.
• Checking whether brand elements were noticed - Eye tracking proves whether or not someone actually looked at the buy button, promotions and/or adverts.

Our process for eye tracking

The eye tracking itself takes place in our purpose-built usability lab, complete with microphones and cameras. Using state-of-the-art software we're able to capture what the user is doing on-screen, together with audio commentary and a video of the user carrying out the test. There's a viewing room next door with a large one-way mirror between the two rooms so you can see the eye tracking live, in real time.

Prior to the eye tracking we'll work with you to define the objectives for the eye tracking along with profiling the participants we'll recruit (i.e. your typical/desired users). We'll then run the eye tracking study, ideally with you watching live next door. We strongly advise you come and watch the eye tracking live from the observation room - it's truly an eye-opening experience.

Eye tracking explained: How it works

Eye tracking basically tracks people's eyes as they look around web pages. It clearly shows you where both eyes are looking and for how long. Accessible Printing uses advanced eye tracking technology meaning that it's totally non-obtrusive for participants. It takes just 5 seconds for the infrared cameras (hidden in the computer monitor) to pick up participants' gazes and then they use your website like they normally would.

The eye tracker is essentially invisible - there are no helmets or ‘special’ glasses required.