Eye Tracking

The Design and Usability Center (DUC) uses the latest eye tracking technology from SMI Vision.  Eye tracking uses reflected infrared light to monitor subtle eye movements. In tracking the fixations (areas of focused attention) and saccades (movements between these areas), precise information about people’s  visual attention patterns is revealed.  Eye tracking systems are unobtrusive, mounted directly beneath the user’s computer monitor (in the lab), or worn by the participant as a hat (in the field).

Eye Tracking Allows Us To

• Learn what areas of the screen attract users’ attention relative to other areas
• Discover how and what people read within your designs
• Explore the flow of attention (the order in which people look at various elements)
• Compare different designs and creative options

Eye Tracking Data

Scan paths allow researchers to analyze the flow of attention throughout a design. This output shows people’s eye fixations and the order in which they occurred. Sequential videos can also show scan path progression in real time.

Heat maps display where users concentrate attention within a given design. This aggregated information is great for quickly revealing which areas people focus on, as well as areas that are commonly ignored.

Numerical data Numerical data communicate statistical details for specific areas of the tested design, allowing the impact of these visual areas to then be compared.  Such data includes: time to first fixation, dwell time, revisits, average fixation, and sequence of area visitation

Eye Tracking and the Bottom Line

Some benefits of eye tracking include the ability to:

• Increase brand awareness 
• Increase visual attention and clicks for ads, promotions, and other key elements
• Increase conversions and sales through optimal design and layout
• Increase product loyalty through improved usability and satisfaction
• Maximize adoption and use of new functionality through increased awareness