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  1. UX Toolkit
  2. Methods
  3. Eye Tracking
advancedimplementationvalidation
Eye TrackingTrack where users are looking to improve on the user experience.
100 – 195 min5+ Participantsusersideationobservation
+3
Summary
Eye Tracking technology can be used to record the eye movements of users. This makes it possible to find out which elements of a user interface they pay particular attention to and which elements tend to go unnoticed. This provides information about the user-friendliness of products and services. In contrast to User Testing® without eye tracking software, clear correlations can be demonstrated visually, e.g. elements that attract more or less attention than they should. A camera attached to the test device (which can be a desktop computer, smartphone or tablet) or Eye Tracking glasses, records eye movements for this purpose.
Step-by-step
  1. Decide which technology (soft- and hardware) should be used for the tests. There are various providers. Ideally, consult a professional who is familiar with the technology and knows how to use or calibrate it.
  2. The Eye Tracking must be individually adjusted to the user before starting the user test. Automatic calibration can be performed for this purpose. In addition, the camera attached to the device should be adjusted to the height of the user sitting in front of it, so that the eyes are approximately in the center of the screen. Caution: Eyeglass wearers may have difficulties recognizing eye movements. This is especially the case with highly reflective eyeglass models.
  3. Perform the user test as usual.
  4. The Eye Tracking software outputs various data after the video is finished. On the one hand, these contain heatmaps that show which areas of the product or service under test are viewed particularly little or a lot. To make sure what the reason for these frequently viewed elements is, attention should also be paid to the corresponding audio track of the video during the evaluation. Another file created with the help of the software are the gaze point plots. Here the guidance of the gaze is analyzed and connected step by step. This makes it possible to understand which content the user perceives first, which not at all, and which only after some time. Note: with Eye Tracking, enough data must be obtained for the results to be meaningful. As with user testing, at least five people should be invited, the more the better.
  5. After completing the user tests with eye tracking, the data can be compared and correlated. Which events occurred in several persons? What was perhaps perceived as particularly positive or negative by many? The data obtained is then used to develop recommendations for action to improve the user experience.
What you need
  • Eye Tracking soft- and hardware
  • Test device, e.g. smartphone or computer
  • Paper
  • Pen
External resources
  • Eyetracking Shows How Task Scenarios Influence Where People Look
    by NNgroup
Do you have a question?
These methods might seem simple, but applying them in a real project is another story. We’re there to help. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at the User Experience Strategy & Design team.
Ask Away!
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